Grievance.

Grievance can be broadly defined as an employee’s dissatisfaction

or feeling of personal injustice relating to his employment. A written
complaint filed by an employee claiming unfair treatment. It can be a
valid ridiculous and must grow out of something connected with
company operations or policy.

Forms of Grievances.
(a) Factual
(b) Imaginary
(c) Disguised

1. Factual: A factual grievance arises when legitimate needs of

employees remain unfulfilled, e.g., wage hike has been agreed but
not implemented citing various reasons.
2. Imaginary: When an employee's dissatisfaction is not because of
any valid reason but because of a wrong perception, wrong attitude
or wrong information he has. Such a situation may create an
imaginary grievance.
Though management is not at fault in such instances, still it has to
clear the 'fog immediately.
3. Disguised: An employee may have dissatisfaction for reasons that
are unknown to himself. If he/she is under pressure from family,
friends, relatives, neighbours, he/she may reach the work spot with
a heavy heart. If a new recruit gets a new table and almirah, this may
become an eyesore to other employees who have not been treated
likewise previously.
Causes of Grievances.
1. Economic: Wage fixation, overtime, bonus, wage revision, etc.
Employees may feel that they are paid less when compared to others.
2. Work environment: Poor safety and bad physical conditions,
unavailability of tools and proper machinery, unrealistic targets, poor
quality of materials etc.
3. Supervision: Relates to the attitudes of the supervisor towards the
employee such as perceived notions of bias, favouritism, nepotism,
caste affiliations, regional feelings, etc.
4. Work group: Employee is unable to adjust with his colleagues;
suffers from feelings of neglect, victimization and becomes an object
of ridicule and humiliation, etc.
5. Miscellaneous: These include issues relating to (management
policies) certain violations in respect of promotions, safety methods,
transfer, disciplinary rules, fines, granting leave, medical facilities,
etc.
Effects of Grievances.
Grievances, if they are not identified and redressed, may adversely
affect workers, managers and the organisation as a whole. The
effects are:
1. On production include:
Low quality of production.
Low quantity of production and productivity.
Increase in the wastage of material, spoilage/breakage of machinery.
Increase in the cost of production per unit.
2. On the employees:
Increases the rate of absenteeism and turnover.
Reduces the level of commitment, sincerity and punctuality.
Increases the incidence of accidents.
Reduces the level of employee morale.
3. On the managers:
Strains the superior-subordinate relations.
Increases the degree of supervision, control and follow up.
Increases in indiscipline cases.
Increase in unrest and thereby machinery to maintain industrial
peace.
Need for a Grievance Procedure.
Thus, grievances affect not only the employees and managers but
also the organisation as a whole.
In view of these adverse effects, the management has to identify and
redress the grievances in a prompt manner.
If the individual grievances are left ignored and unattended, there is
a danger that these grievances may result in collective disputes.
They affect the employee morale adversely.
Hence, it is essential to have a proper grievance handling procedure
for the smooth functioning of the organisation.
Essential Prerequisites of a Grievance Procedure.
1. Conformity with statutory provisions:
Due consideration must be given to the prevailing legislation
while designing the grievance handling procedure.

2. Unambiguity:
Every aspect of grievance handling procedure should be clear
and unambiguous.

All employees should know whom to approach while reporting

a grievance.

whether the complaint should be written or oral

the maximum time in which the redressal is assured

The redressing official should also know the limits within which
he can take the required action.

3. Simplicity:
The grievance handling procedure should be simple and short.
If the procedure is complicated it may discourage employees
and they may fail to make use of it in a proper manner.

4. Promptness:
The grievance of the employee should be promptly handled and
necessary action must be taken immediately. This is good for
both the employee and management, because if the wrong doer
is punished late, it may affect the morale of other employees as
well.
5. Training:
The supervisors and the union representatives should be
properly trained in all aspects of grievance handling beforehand
or else it will complicate the problem.

6. Follow up:
The Personnel Department should keep track of the
effectiveness and the functioning of grievance handling
procedure and make necessary changes to improve it from time
to time.
Steps in the Grievance Procedure.

Identify grievance -> define correctly -> collect data ->

analyse and solve -> prompt redressal -> implement and
follow.

