Employees Grievances: Reasons/Causes, Forms, Handling Procedure?

What is Employees Grievances in HRM?

Employees are human beings and they have certain expectation, assumptions, norms, values and represent their culture. If the management or organization doesn't respect their human aspects they become dissatisfied and it may turn into grievance of employees. And type of inhuman or injustice behavior can cause grievance of the employees. Apart from this, , lack of appropriate motivation, unnecessary or unscientific cannot system and ineffective leadership can also be the reason for grievance.

Employees may be grievant due to the existing policy, rule, work procedure or dissatisfaction due to the certain behavior. If the level of dissatisfaction goes on increasing then they put the written complaint about it to the management which is known as grievance. Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that employees raise to their employers. The Employment Relations Acts gives all employees the rights to pursue a personal grievance if they have genuine complaints.
Employee grievance has negative effect in the organization. If it is not solved in time, employees may participate in the unfavorable activities like protesting, strike and lockout. This will reduce the productivity of organization and the dispute or conflict between the management and employee may arise. Capable, experienced and genuine employees may leave the organization. Production cost may be genuine employees may leave the organization. Production cost may be increased and the quality of products and services may deteriorate.
 

In summary, the written complaint relating to the feeling of inequality or injustice registered by an employee through a formal process is known as employee grievance. It is the apex situation of their dissatisfaction towards any incident or behavior directed towards the management. There are various forms of grievances like behavior, experience, complaint, activity, etc. This will  make the distance between the employees and the management and may hamper in the mutual trust, coordination and cooperation. Employee grievance adversely affects the organization. So, it has to be settled as soon as possible.

Reasons/Causes of Employee Grievance:

Employee's grievance not only reduces the productivity of employees and organization, it may put the existence of the organization in a danger situation. Therefore, the grievance has to be solved as quickly as possible. For this, the reason has to be identified. The reason for grievance may vary according to the situation. Some of the important reasons are as under:

1. Unfair Management:

Employees want to be treated equally as other employees. But if management treats differently to the identically performing employees then the grievance arises. 

2. Poor Communication:

Open and two way communication makes a healthy relationship and motivates the employees. Policy, directives, information and other notices have to be received by each employee in a similar way according to their job responsibility. One way and controlled communication makes them feel inferior and this will create misunderstanding among the employees and the management. This misunderstanding will slowly turns into the grievance. Thus, poor, controlled and one way communication is also a reason for employee's grievance.

3. Different interpretation:

Different in the understanding and the interpretation between the employees and the management also causes for grievance. If employees understand the policy, rules and terms and conditions, directions and guidelines determined by the management differently then they become negative towards the management and whole organization. Organization with ineffective communication has high chance for grievance. 

4. Personality traits:

Some employees have habit of being grievant even in minor and small cases. They needle or point out other employees even in their minor mistakes. This will create grievance to the employee himself/herself and other employees as well. Therefore, a personality trait is one of the reasons for the grievance.

5. Culture of Organization:

In some cases, the wrong culture of organization creates grievance in the employees. Bad culture adversely affects the organizational environment and it dissatisfies the employees. This dissatisfaction grows on increasing into the grievance. 

6. Weak leadership:

Leader must be present as a guardian of all employees. If the leader is weak, then employee's enthusiasm may go down and employees do not follow and ignore the leaders. Serious in-disciplinary activities may be carried out in the organization. This will increase the employee grievance. 

7.Personality clash:

Sometimes, some employees may have personality clash with the colleagues, management and other people's thought, concept and work style. They may take it as a challenge when their idea is not accepted and a feeling of revenge may take place. Feeling of ego may create anger, miserable or dishearten to an employee that will create grievance among the employees.

Forms of Employee Grievance in HRM:

Employees keep their grievance to the management through various ways. These are known as the forms of grievance. Manager must observe and identify the grievance carefully. Following are the forms of employee's grievance:

1. Behavior:

Employees express their grievance through their behavior. Dissatisfied and grievant employees are careless in their job responsibility. Signs of being disobedient, careless to the discipline and not using the resources carefully are some of the signs of grievance. Signs of employees being disloyal to the management, being rude to the colleague, paying less attention to the job are some of the signs of the grievances to be identified by the management. Sometimes, the dissatisfaction is not shown by the employees. But, unfortunately, such grievances may burst out at once in the near future that may be unfavorable. Management must identify the reason of grievance through the past experience, friendliness and two way communication.

2. Feeling:

Grievances is originated from the personal feeling. Feeling is used to express grievance for the following four types:

• Inactive feeling:

Some of the grievance employees don't feel necessary to complain. They don't care for the grievance and keep continuing their job performance. This types of grievance is not danger for the time being but if the frequency goes on increasing, situation may be unfavorable. 

