MODULE 5
GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL
MEANING
Grievance means any type of dissatisfaction or discontentment’s
arising out of factors related to an employee’s job which he thinks
are unfair. A grievance arises when an employee feels that
something has happened or is happening to him which he thinks
is unfair, unjust or inequitable. In an organization, a grievance
may arise due to several factors such as:
1. Violation of management’s responsibility such as poor
working conditions
2. Violation of company’s rules and regulations
3. Violation of labor laws
4. Violation of natural rules of justice such as unfair treatment
in promotion, etc.
CAUSES OF GRIEVANCE
According to ILO (The International Labor Organization), grievance
may be defined as “a complaint of one or more workers in respect of
wages, allowances, conditions of work and interpretation of service
stipulation, covering such areas as overtime, leave, transfer,
promotion, seniority, job assignment and termination of service.”
(1) Promotion, demotion and discharge policies.
(2) Leave, overtime policies.
(3) Improper placements or wage payments.
(4) Unscheduled changes.
(5) Lack or excess of discipline.
6)Dissatisfactory supervision style (victimization or favoritism).
(7) Violation of Central or State Laws.
(8) Violation of Past practices of the organization.
(9) Inadequate safety, health and welfare amenities.
10)Unfavourable working conditions(non availability of
tools,machines,equipments,insufficient ventilation)
11)Seniority or transfer policies
Effects of Grievances:
Whatever may be the cause of a grievance, the effects it has on
the organization’s working atmosphere are always adverse.
Effects of grievances are:
(i) Decline in productivity
(ii) Conflicts, disagreements and dissatisfaction.
(iii) Strikes or lock-outs in extreme conditions.
(iv) Poor performance due to lack of interest in work.
(v) Increase in unrest and indiscipline.
(vi) Increase in absenteeism.
(vii) Wastage of resources.
(viii) Increase in production costs.
(ix) Increase in resignation of employees.
PROCEDURE OF GRIEVANCE HANDLING
The grievance procedure used by different employers may vary
slightly.
Step 1 – Informal approach
Wherever possible an employer should make an initial attempt to
resolve a grievance informally.
This can include speaking to the employee who has made the
complaint in order to understand how they would like the matter to
be resolved.
The aim of the informal approach is to try to prevent the
matter from escalating and to settle the problem early on.
It is important during this stage to listen and take account of what
the employee has to say, to reassure them that the complaint is
being taken seriously and that it will be addressed.
If an informal approach is not appropriate or it does not address
the grievance then the employer will revert to the formal process.
Step 2 – A formal meeting with the employee
This will involve holding a grievance hearing with an employee.
The employee has a statutory right to be accompanied at a
grievance hearing by a trade union representative or work
colleague (4).
The meeting is an opportunity for the employee to explain
the grievance and provide details, information or evidence to
support the complaint. The employer should aim to establish
the facts such as who, what, where, when, why and how the
issue came to being.
After the employee has fully explained their grievance it may
sometimes be possible at this stage, depending on the nature of
the complaint, to resolve it.
Step 3 – Grievance investigation
If there is a need to conduct a grievance investigation it will
include speaking to witnesses and any individuals implicated
in the matter. This will help to shed light on the grievance
and to establish the facts of the case.
Step 4 - Grievance outcome
Once the investigation has concluded and all of the facts
established and considered a decision will then be made
about whether to uphold all or part of the grievance or if to
reject it. The decision should be communicated to the
employee.
If the grievance is upheld, it may be resolved at this stage.
However, if it is part upheld or rejected or the employee remains
aggrieved, the process may move on to the next stage.
Step 5 – Grievance appeal
The grievance outcome should notify the individual of their right to
appeal. The appeal hearing chair should then establish why
the employee is appealing the decision and what resolution
the employee is seeking.
The case should be reviewed, the grounds for appeal investigated
and fairly considered before an appeal outcome is reached. The
appeal is usually the final stage of the grievance process.
ABSENTEEISM
Employee absenteeism is defined as the frequent absence of
an employee from his or her work. This type of absence is
often categorized as a habitual absence which excludes
authorized leaves.
It is not easy to show up for work every day. The companies
recognize this fact, and in case of emergencies and health issues,
they have leave policies for employees. But when those off
days are frequent, it becomes a problem and is absenteeism.
