Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Grievance Handling
discuss:
In this chapter we will
Concept of Grievance
Causes of Grievance
Need for a Grievance Redressal Proccdure
.Effective Grievance Redressal
Procedure
Steps in a Grievance Redressal
Grievance Redressal Procedure in
Unionized Organizations
Redressal Procedure in India
Legislative Aspects of the Grievance
Conflict Resolution
Human Resource Management
REDRESSAL PROCEDURE
CED FOR A GRIEVANCE
in detail the benefits that accrue to an organization because of its
Let us study
grievance redressal procedure.
In the absence of a grievance redressal system, an employee
could either keep his
dissatisfaction to himself or share it with his colleagues. If an employee has no
future
avoided
10. Provides unbiased and objective redressal of employee grievances
1, Is a short and simple procedure that can be easily understood by al s
employees.
12. Considers the legal, social, financial and psychological aspects for an
amicab
settlement.
PROCEDURE
STEPS IN A GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL
There are different stages in any grievance redressaB procedure. An organization
design its own grievance redressal procedure, in consensus with its union
National Commission on Labor has suggested a "model procedure for grievan
redressal'. (Refer Figure 11.1.)
1. In the initial or the first stage, the employee conveys his grievance verbally to
supervisor (or the designated ofiicer). In case the supervisor fails to respou
within the prescribed time limit of 48 hours, the employee approaches the n
level in the redressal procedure.
At this level, the employee fills up the grievance redressal form of the compa
2.
and approaches the head of his department with it. The departmet
representatives play a role in the redressal procedure, from this stage. The heaa
the departnent has 3 days to reach a settlement, failing which the gneran
196
Grievance Handling
Voluntary VI Stage
Arbitration Settlemcnt
within 7 davs
NS
V Stage
Comnittee of Union
Management s
and Management decision on revision
Representatives within 7 days
N.S.
IV Stage
Manager Decision within 7 days
N.S.
N.S.
II Stage
Head of the Decision within
Departmental
Representatives
Department 3 days
N.S.
I Stage
SuperviSor Response within 48
Departmental
hours
Representatives
N.S.
Foreman
Conveys
Verbally
Grievant Employee
gricvanccIs
scffled indicates the indhuct.
strial rclations
cAalcla
The lowucr the lcrel. the
in thc organisation
and ihe cullure
and tne cmpiovces FOr cxamplo if 1
15I h
the hcllcr
betwecn the managcmcni
scllled. hc oream/alion lpha rolatiel
opcn and heallhy
culturc. morc gricianccs
will hc
at the lowe cttled
On he other hand. morC gricanccc will ho
giCancc proccdurc.
il thc organizafion docs not havc a ho
stagcs the proccdurc
of healthy rolation
n the lr with
cmplovccs
REDRESSAL PROCEDURE IN
GRIEVANCE
ORGANIZATIONS UNIONE
The gricvance
rcdressal proccdure in
a unionized
organization 15
anization (uite
active rolediffcrent
1 he union
plays an
an
non-unionized organi7alion.
that in a
are the dilierent steps in the.
The follovwing in
employee grieyances. sene
in a unionized organization: procedire
lirst approaches his Suner
The employee with a grievance
verbally. 1his may also be
grievance nagcr
conveys his problem,
conference or a discussion specitically arrangcd for this pupose expressed
The grieranc
be settled at this stage ifthe supervisor
has the requisite
can
and problem-solving skills. people-manaecm
If the employec is not satistied with the settlement, the superviso:
or departmental head with a n wards this
a note mentioning
grievance to a ligher-level manager railure in
the grievance of the employee
and the the first stage af
stage of
redressal,
at iis level may be a busines h
manager solving the grievance
relations otficer who the
checks the grievance and
siness manager.
superintendent or an industrial
gives his verdict.
If the decision at this level is also not acceptable to the employee, then
grievance is referred to the grievance commitee, which consists of members th
s from
the union and the management. The commitiee can ask the employee to a
the proposed settlement of the employer. In some cases however. based accep
severity of the issue the commititce might ask the employee to submit t
the
h
grievance for arbitration.
The final step is when the grievance referred to the arbitrator. The
arbitralo
should be acceptable to both the management and the employee. Both the parti
can agree before hand that the decision of the arbitrator is final and that thg
would abide by that.
Exhibit 11.1 explains the grievance redressal procedure at ONGC, a gecograptical
diverse Public Sector Unit with a strong unionizedculture
The grievance redressal procedure in non-unionized organizations, especially the ne
cconomy sector organizations, is quite different from the procedure explained above
Exhibit 11.2 explains the grievance redressal procedure at Wipro & Infosy's, tvo
the most successful new economy companies in India.
An open-door policy and free channels of communication charactcrize organizau0IOIg
n the new cConomy sector. Any employec of the organization can walk into the o
of his superior to express dissatisfaction or a grievance that he has. Tne culu
Competilion for human resources makes the management strive to keep i1s eng
198
Grievance Handling
sficd and motI1atcdThis also
cffcctivc eric (initribntes to
the desim
fast
and
an annova
ance
ancc
redresea pT
drc tha1 <cttios 2ndmrloment2fion
11 11hout or dcla
hinfomal mp r
rie n
facill11atc a mooth eTIC ancc Tcdrcssa t r o 2rd odrA
nTrdT In hr so nre?n1/2tto rerars
Exhibit 11.1
Employce Giev ance Redressal Procedure at
hOration LLimitcd (ON
Gas CoT:oralionn (oNG
)15 nav atatna P$t ith 2
and
altre nc
recogniscd
recognis
union
represcntatincs of
the othcr strong strong mmtr-nion
riCvance rcdressal
p r o c c a u r eI n
r o l e
in the
n
the emplovo
O N G C are
proccdurc Thc ATIOISregisteredf steps
nions
pl
1he rodrssal
i t C a l
Rcgional Grievance Con mittee. This also stage thc grievance 1s takcn to
the
constitutes representatives from the managcment
and the unions.
