Handling of Grievance Procedurin Organizations

Various organizations are aware about the diversification of the employees’ traits and characteristics. Instead of letting these individuals affects the culture of the organization, it is the corporate culture that tends to affect their behavior. Still, there are chances that within the organization, the collision and clash of ideas might turn into arguments. In order to bring back the harmony inside the organization, the management is engaged in handling the different faces of issues to maintain the life and the employees’ relationship. Background of the StudyThe issue of grievance within the organization is identified as the protest of the people against the application of the policies which is placed in an unjust or unfair manner. The organization sets rules or regulations which some of the employees’ finds faults or conflicts.

In order to compensate their right to clarify the things, in which they believe that will affect them sooner, the employees do what for them fits and right. The grievance is the kind of procedure that values the idea and participation of the employees’ but often taken as a negative factor within the organizations. However, the organizations are still looking for an effective way in handling the grievances in their organization. Scope of the Study The scope of the study intentionally addresses the handling of the grievances inside the organization. The administration of the grievance is important in all types of organization. The creation of the study is meant for properly handling the grievances with administration’s judgment and the person or people involved should be addressed their on role and address their issue of grievance.

Research Objectives

1. The first objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the grievance procedures within the organization.
2. The second objective is to identify the appropriate techniques in handling the grievance within the organizations.

With these two objectives, the respected organization can identify the right formula in handling the conflict such as grievance in the workplace. Literature Review In order to adjust the employees’ concerns, there are recognized procedures that applied by the organization in detailing the every inch of the problems. The grievance procedures are part in the specified area of labor in which the main concept is to implement the system regarding the various concerns and complaints. People are important for the business leaders and managers, and to minimize the conflicts and other problem within the workplace, they have to handle the issue with fair treatment. Historically, the grievance procedures can formulate the positive outcomes and contribute to for the effectiveness of the management. This can be another tool for the management to maintain the relationships within the workplace.

With the use of the system, the management can evaluate its own flexibility for the managers are capable in handling the arguments by providing therapeutic value. The grievance procedures provide the means of indentifying the appropriate practices, procedures, and administrative policies that can cause the employee’s complaints be considered. The creation of the grievance procedures began through the various conceptualizations of the people and their access in resolutions. The comparison of the female and male employees has difference means of grievance procedure. Mostly, women are anticipated in seeking justice but are lacked in the access in networks that are necessary towards the resolution. Meanwhile, the men are hesitant to embrace the formality of the grievance procedures for they were reluctant to damage their relationships with other people. There are recognized steps in handling the grievance which can be also applied in the process of the organizations.

Firstly and maybe the most important, is to let the person or the people stand up and speak on what are the things they believed is wrong. Everybody has a right to be heard, and with the open communication, the problem can be easily resolved. The people who participated should be true to himself to let the organization what he truly desires regarding on the imposed regulations. Methodology The proposed method in the study is the use of the comparative case study which is related and concern regarding to the grievance procedures. With the aid of the past literatures and other related study, the current study can have the opportunity to compare and review the related study that emphasizes the handling of grievance and the procedures.In addition, the study can generate its own analysis and conclusion on what would be the best applied technique/s to handle and, therefore, resolve the recognized grievance within the organization.

References

1. Bohlander, G. W. , 1989. Public Sector Independent Grievance Systems: Methods and Procedures, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 18, No. 3. Hardeman, T. , 2004.
2. Complaint, Grievance, Whistle-Blowing Administrative Regulation [Online] Available at: http://www. faith. edu. ph/manila/uploads/file/policies/grievance-policy-web. df [Accessed 22 March 2010]. Hoffman, E. , 2005.
3. Dispute Resolution in a Worker Cooperative: Formal Procedures and Procedural Justice, Law & Society Review, Vol. 39, No. 1. Read more: http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2010/03/handling-of-grievance-procedures-in-organizations. html#ixzz17KYToojb Introduction Maintaining quality of work life for its employees is an important concern for the any organisation.

The grievance handling procedure of the organisation can affect the harmonious environment of the organisation. The grievances of the employees are related to the contract, work rule or regulation, policy or procedure, health and safety regulation, past practice, changing the cultural norms unilaterally, individual victimization, wage, bonus, etc. Here, the attitude on the part of management in their effort to understand the problems of employees and resolve the issues amicably have better probability to maintain a culture of high performance. Managers must be educated about the importance of the grievance process and their role in maintaining favorable relations with the union.Effective grievance handling is an essential part of cultivating good employee relations and running a fair, successful, and productive workplace. Positive labor relations are two-way street both sides must give a little and try to work together. Relationship building is key to successful labor relations.

