What is Grievance Handling Procedure in HRM? Tips & Tricks

Grievance handling is an important aspect of Human Resource Management (HRM) that helps to address employee concerns and dissatisfaction within the workplace. A well-defined grievance handling procedure offers a formalized framework for employees to voice their grievances.

By effectively resolving grievances, an organization can boost employee morale, productivity, and organizational harmony. In this article, we will explore more about the key components and benefits of implementing a procedure for grievance handling in human resources management.

What is a Grievance?

A grievance is the formal employee’s complaint which is filed when an employee is affected by the workplace policies and contract terms violations.

Within the unionized workplaces, an employee files grievance when the collective bargaining agreement’s terms and conditions are not met. In nonunionized workplaces, these are filed, when a written company policy has been misapplied.

What Causes Employee Grievance?

Grievances take place when an employee is dissatisfied with some elements of his employment. Complaints are generally filed related to bullying, discrimination, unfair treatment, harassment, health and safety, terms and conditions of employment, renumeration issues, and so on.

Generally, grievances occur when there is a gap in job expectation and reality.

The organization is expected to offer their staff a safe working environment, proper job description, fair work compensation, respect, etc. When these expectations are not met, then employees’ grievances take place.

Types of Employee Grievance

Employees grievances can be categorized into three different types. These types include individual, group, or union grievances. Let’s understand these grievances in detail below:

• Individual Grievances: Under this type of grievance, only a single employee experiences an issue with the organization. This might include problems like less pay, too much workload, bullying, workplace discrimination, and so on.
• Group Grievances: When a group of employees face any issue within the organization, then they can file a group grievance complaint. This type of grievance includes gender pay gap, organizational changes, employee’s schedules, and so on.
• Union Grievances: Unions can file a grievance complaint when they think that workers’ rights are violated, or they are not protected. For instance, union might file a complaint when they feel that management did not deduct union dues properly.

What is Grievance Handling Procedure in HRM?

Grievance handling procedure in Human Resource Management (HRM) is defined as the procedure under which an employee’s complaints and disputes are systematically addressed and resolved.

The main purpose of this procedure is to provide employees with a channel to report dissatisfaction or issues they are facing within the organization.

Through this procedure, an equitable resolution is offered that satisfies the employee as well as the organization.

Importance of Grievance Handling Procedure in HRM for Employees & Employers

The successful implementation of employee grievance handling procedure is beneficial for both employees and the employer. Here are some benefits of implementing the same within your organization.

Benefits for Employees of Grievance Process

• Employees feel safe and empowered to raise their problems without the fear of reprisal, knowing that they will be treated fairly.
• Following a proper procedure ensures employees that fair and timely resolution to their complaint will be offered, promoting justice.
• Resolving problems that affect the employees ‘performance helps them to increase productivity.
• By getting their concerns heard and addressed promptly, employees feel satisfied and engaged in their job.

Benefits for Employers of Grievance Process

• Handling grievances internally assists employers to prevent costly and time-consuming legal disputes that impact on the company’s reputation.
• Employees grievances help companies in getting valuable insights into the organization’s areas that needs improvement
• The implementation of effective grievance handling processes can help employers in reducing the time and resources needed by HR departments to resolve employees issues.
• A fair and open grievance process contributes to a culture of trust, transparency, and accountability.

Role of HR in Grievance Handling Procedure

HR managers ensure that their procedure for grievance handling complies with the internal policies and regulations. Moreover, they also ensure that the policy is properly communicated to the employees. Here are some other responsibilities of HR in grievance handling process:

• Develops Policy: Human resource department plays an important role in framing and maintaining grievance policies. The policies must outline the procedure an employee needs to follow when they have a grievance.
• Communications Policies: HR leaders make sure that all employees must be aware of all the framed grievance policy procedures. This includes communicating the policy during the employees’ onboarding and reminding them of its existence.
• Initiates Procedures: HR leaders assess the severity of the grievance raised by the employee and determine the actions needed to be taken to address this grievance. Some are solved informally while some require formal investigation.
• Maintains Legal Compliance: When HR handles grievance complaints, they ensure that the procedure which is followed complies with the internal and external regulations. They try to resolve issues while minimizing legal risks to the organization.
• Resolves Conflicts: HR department staff is trained to resolve conflicts efficiently, aiming to offer a resolution which is satisfactory for all parties involved.

Tips & Tricks for Effective Grievance Handling for HR & Employee

For effective grievance handling in HRM, there are some tips for both employees and human resources department that they can leverage. Let’s look at these tips in detail below:

Tips for Employees

To effectively handle grievances, employers must know the policy, and gather the evidence properly while filing a grievance complaint. Here are some other tips for employers to handle this process properly:

• Know all the Rights: All employees must familiarize themselves with the company’s grievance policy and understand the steps involved in filing a complaint.
• Collect Evidence Properly: When employees file a complaint, as an employee you must document all details of the grievance including dates, times, witnesses, relevant emails, etc.
• Stay Professional: While addressing your concerns or grievances, make sure you address them calmly and factually without any emotional outbursts or accusations.
• Be Concise: When filing your grievance, you must clearly define and outline the issue and the desired outcome.

Tips for Human Resource Department

For managing employee grievances effectively, the HR department documents every detail properly and provides a proper employee’s handbook. Let’s look at these tips in detail below:

• Offer an Employee Handbook: It is better to provide an employee handbook to all employees and assist them to sign a document so that they read the handbook properly. This helps in the conditions when employees claim that they do not know the company’s policies when a complaint is raised.
• Document Everything Properly: It is important for HR departments to maintain a proper documentation of the entire procedure for grievance handling and the issues addressed by their employees. This will help them to adjust their policies so that those grievances can be handled properly in the future.
• Conduct Regular Employees ‘Training: By conducting regular training sessions for your employees, you can teach them how to interact positively with others in the organization and how to do their job perfectly. This will boost employees’ morale and reduce their dissatisfaction with other employees of the organization.
• Keep All Employees on the Same Standards: Many employees might file a grievance complaint if they feel biased or discriminated against. Therefore, it is important for you to treat all your employees on equal standards, so they feel they are treated fairly and without any discrimination.

How Grievance Management Software Helps with This?

Grievance management software can help an organization in plenty of ways like helping employees submit grievances or letting them address these issues anonymously.

Here are some other ways it can help them:

• Centralized Platform: The grievance handling system provides a central platform for employees to submit their grievances electronically, eliminating any need to handle them manually.
• Automates Workflow: This software can help in automating workflows, sending notifications to the necessary parties and prompting them to necessary course of action to resolve complaints.
• Streamlines Grievance Tracking: With the help of grievance management software, HR department can easily track the progress of each grievance, making sure that no grievance left unattended.
• Increases Visibility: By leveraging this software, management can get better visibility into grievance trends, helping them to identify and address issues before they escalate.
• Provides Anonymous Reporting: Some grievance management solutions also provide anonymous reporting options. This helps employees to raise their concerns without any fear of reprisal.

Conclusion

A grievance handling procedure is indispensable for organizations to maintain employee satisfaction, organizational stability, and productivity. By leveraging an effective mechanism to address employee issues, organizations can develop a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation.

Therefore, investing in the development and implementation of an efficient grievance handling process will help mitigate conflicts and improve employee engagement and retention.

FAQs for Grievance Handling Process