At the fourth and penultim level, the grievance is taken to the Natuonal grievance
Committee, based at ONGC
Headquarters, Delhradun. The union representatives and the
management representatives at this level try to settle the employee grievance.
Ta case of a failure at tne neadquarters level too, the grievance is submitted for voluntary
arbitra
itration. At this stage, the grievance goes to the arbitrator, who is the State Labor
Comissioner or any other government enforcement agency.
rare that the grievances reach the voluntary arbitration stage. The management and union
iis ven
solve
entatives, together resol
Tepresent
the grievance of the employee for an amicable industrial relations
atmosplierTe
Management Research
Source: ICFAI Centerjor
In India, until the enactment of the Industrial Employment (Standing) Act. 1946. the
settlement of the day-to-day grievances of the workers did not receive much attention.
Though he clause 15 of the Model Standing Orders in Schedule 1 of the Act specifies
that all complaints arising out of employment including those related to unfair
treatment should be submitted to the manager or the specified person, the act has a
limited applicability i.e. it applies only to those establishments that employ 100 or
more workers. More over such establishments do not provide for a bipartite discussion
or for a prompt redressal of grievances.
It is important to lay down detailed grievance proccdure with mutual conscnt. In the
absence of such grievances procedures. the complaints of the employees kcep piling
up and continue growing in intensity. As a result, minor problems may multiply and
become major issues and at times can also lead to a situation of industrial conflict.
Hence, there is a need to formulate a grievance redressal machinery. Realizing this
199
Human Resource Management
Exhibit 11.2
Griev ance Procedure at Wipro and Infosys
200
Grievance Handling
this lcvel. then the complaint can bc takcn to the grievance committee
n o ts o
rising of the
l e d d
rhe
Constitutio
of the Grievance
gricvance
nmittce
committe
consists of two representatives frorn the management.
unon. the g from rhe
SCnatives form fhe iunion One union representative should be
concened emplovce works
t t in
epartment
and which the
in whi
has works committee
docs not have a reccognized union. but
a
on
o r g a n i z a t i o n
can
act
as
alternative. The size of the grievance
members.
good
six
of
maximum
ONFLICTRESOLUTION
E S O L U T I O N
expectations
ONFLICT in the goals and
if there is incompatibility work
result in c o n t i i c t s
union. For an
organization to
Crievances and the match
the employees and expectation
management, congruence
af the there Is a need
for
absent. a grievance
goal
and effectively, When this is
smoothly individual employees. in
and the work process
organization can hamper
hetween the resolved immedíately,
if not
arises. This grievance, to conflict. However.
by leading eiminated
organization, suppressed or
the that arose wvas
and ultimately
contlict uncovered
should be
Traditionally, any recommend that conflicts
the organization.
scientists individuaB as well as
behavioral benef+t of the can be both
for the a conflict
through. conflict management,
approach to
constructive
worked believed that a
to the
contingency
ln fact, it is For
According the s i t u a t i o n .
depending upon for the organization
bad, and advantageous of its
good and to be productive to the
management,
some
People who
hate try to
strategy. They
their
sensitive io
adopt this
Avoidance:
unpleasantness i n d i v i d u a l s are
usually
and
These kind
of
rejection it.
than to face
Situation rather feclings
to others'
feelings. and
feelings and
also
own
needs, opinions,
own their amicable
manner
he mmght in for
objcctine
their micrcsts bettcr In the casc of arbitrat
sclllcmcnt that suits
arbitrator is final dccisiOn of
the
mcdiates and hclps thc two partie
Mediation An outsidc party
slcers the fwo dispiuing parties towards a
cach conClhatton
The mediation party
scttlement and docs not pass judgment mutually ACCeprabl
Compromising Both the partics
mect halfway in ordcr to
reach an
y agrceme
makes a lew coinpromises to rcach a
That is. cach party
some cases howevcr,
this might lead to problenms Commo
t aCc
settlement. In
than the other
might fecl that it has compromised
more
S
party
the idcal solution
I1 is where bothparties cmerge a
cach
Problem Solving
both the parties, and then trying to equitahlv
Defining the nceds of mect hosenners
while supporting and respecting
the values of both, can often
ve a winly
those needs
maintained and often enhanced in such a
solution. Relationships are situation
Table 11.1 briefly explains the different methods adopted in the face
face of.
of a
conflio
the eventual results of each method adopted.
Mediation Anoutside party mediates and helps the two primary paris
reach conciliation. 1he mediator steers the two dispuing
parties towards a settlement
Problem solving An open exchange of information takes place so that
differences betweenboth the parties can be resolved to reuit
inawin-winsolution
Source: 1CFAI Centerfor ManagementResearch
SUMMARY
202
Grievance Handling