As an employer, you must understand the necessity of a formal grievance procedure and how it will benefit your business and your staff. A fair grievance system at work can promote a thorough, quick, and satisfactory resolution to any issues brought up by an employee in the first place, helping in avoiding time-consuming and expensive potential trials. The employee should also be protected from further punishment on appeal, helping to create a positive grievance culture so that others may understand the procedure should they decide to follow formal proceedings in the future.
Purpose of grievance policy
A formal complaint filed by an employee to resolve a problem with their job condition is known as a grievance. Typically, complaints are brought up in connection with problems that influence productivity or working relationships. A formal grievance should be filed with management or a union representative if an issue is identified for their consideration and further inquiry. Some of the most frequent reasons brought up in grievance hearings include issues with pay, working conditions, supervisory arrangements, policy changes, and employee/team interactions.
Key steps of a grievance procedure
Employees are instructed to follow a method to escalate their complaint after a problem has been identified formally. Every grievance procedure should have three essential elements at its center, including:
- The employee must file a written grievance. Their specific concerns should be addressed in the letter, which may also include a summary of the issues, specific instances, and dates and times of any incidents.
- After receiving the letter, the responsible line manager should schedule a timely meeting to go over the points highlighted. For this to be resolved satisfactorily, additional research and reporting on the issue may be necessary.
- The employee should have the chance to appeal the decision if the meeting’s or investigation’s results fall short of their expectations or approval.
Importance of grievance handling system
A grievance-handling system has the following benefits:
- Provision Of Data
- Employees can express their dissatisfaction
- Index of Organization Health
- Better Understanding among employer and employee
- Improve employee morale
- It makes grievances public, so management can learn about them and try to address them.
- It helps in keeping complaints from going out of control. Before a complaint turns into a conflict, management categorizes and resolves it.
- It aids in creating and preserving a workplace culture or way of life.
- It serves as a check on management decisions that are arbitrary and capricious.
- Employee groups, discounts, and complaints have a role here.
A grievance procedure is intended to provide both employees and employers with a fair and impartial method of bringing up and reviewing important concerns and difficulties.
Employees should be able to voice concerns about a safe workplace without fear of retaliation thanks to a formal grievance mechanism. Staff morale and productivity will be supported by the awareness that any complaints will be addressed seriously and treated equitably. Employees will be protected from management’s arbitrary judgments with the help of a detailed process.
In order to comply with employee contracts and uphold the requirements of company contracts, employers should be able to detect any unacceptable or illegal gaps in their current grievance-handling procedures with the aid of a structured grievance procedure. By preventing the “bad press” associated with a grievance that is handled improperly, having an agreed-upon and approved process will also help to safeguard the reputation of the brand or firm.