BBM-603

A STUDY OF GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE OF BANKS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE OF HSBC BANK

Submitted by: Chahat Mahajan (097506) Divya Tiwari (097510) Drishti Mehra (097511)

OVERVIEW OF BANKING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

The major participants of the Indian financial system are the commercial banks, the financial institutions (FIs), encompassing term-lending institutions, investment institutions, specialized financial institutions and the state-level development banks, Non-Bank Financial Companies (NBFCs) and other market intermediaries such as the stock brokers and money-lenders. The commercial banks and certain variants of NBFCs are among the oldest of the market participants. The FIs, on the other hand, are relatively new entities in the financial market place. Bank of Hindustan, set up in 1870, was the earliest Indian Bank. Banking in India on modern lines started with the establishment of three presidency banks under Presidency Bank's act 1876 i.e. Bank of Calcutta, Bank of Bombay and Bank of Madras. In 1921, all presidency banks were amalgamated to form the Imperial Bank of India. Imperial bank carried out limited central banking functions also prior to establishment of RBI. It engaged in all types of commercial banking business except dealing in foreign exchange. Reserve Bank of India Act was passed in 1934 & Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was constituted as an apex bank without major government ownership. Banking Regulations Act was passed in 1949. This regulation brought Reserve Bank of India under government control. Under the act, RBI got wide ranging powers for supervision & control of banks. The Act also vested licensing powers & the authority to conduct inspections in RBI In 1955, RBI acquired control of the Imperial Bank of India, which was renamed as State Bank of India. In 1959, SBI took over control of eight private banks floated in the erstwhile princely states, making them as its 100% subsidiaries. RBI was empowered in 1960, to force compulsory merger of weak banks with the strong ones. The total number of banks was thus reduced from 566 in 1951 to 85 in 1969. In July 1969, government nationalized 14 banks having deposits of Rs.50 crores & above. In 1980, government acquired 6 more banks with deposits of more than Rs.200 crores. Nationalisation of banks was to make them play the role of catalytic agents for economic growth. The Narsimham Committee report suggested wide ranging reforms for the banking sector in 1992 to introduce internationally accepted banking practices.

The amendment of Banking Regulation Act in 1993 saw the entry of new private sector banks. Banking Segment in India functions under the Reserve Bank of India. This segment broadly consists of: Commercial Banks The commercial banking structure in India consists of:

Commercial Banks Co-operative Banks

Scheduled Commercial Banks Unscheduled Banks Scheduled commercial Banks constitute those banks which have been included in the

Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) Act, 1934. Some co-operative banks are scheduled commercial banks albeit not all co-operative banks are. This sub sector can broadly be classified into: 1. Public sector 2. Private sector 3. Foreign banks. CO-OPERATIVE BANKS There are two main categories of the co-operative banks. (a) Short term lending oriented co-operative Banks - within this category there are three sub categories of banks viz state co-operative banks, District co-operative banks and Primary Agricultural co-operative societies.

(b) Long term lending oriented co-operative Banks - within the second category there are land development banks at three levels state level, district level and village level.

BANKS IN INDIA s S. N. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Public Sector Banks Allahabad Bank Andhra Bank Bank of Baroda Bank of India Bank of Maharashtra Canara Bank Central Bank of India Corporation Bank Dena Bank Indian Bank Indian Overseas Bank Oriental Bank of Commerce Punjab and Sind Bank Punjab National Bank Syndicate Bank UCO Bank Union Bank of India United Bank of India Vijaya Bank IDBI Bank State Bank of India Private Sector Banks Bank of Punjab Ltd. Centurion Bank Ltd. Development Credit Bank Ltd. HDFC Bank Ltd. ICICI Bank Ltd. IndusInd Bank Ltd. Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. UTI Bank Ltd. Yes Bank Ltd Bank of Rajasthan Ltd. Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd. Federal Bank Ltd ING Vysya Bank Ltd. Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd. Karnataka Bank Ltd Karur Vysya Bank Ltd Ratnakar Bank Ltd SBI Commercial and Foreign Banks ABN-AMRO Bank N.V Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Ltd American Express Bank Ltd. BNP Paribas Citibank N.A DBS Bank Ltd HSBC Ltd. Standard Chartered Bank

