ARTICLE
5 August 2026

AI-generated Grievances: What Every Employer Needs To Know (Podcast)

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A&O Shearman

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A&O Shearman was formed in 2024 via the merger of two historic firms, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. With nearly 4,000 lawyers globally, we are equally fluent in English law, U.S. law and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets. This combination creates a new kind of law firm, one built to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients on their most complex, multijurisdictional matters – everywhere in the world. A firm that advises at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business and that is unrivalled in its global strength. Our clients benefit from the collective experience of teams who work with many of the world’s most influential companies and institutions, and have a history of precedent-setting innovations. Together our lawyers advise more than a third of NYSE-listed businesses, a fifth of the NASDAQ and a notable proportion of the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext, Euronext Paris and the Tokyo and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.
Employers are increasingly encountering AI-generated or AI-enhanced employee grievances that are longer, more detailed, and more sophisticated than traditional complaints. This emerging trend presents unique challenges for HR departments and legal teams, from managing extensive documentation to navigating confidentiality risks when both employees and employers use AI tools. How should organizations respond when faced with these technology-enhanced workplace disputes?
United Kingdom Employment and HR
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The trend

Have you noticed grievances getting longer, more repetitive, and strangely more “reasonable-sounding” lately? You're not imagining it. In our latest podcast, we sit down to unpack one of the trickiest trends employers are grappling with right now: AI-generated (or AI-enhanced) grievances.

You know the scenario: a relationship with a manager breaks down, performance issues bubble up, and suddenly HR is faced with a 20-plus page grievance covering years of complaints and more allegations than you'd expect. What approach should you take?

The challenges employers face

In this episode, we talk through the real issues this trend raises for employers, including:

  • Why every grievance, however it was produced, still has to be taken seriously, and the legal risk in not doing so. 
  • How employers can use AI themselves to help manage and respond to lengthy grievances, and the confidentiality and privilege pitfalls to watch out for when doing so. 
  • The tricky question of what happens when an employee’s own use of AI risks exposing your organisation’s confidential information.
  • Practical ways to define the scope of an investigation with the employee up front.
  • Why a shorter, more focused approach can actually work in employers’ favour.
  • Our top three tips for navigating this issue as it becomes more prevalent.

Listen to the full podcast below to hear Suzanne Horne and Hannah Crisp's complete discussion and get in touch if you’d like to talk through how these issues are playing out in your organisation or how we can assist with using AI to address the challenges that arise.

And if you’re interested in hearing more about navigating the thorny issues of privilege and confidentiality when using AI, our Global Litigation & Investigations colleagues are hosting a webinar on that topic on 30 September 2026, so get in touch and we can share further details.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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