22-1

EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES
22-2

INTRODUCTION
When an employee feels that something is unfair in the organisation,
he is said to have a grievance. To be precise, grievances have
certain common features.

Features of the term “grievance”

 Perceived non fulfillment of one's expectations leading to dissatisfaction with any
aspect of the organisation.
 The dissatisfaction arises out of employment and not due to personal or family
problems
 The reasons could be real or imaginary or disguised.
 The discontent may be voiced or unvoiced.
CAUSES OF GRIEVANCES

 MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
 UNION PRACTICES
 INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL TRAITS
 CULTURE (ANTAGONISTIC ENVIRONMENT)
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EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES

Causes
 Economic
 Work environment
 Supervision
 Work group
 Miscellaneous
Effects
If grievances are not identified and redressed properly, they may
adversely affect the workers, managers and the organisation.
 Production
 Employees
 Managers
CHARACTERISTICS OF GRIEVANCE:

 VOICED OR EXPRESSLY STATED BY AN EMPLOYEE

 MAY BE ORAL OR WRITTEN.
 VALID , LEGITIMATE ,UNTRUE OR COMPLETELY FALSE OR
RIDICULOUS .
 ARISE OUT OF CONDIITONS OF WAGES , WORK
ASSIGNMENTS.
 FEELING OF AN INJUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE TO PERSON.
HOW TO UNCOVER GRIEVANCES

 OBSERVATION
 GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE
 OPEN DOOR POLICY
 EXIT INTERVIES
 OPINION SURVEYS
 STEP LADDER PROCEDURE
PRINCIPLES OF GRIEVANCE HANDLING SYSTEM

 WELL DEFINED, SIMPLE, TIME BOUND

 SETTLED AT LOWER LEVEL OF GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURE.
 PROVIDE REFERENCES OF DIFFERENT
GRIEVANCES .
 CONFORMITY WITH EXISTING LEGISLATIONS.
22-4

Grievance Procedure

It is a formal channel of communication used to resolve grievances.

Having a formal grievance procedure has its own advantages.
Workers get a wonderful opportunity to ventilate their feelings.
Management can go back to the roots of a problem quickly.
Supervisors, too, have to fall in line and listen to workers’
complaints more seriously. A fair redressal mechanism would boost
the morale of all employees greatly.
22-5

The discovery of grievances

The success of a grievance procedure, to a large extent, depends

on the various ways adopted to uncover the problem:

How to uncover grievances?

 Observation
 A formal grievance procedure
 Open door policy
 Exit interviews
 Opinion surveys
GRIEVANCE HANDLING SYSTEM

1. DEFINE , EXPRESS AND DESCRIBE NATURE OF

GRIEVANCE AT HEART OF EMPLOYEE’S
COMPLAINT .
2. GATHER RELEVANT FACTS ABOUT ISSUE , HOW
AND WHERE IT TOOKPLACE AND THE
CIRCUMSTANCES
3. DEVELOP LIST OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
4. GATHER RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR
CHECKING TENTATIVE SOLUTIONS .
5. UNBIASED DECISIONS
6. FOLLOW UP OF THE CASE TO ENSURE HANDLING
OF GRIEVANCES SATISFACTORILY.
GRIEVANCES IN INDUSTRY
MANAGEMENT LABOURS
 INDISCIPLINE AMONG
WORKERS
 GO SLOW TACTICS BY THE
 WAGE ADJUSTMENTS
WORKERS  COMPLAINTS OF INCENTIVE
 NON FULLFILLMENT OF TERMS SYSTEM
OF CONTRACT SIGNED  JOB CLASSIFICATIONS
BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND  DISCIPLINARY PROVISIONS
WORKERS OR TRADE UNIONS.  PROMOTIONS
 FAILURE OF TRADE UNIONS  NON-AVAILABILITY OF
WITH TERMS OF CONTRACT. MATERIALS IN TIME ,
 IRRESPONSIBLE CHARGES BY  IMPROPER JOBASSIGNMENTS
TRADE UNIONS AGAINST
MANAGEMENT
 UNSATISFACTORY WORK
CONDITIONS
 INSOLVENCY IN TRADE UNIONS  FREQUENT TRANSFERS
22-6

Essentials of a formal grievance

procedure

A sound grievance procedure must have the following characteristics

Prerequisites of a grievance procedure

 Conformity with statutory provisions
 No ambiguity
 Simplicity
 Promptness
 Training
 Follow up
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Steps in the grievance procedure

 Identify grievances
 Define correctly
 Collect data
 Analyse and solve
 Prompt redressal
 Implement and follow up
22-8

Model Grievance Procedure

The model grievance procedure suggested by the National Commission

on Labour involves six successive time-bound steps each leading to the
next, in case employees have any reason to complain against any issue
affecting their organisational lives.

Model grievance procedure

P ro ce d u re T im e F r a m e
A p p e a l a g a in s t w it h in a w e e k

M anager 3 days

G r ie v a n c e C o m m i t te e 7 d a y s u n a n im o u s

HOD 3 days

S u p e rv is o r 4 8 h o u rs

F o re m a n

W o rk e r
22-9

Grievance Procedure

Guidelines for handling grievances

 Treat each case as important and get the grievance in writing
 Talk to the employee directly
 Discuss in a private place
 Handle each case within a time frame
 Examine company provisions in each case
 Get all relevant facts
 Control your emotions
 Maintain proper records
 Be proactive, if possible.