• Active feeling:

If employees express their grievance in any one way, it is an active feeling. Active feeling is aroused due to serious and significant grievance. This type of feeling goes to the management through various channels:

• Hostility:

If the management cannot solve the active feeling, grievance becomes a serious case. At this situation, employees may express them with activities like protest, strike, lock-out, etc. Employees will not cooperate for the policy, rules and programmes of the organization. 

• Violence:

If the grievance is not handled properly, it may convert into the violence. In this situation, employees may be ready to take physical action to the supervisors, colleagues and management. Skilled manager solves the grievance immediately and doesn't let them to be a serious matter. 

• Complaint:

Employees express their dissatisfaction and grievances in a written from which is known as complaint. Sometime, complaint may be expressed in an oral form. Management has to take appropriate action promptly to solve the problem. 

• Action:

Employees may express their grievance through the activities like being absent frequently, performing slowly, not taking the responsibility, leaving the job early, bringing obstacle in the job, breaking down the machine and equipment, being sad, fighting with the colleagues, disobeying the supervisor. Expressing the grievance in these forms are very dangerous and harmful to the organization.

Grievance Handling Procedure in HRM:

A complaint can become a grievance when it is brought to the formal notice of the management. It is the peak level of dissatisfaction. Grievances may be factual, imaginary or disguised. Grievance handling is a sensitive task focused to reduce or eliminate employees dissatisfaction. Grievance when takes a collective form, can destroy organization's image and sometime challenge its existence. So, it should be addressed on time. Following procedures can be followed in grievance handling:

1. Open door policy:

Some companies have an informal and open door policy for grievance handling. Employees are free to walk in any time and express their grievance to higher level of management. This approach facilitates upward communication from employees to management. This approach makes aware about the employee grievances to the management. Prompt handling of grievances is possible at minimum time and cost. This type of approach is suitable for small organizations where managers are familiar about their employees and working environment. Management can allocate adequate time for grievance handling in small organizations.

2. Step ladder procedure:

Since the open door policy is not suitable for large organizations. Most of these companies have followed step ladder procedure for the settlement of grievances. Grievance procedures are typically designed to resolve grievances as quickly as possible and at minimum possible level in the organization. Step ladder procedure is a method of solving the grievance from the level of origin to the highest level in a step wise way. The grievance is not reached to the higher level at once. Following steps are taken in this procedure:

i. Step one: Grievant to Superior:

If employees have grievances, she/he can convey about it to the immediate supervisor. The grievance is conveyed verbally. Supervisor has to listen with a priority and has to take certain step for its solution within a fixed period of time. This step is suitable for 'give and take' approach. If the grievant is not satisfied with, next step is followed.

ii. Step two: Grievant to Department Chief:

If the grievant employee is not satisfied with the supervisor's decision, she/he will present the complaint letter to the department head. Department head will study, analyze and solve the grievance within a fixed time period. If the grievant employee is not satisfied with the decision of department head, next step is followed. 

iii. Step three: Grievant to Grievance handling committee:

At this step, grievant employee appeals to the grievance committee. Generally, in large organization, grievant committee is formed of experts in different discipline. This committee includes the representatives of employers and employees. Committee identifies various alternative solutions. If required, they can suggest for the chance or revision of the policy and procedure. The committee gives a decision within a fixed period of time.

iv. Step four: Grievant to Chief Executive Officer:

If grievance handling committee is unable to satisfy the grievant employees, they can present their grievance to the chief executive officer. Chief executive will mobilize the sources and execute authority within the boundary of act, law, policy, rules and directives to handle the grievance. If the grievance is not handled or resolved at this level, it goes outside the control of organization. So, the CEO tries to solve the problem with full extent. 

v. Step five: Grievant to Arbitrator:

If CEO cannot satisfy the grievant employees, it may take a serious form. With the consent of employers and employee, reliable and independent person of organization or committee will be selected as arbitrator to handle the situation. In this mediating committee, mediator and representative of employees and employers will be included. On the basis of complaint, mediator will study the problem seriously. Mediator will discuss with the employer and grievant employees separately. After different serious of discussion, appropriate alternatives will be identified, agreed by both of the parties. Generally, the solution prescribed by the mediator is acceptable to both of the parties.

vi. Step six: Grievant to labor court:

If arbitrator is also unable to solve the grievance, it goes to the labor court. In the labor court, complaint is registered as a case. Both of the parties hire lawyers from their side. Court decides the date of hearing. On that particular date, lawyers argue for and against the case. Judge decides on the basis of legal provision, proofs, argument and reasoning presented by the lawyers. This decision is bounded to be accepted and followed by both of the parties. Party who do not obey the counts decision is subject to be punished.