International Bank Ltd South Indian Bank Ltd

GRIEVANCE
Grievance is any discontent or dissatisfaction that affects organizational performance. As such it can be stated or unvoiced, written or oral, legitimate or ridiculous. If the dissatisfaction of employees goes unattended or the conditions causing it are not corrected, the irritation is likely

to increase and lead to unfavorable attitude towards the management and unhealthy relations in the organization. The formal mechanism for dealing with such workers dissatisfaction is called grievance procedure. All companies whether unionized or not should have established and known grievance methods of processing grievances. The primary value of grievance procedure is that it can assist in minimizing discontent and dissatisfaction that may have adverse effects upon cooperation and productivity. A grievance procedure is necessary in large organization which has numerous personnel and many levels with the result that the manager is unable to keep a check on each individual, or be involved in every aspect of working of the small organization. The usual steps in grievance procedure are 1. Conference among the aggrieved employee, the supervisor, and the union steward. 2. Conference between middle management and middle union leadership. 3. Conference between top management and top union leadership. 4. Arbitration. There may be variations in the procedures followed for resolving employee grievances. Variations may result from such factors as organizational or decision-making structures or size of the plant or company. Large organizations do tend to have formal grievance procedures involving succession of steps.

Causes for Grievance

Grievance may arise due to the following reasons: 1. Grievance arising out of working condition: Poor physical work of work place. Very tight production standards. Non availability of proper tools and machines. Unplanned changes in schedules and procedures. Failure to maintain proper discipline. Mismatch of the worker with the job. Poor relationship with the supervisor.

2. Grievance arising from Management policy: Wages rate and method of wage payment. Overtime and incentive schemes. Seniority. Transfers. Promotion, demotion and discharge. Lack of opportunities for career growth. Penalties imposed for misconduct. Leave. Hostility towards trade unions.

3. Grievance arising from Alleged Violation of: The collective bargaining agreement. Company rules and regulations. Past practice. Central or State Laws. Responsibility of management.

4. Grievance arising out of Personal Maladjustment. Over-ambition. Excessive self esteem. Impractical attitude to life

EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE
Every employee has certain expectations, which he thinks must be fulfilled by the organization he is working for. When the organization fails to do this, he develops a feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction. When an employee feels that something is unfair in the organization, he is said to have a grievance. According to Julius,

a grievance is any discontent or dissatisfaction, whether expressed or not, whether valid or not, arising out of anything connected with the company which an employee thinks, believes or, even feels to be unfair, unjust or inequitable. The best approach towards grievance is to anticipate them and take steps to tackle them before the grievances assume dangerous proportions. Any ordinary manager redresses grievances as and when they arise. An excellent manager anticipates and prevents them. Managers can know and understand grievance with the help of the following methods: 1. Exit Interview. An interview of every employee who quits the organization can reveal employee grievances. Most of the employees quit the company due to some dissatisfaction. Great amount of care and empathy is necessary for a successful exist interview. 2. Opinion Surveys. A survey may be conducted to elicit the opinion of employees regarding the organisation and its management. Group meetings, periodical interviews with workers and collective bargaining sessions are also helpful in knowing employee discontent before it becomes a grievance. 3. Gripe Boxes. In these boxes employees can drop their anonymous complaints. There are different from the suggestions boxes in which Employees drop their suggestion with their names written on them. 4. Open Door Policy. It implies a general invitation to the employees to informally drop in the managers room any time and talk over their grievances. This policy is useful in keeping touch with employees feelings. But it suffers from the following limitations: (a) This policy is workable only in very small organizations. In big organizations, top managers do not have the time to meet the large numbers of employees daily. (b) Under this policy the front line superior is bypassed. He should first of all know the grievance of his subordinate. (c) This policy does not permit the top management to assess a superiors skill in handling grievance. (d) Top management is not familiar with the work situation in which the grievance developed. It cannot, therefore, correctly evaluate the information provided by the aggrieved employee. (e) Lower level employees hesitate to enter the room of a top manager and speak freely.

