#Grievance #handling effective attrition controlling tool

The understanding of grievances is important in handling them. The smart manager anticipates and prevents from arising the grievances.

The following are the important tools which help in discovering the grievances:

1 Exit Interview:

Employees generally quit the organizations due to dissatisfaction or better prospectors elsewhere. Exit interview, if conducted effectively, can provide vital information about employee’s grievances

2. Gripe Boxes:

These are boxes in which the employees can drop their anonymous complaints in the organizations about the causes of dissatisfaction. It is different from the suggestion scheme system in which employees drop their named suggestions with an intention to receive rewards.

3. Opinion Surveys:

Group meetings, periodical interviews with employees, collective bargaining sessions are some other means through which one can get information about employee’s dissatisfaction before it turns into a grievance.

4. Open Door Policy:

:In this policy no employee is prevented from going to management directly with his grievance. It is useful in the case of small organization but in a large organization this would not be possible because the top management may not have the time to attend to each grievance at a personal level.

5. Grievance Procedure:

It is one of the most important means for employee to express their dissatisfaction. It also helps to management to keep a check on relevant diagnostic data on the state of the organization’s health. Thus it is important to have a grievance procedure to process grievances.

Grievance –?Features

On the basis of the above definitions, features of grievance can be listed as given below:

i. Grievance reflects dissatisfaction or discontent experienced by employees.

ii. It is a sense of injustice to one’s job meted out by the employer.

iii. It may be expressed or implied.

iv. It may be verbal or written.

v. It may be real or imaginary.

vi. It may be valid and legitimate or may not be so.

vii. Grievance may arise out of something related to employee’s service contract.

viii. Grievance, not addressed in time, gives rise to discontent, frustration, poor morale and low productivity.

Type # 1. Visible Grievances or Hidden Grievances:

When the grievances are clearly visible to the others is called visible grievances. But it is not necessary that all times these are visible then these are called hidden one. It is called hidden grievances.

Type #?2. Real or Imaginary:

The grievances may be real or imaginary also. These may be called genuine or imaginary too. When a grievance is due to a valid reason and related to the terms of employment only. The management or concerned party responsible for redressing of grievance is called real, genuine or factual grievance. Second, imaginary grievance is that when it is there not for any valid reason. The management is not at fault. It is called imaginary only.

Type #?3. Expressed or Implied:

There may be expressed or implied grievances. When an employee felt the grievance and expressed or reports to the management in written or oral forms, is called express because it has been made clear. When it is not made clear but from the situation it can be inferred or judged that there is a grievance. That type of grievance is called implied grievance.

Type #?4. Oral or Written:

According to the way of expression, the grievances can be oral or written. When orally it is reported or expressed then it is called oral grievance. An employee makes a written complaint then it be

Type #?5. Disguised Grievances:

Sometime the grievances take place but the employees do not know the reasons of grievances. The causes of grievances are unknown. These are called disguised grievances. This type of grievances take place due to mental pressure or frustration due to other factors and not related to work.

Type #?6. Individual or Group Grievances:

The grievances may be related to individual employee or a group of employees. In group we may include team, department, etc. When an individual is affected then it is called individual grievance. When a group is affected due to the grievances and reported then it becomes a group grievance. Other factors for formation of types are not considered other than party affected.

Type #?7. Union Grievances:

The union presents the grievances to the management on behalf of member employees then it becomes union grievance. It is presented in the interest of everyone in the union and not for individual employee. When the employees felt that the terms of employment are violated then union takes the initiative in reporting of the grievances. The union presents the case for collective agreements in this case.

Type #?8. Policy Grievances:

When a grievance is related to policy of the company relating to terms of employment is called policy grievance. The terms of employment may include appointment, training, compensation, promotion and transfer, rewards and incentives, bonus, allowances, etc. When these are violated by the management and reported by employees’ union then it becomes a policy grievance.

