It’s is safe to say that workplace grievances come in all shapes and forms. Some are more complicated than others, and some are easier to resolve than others.
In small business, issues amongst employees can cause a huge impact to the team and the business, which is why having a detailed process in place is important.
In case you’re wondering, a workplace grievance generally occurs when an employee feels victimised at work from other employees or their manager / supervisor. These types of issues can arise from miscommunication or a misunderstanding between parties.
A detailed Grievance Management process can ensure employees and employers know the appropriate steps to take to resolve issues, and it allows for a clear and fair process for all. In addition; having a process and following it could reduce your legal liability if an employee decided to take the issue to the Fair Work commission.
Here are our tips for what should be included in a Grievance Management processes:
- Details on what types of issues would be dealt with under the policy / procedure,
- Details on how the employee can raise their grievance, and to whom they should raise it,
- What steps the business will take in attempting to resolve the grievance,
- Steps that will be taken if an agreement cannot be reached, and who will be responsible for that decision.
Throughout the process, it is important that detailed notes are taken and kept confidentially on the employees file. These notes should include what was raised, details of what was discussed, actions taken by the business and the outcome of the complaint.
If the thought of implementing a Grievance Management process seems like a daunting task, Cornerstone HR can help you. Contact our specialist team for a no-obligation chat today.