In large organization, management by, walking around might be preferable to open door policy. In this system the managers walks through the employees, observes them and if necessary listen to their problems. How to handle a grievance? Do Investigate and handle each and every case as though it may eventually result in an arbitration hearing. Dont Discuss the case with the union steward alone- the grievant should definitely by there. Make arrangements with individual employees that are inconsistent with the labour agreement. Hold back the remedy if the company is wrong. Admit to the binding effect of a past practice. Relinquish to the union your rights as a manager. Settle grievance in the basis of what is fair. Instead, stick of the labour agreement, which should be your only standard. Bargain over items not covered by the contract. Treat as subject to arbitration claims demanding the discipline or discharge of managers. Talk with the employee about his or her grievance; give the person a good and full hearing. Require the union to identify specific contractual provisions allegedly violated. Comply with the contractual time limits of the company for handling the grievance. Visit the work area of the grievance. Determine whether there were any witnesses. Examine the grievant personnel records. Treat the union representative as your equal. Hold your grievance discussion privately. Fully inform your own supervisor of grievance matters.

Give long, written grievance answers. Trade a grievance settlement for a grievance withdrawal. Deny grievances on the premise that your hands have been tied by management. Agree to informal amendments in the contract

Grievance Redressal Procedure

Every organization requires a permanent procedure for handling employee grievance. Grievance handling procedure is a formal process of settling grievance and it usually consists of a number of steps arranged in a hierarchy. The number of these steps may vary with size of the organization. In small organizations, grievance procedure may consist of only two steps while in big organizations there may be five or six steps. As shown in the figure, the front line supervisor is given the first opportunity to handle grievances. If the company is unionized, a representative of the trade union also joins the supervisor in handling the grievance. This step is essential for preserving the supervisors authority. But all grievances cannot be settled here because they may be beyond the authority and competence of the supervisor. In the second step, the human resource officer or some middle level executive along with a high level union officer attempt to tackle the grievance. In the third step, the top management and top union leader sit together to settle grievances involving companywide issues. If the grievance remains unsettled it is referred to an outside arbitrator for redressal. Advantage of a Grievance Procedure Grievances are natural in any organization. These should be solved as early as possible; otherwise they can create serious problems for the organizations, the industry and society. A systematic procedure should, therefore, be developed to settle all grievances. Such a procedure provides the following benefits: It brings grievances into the open so that management can know them and take necessary action to settle them.

It helps in preventing grievances from assuming dangerous proportion. Management can solve a grievance before it becomes a dispute. It is an orderly and expeditious means for redressal of grievances.

It enables the management to know the attitudes and feelings of employee concerning the policies, rules and practices of the organization. It provides the workers a formal opportunity for expressing their fears, anxiety and dissatisfaction. Such release of emotions helps to improve the morale and productivity of employees. It helps to maintain cordial relations in the industry. It brings uniformity in the handling of grievances. It also stimulates confidence in employees and builds a sense of security among them. It enables both the parties to settle the grievances to their mutual satisfaction. It serves as a check upon arbitrary and biased action on the part of management. Managers know that their actions can be reviewed and challenged and, therefore, become more careful.

Grievance Redressal in Indian Industry

In Indian industry, adequate attention has not been paid to the settlement of grievances, legislative framework only indirectly deals with the redressal of individual grievances. It consist of:

1. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. It provides that every establishment employing 100 or more workers should frame standing orders which should contain, among other matters, provisions for means of redressing the workers against unfair treatment or wrongful exactions by the employer or his agents or servants. 2. The Factories Act, 1948. It provides for the appointment of welfare officers in every factory wherein 500 or more workers are ordinary employed. These officers are generally entrusted with the task of dealing with grievances and complaints. 3. The Industrial dispute Act, 1947. This law provides:

(i)

The employer in relation to every industrial establishment in which fifty or more workmen employed shall provide for a Grievance settlement Authority for the settlement of industrial disputes connected with an industrial workman employed in the establishment. The provision of this Authority shall be in accordance with rules made in that behalf.

