Grievance Handling

There are many factors in the organisation which can make a worker unhappy and distressed. May be because his fellow worker are non-cooperative or his foreman’s harsh remarks or his personal problems.
For instance, financial problems, unemployed dependents etc. may be working adversely in his mind. He is aggrieved and wants to ventilate his feelings and reactions.
A well-defined grievance procedure is an element of a sound industry. Effective disposal of workers’ grievance is a key to industrial peace.
‘Grievance’ means any real or imagined feeling, whether expressed or not, of personal injustice which an employee has concerning his employment relationship or grievance represents a situation in which an employee feels that something unfavourable to him has happened.

Essentials of effective grievance procedure:
1) The grievance handling procedure should be ‘designed in conformity’ with the existing statutory provision.
2) The grievance handling procedure must be ‘Acceptable’ to the employees. In order to be generally acceptable, it must ensure a) a fair-play sense, b) justice to the workers, c) adequate participation of the union.
3) The grievance procedure should be ‘simple’ enough to be understood by the employees.
4) ‘Speedy’ settlement of a grievance should be the base of a sound personnel policy.
5) The supervisors, managers and the union representatives should be given proper training to handle employees’ grievances for effective working.
6) The working of the grievance procedure should be reviewed periodically by the Human Resource Department.

But what is the need to have a proper grievance handling procedure?
It’s because-
* through this, the management can know the employees’ feeling and opinions about the company’s policies and practices.
* A proper grievance handling procedure keeps a check on the supervisors in dealing with their subordinates. They are compelled to listen them patiently and sympathetically.
* certain problems of the employee can’t be solved by their supervisors because of lack of necessary expertise and authority. If he cannot get satisfaction from his immediate supervisor, he should know the next higher authority to whom he can go.
With the existence of a grievance handling procedure, the employee gets a chance to ventilate his feelings. He can blow off his ‘steam’ through an official channel and so it will boosts the morale.

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