Employee absenteeism is a serious concern. Especially, those
skipping work days and arriving late at work often add up to
a high absenteeism rate. Such conduct leads to a loss of
productivity and low morale of employees.
CAUSES OF ABSENTEEISM IN THE WORKPLACE
[Link] or Injuries
Sometimes, absences are unavoidable due to illnesses or
injuries. The problem comes in when employees fail to let
management know they won’t make their shift. Whether they
report their absence hours after their shift has started or not at all,
it’s important to realize that this is often a situation that can be
easily resolved.
By utilizing a system where employees can easily communicate
with the HR team that they will be late or absent, employees will
be more likely to report their status as soon as they know it. This
allows your HR team to fill holes and cover shifts promptly.
[Link]
Do you have a bullying or harassment problem? You might not
realize that your absenteeism problem is actually a symptom of
something much worse. Employees avoid work when they’re
being harassed for the same reason that kids skip school when
being bullied.
Make sure you have an open-door policy and encourage
employees to report any harassment incidents. You should
also try to be a part of your work environment instead of
shutting yourself in an office. This allows you to identify
issues that could otherwise stay hidden.
[Link]
Employees who are not committed to their jobs tend to find
excuses not to come in. Disengagement comes in many forms. It
can be due to lack of respect for management or feelings of unfair
treatment. It can also be due to lack of feedback from managers
or a perceived lack of freedom or flexibility.
[Link] Workplace Morale
No one wants to come into a work environment where conflict is
rife. The importance of maintaining good employee morale in your
organization cannot be stressed enough. Treating employees with
respect and giving them freedom to make decisions is the
backbone of a healthy work environment.
Once this standard has been set, you can explore other ideas
such as paid time off, workplace ‘fun days’, or other events to
boost morale. Keep dialogue open and ask for feedback to get
more ideas from your team.
[Link] or Elder Care Issues
Employees who struggle with child or elder care issues may find it
difficult to make it into work on time or give advanced notice when
they need to take time off. Consider implementing flexible work
schedules so these employees can work from home or come in
earlier in the morning to make up time and get their work done.
Put a system in place where these employees can easily
communicate their schedules to HR managers and keep
everyone in the loop.
[Link]
Stress can lead to a number of problems. Employees who are
under extreme stress due to work or personal reasons get sick
more often, may have poor morale, and they are more likely to
quit without notice.
[Link] Theft
Absenteeism isn’t necessarily missing full days of work. Coming
in late, leaving early, or taking extended breaks can also cost your
business money. Give your HR team the tools they need to track
and manage these abuses of time before they become bigger
issues.
ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
1. Fairness:
The attitude of supervisors is important here. All supervisors
should accept the employee’s right of appeal as long as no
bypassing is involved. 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 should be sought to
deal with the grievances. This also involves following the
principles of natural justice, as in the case of a disciplinary
procedure.
2. Provisions should be clear cut:
No grievance procedure can be expected to work satisfactorily
unless there are definite provisions, consistently adhered to,
determining what is to be done, when any by them.
For example, every employee should know:
(i) to whom complaints are to be addressed,
(ii) in what form (oral or written),
(iii) what restrictions, and
(iv) how long a complainant should expect to wait before finding
out what action has been taken or planned in connection with
their complaints.
3. Procedural steps:
The grievance procedure should be sufficiently simple so that it
can easily and quickly be explained to each new employee before
they begin working for the organization and so that it can be
readily understood even by a person who has had relatively little
formal education.
[Link] action
Prompt action is not only desirable from the complainant’s point of
view; it is also in management’s interest. Undue delay can be
costly in the growth and spread of employee dissatisfaction.
5) Training:
The success of the procedure also depends upon imparting
training to the supervisors and union representative in handling
grievances. This will help to ensure effective working of the
grievance procedure.
6) Follow up:
The working of the grievance procedure should be reviewed at
periodical intervals by the HR department. The department should
periodically review the procedure and introduce the essential
structural changes making it more effective.
RIGHTS OF GRIEVANT(4 MARKS)
1. To address grievances
2. Oppurtunities to claim
[Link] are brought to the employee’s immediate
supervisor. This may be either an informal process or the
beginning of the formal process.
[Link] procedure must be simple.
[Link] get updates in a timely manner from department
[Link] to appeal
[Link] to get salary during grievance procedure time.