(ii)

Where an industrial dispute connected with an individual workman arises in an establishment referred to above, a workman or any trade union of workmen of which such workmen is a member may refer such dispute to the Grievance settlement Authority for settlement.

(iii)

The Grievance settlement Authority shall follow such procedure and complete its proceedings within such period as may be prescribed.

(iv)

No reference shall be made to Boards, Courts or Tribunals of any dispute referred in this section unless such dispute has been referred to the Grievance settlement Authority concerned and the decision of the authority is not acceptable to any of the parties to dispute.

Guidelines
When processing grievances, there are several important guidelines to consider: Check the grievant title and employment status to determine if he / she are included in a union eligible classification. Note the supervisors respondent obligation under the grievance procedure. Review the requested solution to the grievance. Determine if the relief sought is beyond a supervisors authority to grant. Review all policies or other information related to the grievance. Conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations. Prepare a written response including the reason for the decision and provide a copy to the grievant. Grievance materials should be maintained in a separate file from either personnel files or records.

Precautions and Prescriptions

The management should take care of following aspects to develop a culture of trust and confidence upon the employees. Always ensure that the managers involved in the grievance handling procedures have a quiet place to meet with the complainant. Always ensure that managers have adequate time to be devoted to the complainant. Explain manager's role, the policy and the procedures clearly in the grievance handling procedure. Fully explaining the situation to the employee to eliminate any misunderstanding and promote better acceptance of the situation complained of. Try to let employee present their issues without prejudging or commenting. Do use a positive, friendly ways to resolve the crisis than punitive steps, which disturb the system. Do remain calm, cool, collected during the course of the meeting. Always focus on the subject of the grievance than allied issues. Don't make threats manage the grievances. Never make use of allegations against personalities. Be aware of the staff member's potential concerns to the possible repercussions of raising a grievance. Don't become angry, belligerent, or hostile during grievance handling procedure. Do listen for the main point of arguments and any possible avenue to resolve the grievance. Listen and respond sensitively to any distress exhibited by the employees.

Eliminating the source of the irritation or discomfort being complained of. Reassure them that the managers will be acting impartially and that your hope is to resolve the matter if possible.

Don't "horse trade" or swap one grievance for another (where the union wins one, management wins one). Each case should be decided on its merits.

Ensure effective, sensitive and confidential communication between all involved.

Take all possible steps to ensure that no victimization occurs as a result of the grievance being raised.

The investigator or decision maker acts impartially, which means they must exclude themselves if there is any bias or conflict of interest.

All parties are heard and those who have had complaints made against others are given an opportunity to respond.

Try to look upon the problem on different angles for appropriate understanding. Ensuring that there is proper investigation of the facts and figures related the problem under concern.

Ask the staff member their preferred resolution option, although it is important to make it clear that this may not be a possible outcome.

Be aware of the limits of authority of the person who involved in the grievance handling procedures.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC)

HSBC's origins in India date back to 1853, when the Mercantile Bank of India was established in Mumbai. The Bank has since, steadily grown in reach and service offerings, keeping pace with the evolving banking and financial needs of its customers. In India, the Bank offers a comprehensive suite of world-class products and services to its corporate and commercial banking clients as also to a fast growing personal banking customer base.

