You need to pay attention when an employee has a workplace grievance. It doesn’t matter if their grievance is true or not, it might be affecting them negatively.
They might not be happy at work. And because of that, they might not work as well as they used to. And soon, you might lose good employees who quit because they are unhappy.
An employee grievance is when an employee has a problem, concern, or complaint about their job, the place they work, or someone they work with—this includes the managers. Something has made them feel unsatisfied, and they think it is not fair and/or right for them.
Definition of Employee Grievance
Employee grievance is the dissatisfaction of an employee with the company and its management.
An employee expects to have a safe working environment, clear job responsibilities, fair compensation, respect, etc. from the company or employer. However, employee grievance occurs when there is a difference between what the employee wants and what he gets from the employer.
Effective management of employee grievances is crucial for maintaining a positive work environment and ensuring optimal performance. Regardless of their validity, leadership teams should address these concerns promptly.
Neglecting such issues can lead to conflicts and negatively impact employee motivation and morale. Therefore, every company should establish a clear and defined process for resolving employee complaints, adhering to the framework outlined in their policies
Types of Employee Grievance
Here are the most common types of employee grievance:
- Pay and benefits.
- Bullying.
- Work conditions.
- Workload.
We will examine each one more closely.
Pay & Benefits Grievances
As an employer, it’s likely that you have encountered situations where your staff members approach you expressing their dissatisfaction with their current compensation. Some common points they may raise include:
- Requesting a higher salary.
- Believing they should earn a salary comparable to someone in a similar position within the organization.
- Seeking reimbursement for expenses related to their commute or other work-related costs.
To address such situations effectively, it is important to establish a comprehensive pay and benefits policy. This policy should clearly outline the frequency of salary and benefits reviews conducted with your staff members. Additionally, ensure that any documents provided to your employees regarding pay and benefits align with the guidelines stated in your policy.
Bullying Grievances
Sometimes, people in your workplace won’t get along. That’s normal, but it’s not okay to bully or harass anyone. You need to make sure that no one gets bullied or harassed in your workplace.
That’s why you should give your employees your anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies, and email them if you change or update them. These policies should show them what you’ll do if someone complains about bullying or harassment.
Working conditions grievances
You don’t want to lose a good employee because of bad workplace conditions. You can avoid this by taking care of some things.
Consider:
- How clean the office floors or the kitchen are.
- How people keep their desks.
- How the bathrooms look.
- How safe the workplace is from hazards.
- How comfortable the temperature is in the workplace.
- Do workplace risk assessments often to find any possible dangers, like a leak.
Have someone who knows first aid, a first aid kit, and signs that show where the fire exits are.
Have fire extinguishers in your office. Other things you need are trash bins in obvious places, like a kitchen or a canteen and near desks, too. And don’t forget about toiletries: toilet paper and hand soap/sanitiser.
When you do your assessment, you could see if you need to get air conditioning for the summer, or heaters if the office gets cold in the winter.
Workload grievances
There is often a connection between employee grievances regarding their workload and the issues they raise concerning pay and benefits.
Common scenarios that lead to problems among employees include:
- Giving your employee more work when another employee leaves, instead of finding a replacement.
- Giving an employee more work because you’ve let go of other staff to save money.
When considering an increase in workload for an employee, it is important to anticipate their question, “What’s in it for me?”
If you hope that an employee will take on additional work without extra compensation, benefits, or even a recognized promotion, you are likely to frustrate them.
As mentioned earlier, this will result in decreased morale, and the employee may start harboring resentment and feeling exploited. Consequently, their productivity may decline, and they may even begin searching for a new job. In such a situation, they may have a potential case for constructive dismissal if they believe they have no choice but to resign.
Handling Employee Grievance
Here are some steps to follow when handling employee grievances:
Create a grievance policy and procedure
The first step is to establish a clear and fair policy and procedure for dealing with employee grievances. The policy should outline the definition, scope, and purpose of grievances, the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved, the steps and timelines for raising, investigating, and resolving grievances, the confidentiality and documentation requirements, and the appeal process. The policy should be communicated to all employees and managers and be easily accessible.
Acknowledge the grievance
The second step is to acknowledge the receipt of the grievance and inform the employee of the next steps. The acknowledgment should be done in writing and within a reasonable time frame. The acknowledgment should also express empathy and respect for the employee’s feelings and concerns, and assure them that the grievance will be handled fairly and objectively.
Investigate the grievance
The third step is to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the grievance. The investigation should involve collecting and reviewing all relevant evidence, such as documents, records, policies, contracts, etc., interviewing the employee and any other witnesses or parties involved, verifying facts and claims, identifying root causes and impacts of the grievance, and documenting findings and recommendations.
Hold a grievance meeting
The fourth step involves arranging a formal meeting where the employee with the grievance and other involved parties are asked to attend. In this meeting, the employee can provide any evidence supporting their complaint and explain how they would like the issue to be resolved. Afterward, it’s important to share a written summary of the meeting’s key points with everyone involved.
Make a decision and communicate it
The last step is to decide what to do based on the evidence and facts you found during the investigation and meeting. You should tell the employee your decision in writing within a certain time. You should explain why you decided that way, what you will do to fix the problem, how you will check if things are better, and how the employee can appeal if they don’t like the result.
These are some of the steps to handle employee grievances in an effective way. However, each case may vary depending on the nature, severity, and complexity of the grievance. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with an HR expert or a legal professional if you need further guidance or assistance.