The Grievance Handling Procedure

Having a reasonable grievance procedure in the workplace can encourage a thorough, speedy, and satisfactory resolution to any issues highlighted by an employee in the first instance, helping to avoid lengthy and costly potential tribunals. It should also help to protect the employee from receiving further punishment on appeal, promoting a healthy grievance culture so other individuals can understand the process, should they consider pursuing formal proceedings in future.

Steps involved in grievance handling procedure

i. Acknowledge Dissatisfaction:

Managerial/supervisory attitude to grievances is important. They should focus attention on grievances, not turn away from them. Ignorance is not bliss, it is the bane of industrial conflict. Condescending attitude on the part of supervisors and managers would aggravate the problem.

ii. Define the Problem:

Instead of trying to deal with a vague feeling of discontent, the problem should be defined properly. Sometime the wrong complaint is given. By effective listening, one can make sure that a true complaint is voiced.

iii. Get the Facts:

Facts should be separated from fiction. Though grievances result in hurt feelings, the effort should be to get the facts behind the feelings. There is need for a proper record of each grievance.

iv. Analyse and Decide:

Decisions on each of the grievances will have a precedent effect. While no time should be lost in dealing with them, it is no excuse to be slip-shod about it. Grievance settlements provide opportunities for managements to correct themselves, and thereby come closer to the employees.

Horse-trading in grievance redressed due to union pressures may temporarily bring union leadership closer to the management, but it will surely alienate the workforce away from the management.

v. Follow up:

Decisions taken must be followed up earnestly. They should be promptly communicated to the employee concerned. If a decision is favorable to the employee, his immediate boss should have the privilege of communicating the same.

Key Features of a Good Grievance Handling Procedure:

Torrington & Hall refer to four key features of a grievance handling procedure, which are discussed below:

(a) Fairness:

Fairness is needed not only to be just but also to keep the procedure viable, if employees develop the belief that the procedure is only a sham, then its value will be lost, and other means sought to deal with the grievances. This also involves following the principles of natural justice, as in the case of a disciplinary procedure.

(b) Facilities for Representation:

Representation, e.g., by a shop steward, can be of help to the individual employee who lacks the confidence or experience to take on the management single-handedly. However, there is also the risk that the presence of the representative produces a defensive management attitude, affected by a number of other issues on which the manager and shop steward may be at loggerheads.

(c) Procedural Steps:

Steps should be limited to three. There is no value in having more just because there are more levels in the management hierarchy. This will only lengthen the time taken to deal with matter and will soon bring the procedure into disrepute.

(d) Promptness:

Promptness is needed to avoid the bitterness and frustration that can come from delay. When an employee ‘goes into procedure/ it is like pulling the communication cord in the train. The action is not taken lightly and it is in anticipation of a swift resolution. Furthermore, the manager whose decision is being questioned will have a difficult time until the matter is settled.

A Simple Process of  Grievance Handling 

Reference

education, o., 2015. The grievance procedure, s.l.: s.n.

s, s., 2020. business managment ideas. [Online]
Available at: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0Z5rkq5-TMkJ:https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/human-resources-management/grievance-handling/
[Accessed 30 may 2020]