Commercial Banking
Personal Banking HSBC offers a wide range of retail banking and wealth management services, including personal lending and deposit products, through its branch network in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Pune, Thane, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam. Also offered branch-wide are international Gold and Classic credit cards from VISA and MasterCard and debit cards from Visa. Customers have access to 24-hour banking services through an extensive network of automated teller machines (ATMs), an integrated Call Centre, and internet banking online@hsbc . Non Resident Indian Banking HSBC's Non Resident Indian Banking (NRI) centres located in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America, together with HSBC's offices worldwide, provide the international Indian Diaspora access to a range of products and services. These include NRI related investment (both international and domestic), transactional and deposit products, together with a full range of personal and private banking products in India and overseas. Internet banking also provides easy access to HSBC's services. Financial Planning Services Services include investment and custodian management and access to stock broking and insurance services, which are offered to resident as well as non-resident Indians. Corporate Banking HSBC has well-established, long-term corporate banking relationships with large domestic Indian corporations and foreign multinationals operating in India. Services include term and working capital finance, trade facilities, corporate deposits, syndications, payments and cash management services and factoring.

Business Banking HSBC's Extra Mile Business Banking offers two types of account to small and medium-sized businesses - The Business Account and the BusinessVantage Account. Services include Business Phone Banking, Business Doorstep Banking and Multi Branch Business Banking. Payments and Cash Management HSBC provides integrated domestic and regional transaction support to corporate clients through a sophisticated range of cash management solutions, including collection and payment services and integration with customer back-end systems. Operations and client services are ISO 9001 certified. Hexagon, the HSBC Group's dedicated electronic banking service allows users to perform financial transactions, obtain international financial markets information, and review details of their domestic and international accounts, from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. Trade (international and domestic) and Factoring Services A wide range of solutions tailored to meet customer's requirements for both domestic and international businesses is offered. HSBC is also one of the leading banks involved in the bullion business through its offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and is supported by the Group's global expertise in the precious metal business. HSBC is the leading provider of trade services in India and its trade centres are ISO 9002 certified. Institutional Banking Working closely with Group offices in India and overseas, trade services, payments and cash management, treasury and capital markets, custody and clearing, and correspondent and electronic banking activities are offered to banks, financial institutions, securities houses, insurance companies, asset management companies and other non-banking companies, nongovernment and development organisations operating in India. Treasury and Capital Markets Clients consistently rate HSBC's Treasury business as one of the best in India. Its dealing room in Mumbai is one of the largest in the country, serving clients in Mumbai and in the major metropolitan centres across the country. It provides a comprehensive range of products which include - foreign exchange, money market and fixed income products and derivatives in both rupees and major currencies. Custody and Clearing The leading custodian in Asia, HSBC's custody and clearing services are available in 28 markets in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. With experienced staff and the latest technology, HSBC is the premier provider of sub-custodian and clearing services to foreign institutional investors (FIIs) in India. HSBC clients include the domestic fund management sector in both the retail and institutional segments. Institutional Fund Services launched by the bank offers a comprehensive suite of products to domestic mutual funds and insurance companies ranging from custody, fund administration services, unit distribution and Cash Management Services.

Technology
The HSBC Group develops and applies advanced technology to the efficient and convenient delivery of banking and related financial services. In India, the Group provides:

Self-Service Banking with over 150 in-branch and off-branch ATMs and 24-hour Phone Banking. Trade and Corporate Banking services with real-time access to a centralised information database Instantaneous inter-city transactions through online connections between all branches A state-of-the-art treasury dealing system A sophisticated card system supporting debit and credit cards, domestic and international VISA, MasterCard, and co-branded cards A dedicated acquiring system for both MasterCard and Visa transactions online@hsbc, HSBC's internet banking service, provides customers with an integrated and secure platform to access their accounts. Internet Payment Gateway handles credit card transactions on the internet

HSBC Grievance procedure

At HSBC, we want to make sure that you get only the very best of service from us - service which you, our valued customer, deserves. If at any stage, you feel that our service levels are not upto your expectations, here is what you can do: Level 1

Banking customers may contact the customer service executive(s) at our branches or write to the Branch Manager explaining the details of their issues. To locate a branch near you, please follow this link: HSBC Branch and ATM locator.

