Grievance Handling

Introduction
Definition of Grievance
Concept of Grievance
Why do grievances arise?
Directions help in handling a grievance
Errors in processing of Grievance
Principles of Grievance handling
Grievance Machinery
Grievance handling procedure
Important aspect of the grievance machinery
Concept of Arbitration
Arbitrator

Grievance handling
Introduction

Human nature is such that wherever he works, he has
grievance about something or the other.
They may be real or imaginary, valid or invalid,
genuine or false.
The grievance produce unhappiness, frustration,
discontent, indifference and poor morale and ultimately
it has an adverse effect on the efficiency and
productivity of an employee
Definition of Grievance
Prof. Pigors and Meyers define grievance as
dissatisfaction. According to them, dissatisfaction of an
employee is anything that disturbs the employee,
whether expressed or not
Dale Yoder defines it as "a written complaint filed by
an employee and claiming unfair treatment".
The National Commission of Labour states that
complaints affecting one or more individual workers in
respect of their wage payments, overtime, leave,
transfer, promotion, seniority, work assignment, and
discharges would constitute grievance
Why do grievances arise?
A grievance is always a symbol of some malfunctioning or
maladjustment.

The causes of employee grievances could be grouped as follows:

1.Promotions 2. Amenities
3. Continuity of Services 4. Fines
5. Compensation 6. Increments
7. Disciplinary action 8. Wages
9. Acting Promotion 10. Transfer
11. Recovery of dues 13. Superannuation
12. Safety appliance 14. Super session
15. Victimization 16. Conditions of work.

Directions help in handling a grievance

1. Receive and define the nature of the
dissatisfaction
2. Get the facts
3. Analyze and divide
4. Apply the answer
5. Follow up
Errors in processing of Grievance

1. Stopping too soon in the search of facts

2. Expressing a management opinion prior to the time when all
pertinent facts have been discovered

3. Failing to maintain proper records

4. Resorting to executive fiat or orders instead of discussion
and conference to change minds

5. Setting the wrong grievance a mistake which may in turn
produce a second new grievance. Follow up is the step in the
procedure that tells us when a mistake in handling has been
made.
Principles of Grievance handling
Principles suggested by the Indian Institute of Personnel Management for
addressing the grievance are as follows:

a) A grievance should be dealt within the limits of the first line supervisor.

b) The appellate authority should be made clear to the employee so that if he
cannot get satisfaction from his immediate supervisor, he should know the
next step.

c) The grievance should be dealt with speedily.

d) In establishing a grievance procedure, if the grievance is against an instruction
given by a superior in the interest of order and discipline, the instructions
must be carried out first and then only employee can register his protest
Grievance Machinery

Usually thought of in connection with a company that
deals with a labour union.
Whether unionized or not, should have established and
known methods of processing grievances.
Representatives from each department/shift can
constitute a new machinery.
Agreed list of names from Union as per any existing
agreement.
A satisfactorily running Works Committee member
shall act as the departmental representative
Grievance Handling Procedure
Grievance procedure vary
from industry to industry
and
from trade union to trade union
because of the
variations in the size of organizations,
trade union strength,
the management philosophy,
the company traditions,
industrial practices
and
in the cost factor.
Grievance Handling
Procedure

Initial step

Intermediate step

Final Company union step
ARBITRATION
AGGRIEVED
EMPLOYEE
TOP UNION
LEADERSHIP
COMPANY UNION
GRIEVANCE
COMMITTEE
TOP MANAGEMENT
MIDDLE
MANAGEMENT
UNION
REPRESENTATIVE
SUPERVISOR
Important aspect of
the grievance machinery
The reassurance given to an individual employee by
the mere fact that there is a mechanism available to
him which will consider his grievance in a
dispassionate and detailed manner, and that his point
of view will be heard and given due consideration.

An employee's conception of his problems may be
quite biased. Venting his grievance and being heard
gives him a feeling of being cared for.

He gets it "off his chest", so to say, and it does a lot
of good for his morale as revealed by the famous
Hawthorne Studies.
Concept of Arbitration
The union can temporarily or
permanently drop the issue.
The union can call a strike if the
contract permits.
The case may be submitted to an
impartial arbitrator.
Arbitrator
Arbitration is usually handled by either a single
individual or a panel of three, consisting of a
representative of labour, one of management, and an
impartial third person.
An arbitrator is an outside third party who is brought
in to settle a dispute, and he or she has the authority
to make a decision.
The arbitrator may be hired for a particular case or
may be appointed as a permanent official for the
industry or the company and the union.
Generally, the person may be acceptable to both
union and management.

Grievance Handling

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grievance Handling

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grievance Handling

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction

You might also like