1. Identify grievances:
Employee dissatisfaction or grievance should be identified
by the management if they are not expressed. If they are
ventilated, management has to promptly acknowledge them.

2. Define correctly:
The management has to define the problem properly and
accurately after it is identified/ acknowledged.

3. Collect data:
Complete information should be collected from all the parties
relating to the grievance. Information should be classified as
facts, data, opinions, etc.

4. Analyse and solve:

The information should be analysed, alternative solutions to
the problem should be developed and the best solution
should be selected.

5. Prompt redressal:
The grievance should be redressed by implementing the
solution.

6. Implement and follow up:

Implementation of the solution must be followed up at every
stage in order to ensure effective and speedy
implementation.
Model Grievance Procedure.

Grievance procedure is a formal communication between an

employee and the management designed for the settlement
of a grievance.

Grievances could be settled in two ways:

Open door policy

Step ladder policy

Open-door policy:
The aggrieved employee would meet the chief executive of
the organisation, express his feelings of discontentment or
unhappiness fearlessly and get the contentious issues
resolved quickly. Such a policy, however, would work in small
scale organisations.

In bigger organisations, a model grievance procedure is

being suggested and adopted- called as the step-ladder
policy.
Step-ladder policy:
Approach in the 16th session of Indian Labour Conference.

Step 1: In the first step the grievance is to be submitted to

departmental representative, who is a representative of
management. He has to give his answer within 48 hours.

Step 2: If the departmental representative fails to provide a

solution, the aggrieved employee can take his grievance to
head of the department, who has to give his decision within
3 days.

Step 3: If the aggrieved employee is not satisfied with the

decision of departmental head, he can take the grievance to
Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee makes its
recommendations to the manager within 7 days in the form
of a report. The final decision of the management on the
report of Grievance Committee must be communicated to
the aggrieved employee within three days of the receipt of
report. An appeal for revision of final decision can be made
by the worker if he is not satisfied with it. The management
must communicate its decision to the worker within 7 days.

Step 4: If the grievance still remains unsettled, the case may

be referred to voluntary arbitration.
Grievance Management in Indian Industry.

At present there are 3 legislation dealing with grievance of employee

working in industries. The industrial employment (standing order)
act, 1946, requires that every establishment employing 100 or more
workers should frame standing orders. These should contain, among
other things, a provision for redressal of grievances of workers
against unfair treatment and wrongful actions by the employer or his
agents.
The Factories Act, 1948, provides for the appointment of a Welfare
Officer in every factory ordinarily employing 500 or more workers.
These welfare officers also look after complaints and grievances of
workers. They also look after proper implementation of the existing
labour legislation. Besides, individual disputes relating to discharge,
dismissal or retrenchment can be taken up for relief under the
Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, amended in 1965.
However, the existing labour legislation is not being implemented
properly by employers. There is lack of fairness on their part. Welfare
officers have also not been keen on protecting the interests of
workers in the organised sector. In certain cases, they are playing a
double role. It is unfortunate that the public sector, which should set
up an example for the private sector, has not been implementing
labour laws properly.
In India, a Model Grievance Procedure was adopted by the Indian
Labour Conference in its 16th session held in 1958. At present, Indian
industries are adopting either the Model Grievance Procedure or
procedures formulated by themselves with modifications in the
Model Grievance Procedure. In other words, the grievance
procedures are mostly voluntary in nature.
Guidelines for Handling Grievances.
The following guidelines may help a supervisor while dealing with
grievances. He need not follow all these steps in every case. It is
sufficient to keep these views in mind while handling grievances. (W.
Baer, 1970)

Treat each case as important and get the grievance in writing.

Talk to the employee directly. Encourage him to speak the truth. Give
him a patient hearing.
Discuss in a private place. Ensure confidentiality, if necessary.
Handle each case within a timeframe.
Examine company provisions in each case. Identify violations, if any.
Do not hold back the remedy if the company is wrong. Inform your
superior about all grievances.
Get all relevant facts about the grievance. Examine the personal
record of the aggrieved worker. See whether any witnesses are
available. Visit the work area. The idea is to find where things have
gone wrong and who is at fault.