Credit card customers may contact our Phone Banking service executives who will be glad to assist you. For a list of contact numbers please follow this link: Call Us. Please quote the complaint reference number provided by the Customer Service Agent in case you wish to correspond further on the same issue. Customers preferring electronic mail should write to info@hsbc.co.in. We recommend that you send an email to us via secured channel i.e. by logging to your Internet Banking account. This is to ensure that we maintain customer confidentiality and security. In case you have any complaints regarding an RTGS or NEFT transaction that you have initiated, you can contact the Customer Facilitation Centre (CFC) of the Bank. A directory of CFC of member banks is provided for redressal of RTGS / NEFT related complaints.

If you do not receive a response within 10 days from the channels under Level 1, or, if you are not satisfied with the response received,

Level 2
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive from the channels under Level 1, or if you do not hear from us in 10 days, you can escalate your complaint by writing to the below address or use the " We will call you now " option to reach out to us. Please quote the reference number provided to you in your earlier interaction with the Bank, along with your account / card number to help us understand and address your concern. The Manager Customer Connect The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited No. 96, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai Mylapore Chennai - 600 004 * The We will call you now service option for grievance redressal is available to Resident

Indian Customers from Monday to Friday 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM IST on working days in Chennai, India. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive from the Manager, Customer Connect, or if you do not receive a response within 10 days from the pertinent team.

Final Level
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive from the Customer Connect Team or if you do not receive a response within 10 days, you may contact the Office of the Chief Nodal Officer for a speedy investigation and fair resolution of your problem. You may send a message to the Nodal Officer by logging into HSBC Internet Banking and selecting the option of "Nodal officer" as the subject of the message. OR You may write to: Mr. Govindaraja V Chief Nodal Officer The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited No. 96, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai Mylapore Chennai - 600 004 Email: nodalofficerinm@hsbc.co.in OR You may also contact the Nodal Officer Team at the following contact number between 09:30 AM to 06:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Ph: +91 44 - 3911 1217. Please quote the reference number (if any) pertaining to your earlier contact with the Bank on the same issue, in all your interactions with the bank. You will receive a response within a period of 10 days of Mr. Govindaraja, Chief Nodal Officer or the Nodal Officer Team receiving your complaint. The Bank has appointed Regional Nodal Officers at their Regional/Zonal Offices under the jurisdiction of the respective Banking Ombudsman. You can also write in to the Regional Nodal Officers of the Bank. In the event that you do not receive any response within one month from the date the Bank first received your representation, or if you are dissatisfied with the response given by the Bank, you may write to the Banking Ombudsman.

Banking Ombudsman In the event that you do not receive any response within one month from the date the Bank first received your representation, or if you are dissatisfied with the response given by the Bank, you may write to the Banking Ombudsman, a statutory body appointed by the Reserve Bank of India under its Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006, to look into the provision of satisfactory service by banks. Brief details of the scheme are as follows: The Reserve Bank of India has appointed an Ombudsman, who can be approached for redressing customer grievances if they have not already been redressed by HSBC. The salient features of the Scheme are as follows, and the following conditions will apply before the Ombudsman can be approached:

The complainant, before making a complaint to the Ombudsman, had made a written representation to HSBC, and the Bank had either rejected the complaint, or the complainant had not received a reply within a period of one month after the complaint was received by the Bank, or the complainant was not satisfied with the reply given by the Bank The complaint is made not later than one year after the complainant has received HSBC's reply to his / her representation or, where no reply is received, not later than one year and one month after the date of the representation to HSBC The complaint has not been settled by the Ombudsman in any previous proceedings The complaint is not the subject matter of proceedings before any court, tribunal, arbitrator or any other forum The complaint is not frivolous or vexatious in nature The complaint is made before the expiry of the period of limitation prescribed under the Indian Limitation Act, 1963 for such claims

If you have any issue, which you wish to take up at this forum, please contact your Branch who will advise you in this regard.

PROCEDURE OF REDRESSAL OF GRIEVANCE

Arbitration

Top Management

Top Union Leaders

Middle Management

Middle level Union Leaders

Front-Line Supervisors

Union Representative

Aggrieved Employee