Precautions and Prescriptions

The management should take care of following aspects to develop a culture of trust and confidence upon the employees.

1. Always ensure that the managers involved in the grievance handling procedures have a quiet place to meet with the complainant.
2. Always ensure that managers have adequate time to be devoted to the complainant.
3. Explain manager’s role, the policy and the procedures clearly in the grievance handling procedure.
4. Fully explaining the situation to the employee to eliminate any misunderstanding and promote better acceptance of the situation complained of.
5. Try to let employee present their issues without prejudging or commenting 6. Do use a positive, friendly ways to resolve the crisis than punitive steps, which disturb the system. 7.Do remain calm, cool, collected during the course of the meeting.
6. Always focus on the subject of the grievance than allied issues. 9. Don’t make threats manage the grievances.
7. Never make use of allegations against personalities.
8. Be aware of the staff member’s potential concerns to the possible repercussions of raising a grievance.
9. Don’t become angry, belligerent, or hostile during grievance handling procedure.
10. Do listen for the main point of arguments and any possible avenue to resolve the grievance.
11. Listen and respond sensitively to any distress exhibited by the employees.
12. Eliminating the source of the irritation or discomfort being complained of.
13. Reassure them that the managers will be acting impartially and that your hope is to resolve the matter if possible.
14.  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.
15. Avoid usage of verbosisms like  “it will be taken care of. “
16. Ensure effective, sensitive and confidential communication between all involved.
17. Take all possible steps to ensure that no victimization occurs as a result of the grievance being raised.
18. The investigator or decision maker acts impartially, which means they must exclude themselves if there is any bias or conflict of interest.
19. All parties are heard and those who have had complaints made against others are given an opportunity to respond.
20.  Try to look upon the problem on different angles for appropriate understanding.
21. Ensuring that there is proper investigation of the facts and figures related the problem under concern.
22. Consider all relevant information in the investigation process.
23.  Ask the staff member their preferred resolution option, although it is important to make it clear that this may not be a possible outcome.
24. Be aware of the limits of authority of the person who involved in the grievance handling procedures.
25. If the manager feels that he/she is not the appropriate person (senior manager) to deal with the issue refer the complainant to the appropriate person as soon as possible.
26. Try to get a better idea of whether the alleged discrimination or harassment happened or didn’t happen.
27. Tell them exactly what they are supposed to have done, to whom and explain, why this may be seen as discrimination/harassment or as inappropriate.
28.  Grievances are preferably to be settled informally at the level of the employee’s immediate supervisor.
29. Try the level best to involve team members to resolve the crisis at unit level itself.
30.  Avoid as far as possible the union involvement in conflict resolution situation process.
31. Follow documentation the procedures, of all necessary steps taken to resolve the problem/complaint.

Conclusion

To a great extend the aggravation of industrial problems depends on manager’s approaches and attitude in effective handling of employees grievances.

Care should be taken in the way managers approaches the problem and perceiving the pros and cons of the situation. The conflict management approaches include the win-win strategy that help in the healthy organisational practices and which reflects the strong organisational culture. The cooperation from both parties is the pre-requisite to handle the problem and effective settlement of the grievances.Conscious use of professional self can help managers in the conflict handling situations grievance redressal process.

References

1.  European Trade Union Institute (1989) Collective Bargaining in Western Europe
2. Ozaki (1987), ‘Labour Relations in the Public Service,’ IL Review, July – Aug.
3.  Schregle J (1991)’Workers Participation in Decisions Within Undertaking’  IL Review Jan – Feb.

Abstract

A grievance is a sign of an employee’s discontentment with his job or his relationship with his colleagues. Grievances generally arise out of the day-to-day working relations in an organization. An employee or a trade union protests against an act or policy of the management that they consider as violating employee’s rights. One of the effective ways of minimizing and eliminating the source of an employee’s grievance is by having an ‘open door policy’. An ‘open door policy’facilitates upward communication in the organization where employees can walk into a superiors’cabin at any time and express their grievances.

The National Commission on Labor suggested a Model Grievance Procedure, which lays down the sequence of steps to be taken whenever a grievance is expressed. Conflict occurs when two or more people or parties perceive an incompatibility in their goals or expectations. There are seven methods for achieving reconciliation of conflict. These methods are win-lose, withdrawal and retreat from argument, smoothing and playing down the difference, arbitration, mediation, compromise and problem solving. Of all these methods