Practicum Chapter 14 handling employee grievance -employment situation there are likely instances when employment are far

r from satisfactory to them. - dissatisfaction must be detected promptly and corrections shld be made whenever possible. - if unheeded or if the conditions causing them are not corrected, IRRITATION is likely to grow and lead to unsatisfactory attitudes and reduced efficiency on the part of employee other than the individual concerned. - supervisor must be ALERT to signs of employee dissatisfaction and endeavor to uncover the underlying causes behind it. The troubled employee: Affect buss performance and cold give rise to short-range problems and long-range conditions. Not easy to be both humane and a good supervisor when one is dealing with an employee whose spouse is afflicted with incurable sickness or suffering from terminal illness. Death, drug addiction, compulsive gambling, mental breakdown.

Symptoms of a troubled employee Most common signs are sullenness, moodiness, worrying, lack of cooperation or indifference, insubordination, decrease in the quantity and quality of work and frequent absences from the job.

Complaint is any expression of discontent on the part of the employee; Grievance according to union usage of the term, refers to the improper treatment in terms of the labor agreement and typically involves such matter as wages, job classification, layoffs, promotions, transfers and loss of seniority. Refers to any employee dissatisfaction that is expressed or kept by them. Any question by either the employee or the union regarding the interpretation or application of the CBA or company personnel policies or any claim by either party that the other party is in violation of the provision of the CBA or company personnel policies

1. Individual grievance is one that requires adjustment of the worker or the conditions of his employment for one or a few employees. = can be handled between employee and his superior.

2. Group grievance involves general rather than individual or purely local interests. It involves a relatively large number of employees who are located in diff units or components of the org. = handled by group conferences.

Preventing grievances An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure a. Let each employee know how he is getting along. This will enable him to have a concrete picture of his performance on the job. He can thereby improve his performance if he is falling behind. b. Credit must be given to whom it is due. Nothing so demoralizes an employee than when he is denied credit due him. c. Inform employees of any planned changes. This will help to bridge the gap that wld otherwise ensue if workers are not informed of any changes that vitally affect them and their interests. d. Make the best possible use of each persons ability. Since man is the greatest resource of any org, failure to make use of his talent and ability is sheer waste in productivity. e. Get the employees ideas. Mgt people cannot have a monopoly of good ideas, a reason why employees shld be encouraged to share them. f. A policy that is unfair must be relayed to mgt. This shld not e kept away fr the knowledge of mgt. Otherwise, mgt will not be able to correct it or shelve it permanently.

Suggestions that cld be of value/help: 1. Supervisor shld not have an ivory-tower mentality. Rather, they shld not only be approachable but moreover always available to his workers. 2. Corollary to the above, the supervisor must also have an open mind. He shld look at whatever gripes are brought to his attention with a welcoming attitude and not close the door to his employees who have complaints, legitimate or otherwise. 3. Supervisor shld refrain from doing all the talking. Good and effective communication cannot travel on a one way traffic. Unless the employee is given and encouraged to talk freely, whatever is bugging his mind will not be known by mgt. 4. Gather facts correctly. Fact gathering is essential to getting a good picture of employee grievance. In simple terms, the supervisor shld be conversant with the WS, about the complaint. (what, when, where, why)

5. Put yourself in the shoes of the complaining employee. It is not difficult to visualize a particular situation when the supervisor puts himself, at least mentally, in the shoes of the aggrieved employee. 6. Keep communications moving. Gripes are no different from rumors they keep on growing and keep multiplying in uncertainty. Lack of info breeds discontent and resentment. 7. Never take the gripes lightly or for granted. One easy way to damage the relationship between employees and mgt is to take employee gripes for granted. Such an uncalled for attitude and action on the part of mgt is both humiliating and insulting. Presentation of a grievance Ordinarily brought by the aggrieved employee, usually with the union representative called the shop steward or grievance officer, to the foremen either orally or in writing. Recognized by Article 255 of the Labor Code, an individual employee or group of employees shall have the right at anytime to present grievances to their employer.

Common type of evidence Vary according to the question involved. 1. In dispute over the settling of general wage rates the most imprt evidence is documented statistical and economic data on such matters as prevailing practice, cost of living, ability to pay and the like. 2. In discharge or discipline cases, the most imprt evidence comes in the form of testimony of witnesses that will establish the facts that led to the disciplinary action. If the issue is penalty determination, the past record of performance of employee and evidence of past disciplinary action will be material. 3. In contract interpretation cases, the history of pre-contract negotiations and the past practice of the parties in applying the disputed provision will be imprt. Arbitrator authority who hears the case. (not traitor) --end 02.16.2011