Grievance –?Rates

Generally grievance rate is the number of written grievances for one hundred employees in one year. A typical grievance rate is in between five to twenty however, well managed organizations with mature industrial relations have developed lower rates. Employees of all types and at all levels develop grievances. Effective administration tends to reduce grievances. Fair, open and prompt treatment of problem that arises tends to reduce the misunderstandings. Increased participation also in an effective way tends to reduce grievances.

A good grievance redressal system should accommodate the following essentials:

1. Timely Action – Management should ventilate the grievances as and when they arise. They should be nipped in the bud. For this purpose, supervisors should be trained in recognizing and handling the grievances promptly.

2. Acknowledgement of Grievance – Once the grievance is filed, management should register it and grievant should be assured that it would be attended to.

3. identifying the Problem – The supervisor has to diagnose the problem.

4. Collecting Facts – Once the problem is figured out, the supervisor should collect all relevant facts and profile relating to the grievance.

5. analyzing the Cause – Supervisor has to get to the root of the problem. It involves studying various aspects of grievance like employees past history, frequencies of occurrence, management practices, union practices etc. Thus, identification of the cause helps the management to take remedial actions.

6. Taking Decision – Various alternative courses of action are worked out. These are evaluated in view of their consequences on the aggrieved employee, the union and the management. Final decision suited to a given situation is arrived at.

7. Implementing the Decision – The decision taken should be communicated to the grievant and implemented by the authority.

?Grievance –?Pre-Requisites: Conformity with Prevailing Legislation, Clarity, Simplicity, Promptness, Training and Follow-Up

The efficiency of a grievance procedure depends upon the fulfillment of certain pre-requisites.

These are as follows:

(a) Conformity with Prevailing Legislation:

?While designing the grievance procedure due consideration must be given to the existing statutory provisions. In other words, the existing grievance machinery as provided by law may be made use of.

(b) Clarity:

There should be clarity regarding each and every aspect of the grievance procedure. An aggrieved employee must be informed about the person to whom a representation can be made, the form of submission (written or oral), the time limit for the redressal of grievance etc. Similarly, the redressing authority should be very clear about what is expected from him, what measures he can take, the limits within which he should resort to an action etc.

(c) Simplicity:

The grievance procedure should be simple. Every employee must understand different stages of the procedure, the forms to be filled up, the witnesses required etc. If there are too many stages in the procedure, too many forms to be filled up, too much going around etc., the very purpose of the procedure is defeated. Instead of resorting to the formal procedure, an employee may ignore it.

(d) Promptness:

The promptness with which a grievance is processed adds further to the success of the grievance procedure. Since justice delayed is justice denied the procedure should aim at rapid disposal of the grievances.

(e) Training:

The success of the procedure also depends upon imparting training to the supervisors and union representative in handling grievances.

(f) Follow-Up:

The successful working of a grievance procedure depends upon a proper follow-up by the personnel department. The department should periodically review the procedure and introduce e essential structural changes making it more effective.

An effective grievance redressal procedure ensures that:

1. A set procedure brings grievances into the open so that management can know them and can take necessary action to settle them.

2. All the employees know about whom they have to report to whenever they have any grievance.

3. Everyone in the management should be fully aware about the set procedure so that nobody should be able to misuse their power.

4. It provides a check over the arbitrary use of authority by superiors and tries to keep a check on their decision making.

5. It ensures fair and equitableness treatment for all the employees, irrespective of their position in the organisation.

6. It minimizes discontent and dissatisfaction amongst employees by ensuring a speedy redressal of the grievance.

7. It provides the employees an opportunity to express their fears, anxieties and dissatisfaction to the management which finally helps in improving their motivation and morale.

To conclude, we would like to quote Mitchell A. Armstrong (2012). According to him a well-designed and properly structured grievance redressal procedure provides:

(a) A channel of avenue by which any aggrieved employee may present his grievance;

(b) A procedure which ensures that there will be a systematic handling of every grievance;

(c) A method by which an aggrieved employee can relieve his feelings of dissatisfaction with his job, working conditions, or with the management; and

(d) A means of ensuring that there is some measures of promptness in the handling of the grievance.