Are you faced with complaints from your employees about workplace culture or policies? If so, you may want to consider creating a grievance procedure for staff to follow.
Not only can a straightforward grievance procedure provide support for employees who want to raise concerns with management, but it also allows those in charge to swiftly deal with issues they may be unaware of.
Below, the HR experts at NORi HR explore the importance of implementing a grievance policy as well as identifying procedural steps and best practices to help you create a more harmonious workplace.
What is a grievance at work?
At work, a grievance simply refers to a concern or complaint that an employee has with their employer, a colleague, or the workplace in general.
There’s no set, legal process that an employer must follow when an employee wants to raise a grievance, but most companies have a grievance policy and procedure to make handling these issues easier.
What is a grievance policy and why is it important?
A grievance policy is a workplace document that outlines the way in which grievances within the workplace should be managed.
A basic example should include the details of who to contact in the event that an employee wants to raise a grievance (as well as a secondary contact if the first one is unavailable), and an explanation of how the grievance will be dealt with.
A grievance policy can be useful for a variety of reasons including providing staff with a safe and formal place to vent their workplace concerns, resolving any issues swiftly, and preventing complaints from escalating to legal action such as an employment tribunal.
All these benefits are crucial for creating a supportive, happy, and productive working environment.
What is a good example of a grievance at work?
There are many different grievances that an employee could raise at work, varying from minor to more severe allegations.
Some of the most serious workplace grievances include a lack of pay and/or benefits, bullying, discrimination, and poor working conditions.
Grievance procedure steps
Still wondering ‘What is a grievance procedure’? The exact grievance procedure will vary from company to company, so there’s no set procedure that every employer must follow. However, all companies should fully investigate every employee complaint and a formal grievance procedure can ensure a comprehensive investigation takes place.
We explore some of the key grievance procedure steps below.
An employee makes a formal complaint
This complaint is typically written on a form supplied by the company and should include as much detail as possible relating to the problematic incident. This includes the names of any relevant individuals and dates of the concerning behaviour or action.
An investigation is conducted
A formal investigation must then take place to gather relevant evidence. Depending on the nature of the complaint, this could involve employee interviews, the review of CCTV footage, emails, paperwork, and any other relevant records.
A decision is made
Once enough evidence has been gathered by the investigator, a decision can be made as to whether the employee’s complaint is valid. In most cases, a case of low pay can be proved definitively by checking the employee’s payslips. Other cases, of alleged bullying or discrimination, may be harder to prove, meaning a decision can’t be made.
Mediation takes place
In the event that a formal conclusion can’t be made after an investigation has been conducted, an independent mediator may be called in to help reach a solution. They can do this by reviewing the evidence and interviewing all involved parties.
Appropriate actions are taken
Once a decision has been made (either following mediation or a company investigation), the appropriate action should be taken. For example, in the event that an employee hasn’t received the correct pay, the employer should ensure they receive the missing money.
Pursue court action
If the employee feels like the appropriate decision was not reached/the appropriate action was not taken, they can take the case to court, as long as their contract allows this. Once the grievance has been escalated to court, it’s prudent not to discuss the matter any further at work.
Get your grievance procedure right
For expert support with your grievance policy and procedure, choose NORi HR’s complete HR360 package. Ideal for startups and small businesses, this comprehensive package boasts HR document management, HR software, and a HR advice helpline to provide professional guidance.
Prices start at only £95 plus VAT per month, so you can rest assured that you won’t be breaking the budget with this affordable HR solution. Capable of handling everything from the drafting of employee contracts to tracking annual leave, we make handling HR issues and procedures straightforward.
To find out more about our complete HR360 service, please don’t hesitate to give our helpful team a call on 01245 947829 or get in touch using our convenient online contact form.
