As a manager, you should always try to resolve grievances informally. This is Stage 1 of our grievance procedure.
It may not always be obvious when an employee is raising an informal grievance, but is it important that conversations are recorded.
You should record:
This is especially important as the employee may decide to later raise their grievance formally.
It may not be possible to resolve some grievances informally. In some cases, employees may wish to raise grievances formally in the first instance. This is Stage 2 of our grievance procedure. While we always try to resolve grievances informally in the first incidence, the employee has a right to request the grievance is raised formally.
It is helpful if you try to view the raising of grievances constructively. If a grievance is raised, this provides an opportunity for you as the manager to resolve a workplace problem.
Knowing about a problem is much better than remaining ignorant of the fact that an employee is unhappy or disgruntled about some aspect of their employment.
Once you know that an employee has a grievance, you can discuss the matter with the employee, take on board the employee’s point of view and, if possible, provide a solution or part solution.
It is therefore more constructive to view the raising of grievances positively rather than as a nuisance since adopting a positive attitude may facilitate a satisfactory resolution.
A negative attitude towards the grievance, on the other hand, is likely to alienate the employee and aggravate the situation.
If an employee raises a grievance informally or formally, it will be important for you to deal with it promptly. Dealing with grievances can be time consuming and sometimes not easy, but any delay in tackling and resolving a grievance is likely to make matters worse.
An employee may be experiencing stress as a result of what they perceive as a problem at work. This in turn might disrupt working relationships. The existence of the grievance is likely to have an escalating negative impact on the employee’s performance and productivity.
The grievance hearing is an opportunity for the employee to feel heard and to discuss ideas and options to resolve their grievance.
Before chairing a hearing, you will be given copies of all relevant documentation.
Human Resources will supply you with a template for the hearing to ensure all points are covered and to structure the hearing. You will need to add additional questions to the template before the hearing.
You will not usually be able to offer an outcome at the grievance hearing as you will need time to carefully and thoroughly consider a reasonable outcome and the employees representations heard during the hearing.
It may be necessary for a grievance hearing to be adjourned if there is a need for an investigation into any allegations raised by the employee. Any such investigation should be impartial and thorough. Unlike disciplinary investigations, the investigator usually chairs the grievance hearing.
You may need to check policies or procedures, discuss what the employee has raised with other employees (confidentially where appropriate), or access the employee’s file to check out the history of their employment terms or general background.
You should remain open when looking into the substance of the employee’s grievance.
It will not always be possible for you to resolve the grievance to the employee’s satisfaction, perhaps because giving the employee what they want would breach company policy, cost too much money or be impracticable.
The feedback should consist of an explanation of what action has been taken or will be taken, or an explanation that no action can be taken, together with the reasons for this. Human Resources will be able to work with you to put the outcome and explanation in writing.
If an employee is not satisfied with the outcome of their grievance they have the right to appeal, this is stage 3 of our grievance procedure. The appeal will be heard impartially and by a manager not previously involved in the case. This will usually be a more senior manager.
Before hearing an appeal, you will be sent all of the relating documents and a template for the hearing. The appeal should be about discussing the reasons why they believe the outcome they have been given is unfair. The role of the appeals manager is to determine if the outcome is fair or if they should overturn the original decision.
