Grievance Redressal of Employees

A Seminar Report On

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL OF EMPLOYEES Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree Of  Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) As a part of the curriculum of semester-1

Supervised by:  Ms. Ankita Gangwal  Gangwal  Sr. Asstt. Prof & Head of Deptt.( PG Studies in Commerce & Management) ICG

Submitted by:  Divya Pareek  Semseter-1 ICG

Department of PG Studies in Commerce & Management International College for Girls

Jaipur  2009-10

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my indebtedness and and gratitude to the management of international international college for girls for providing me a wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge by including this project as a part of the MHRM degree. I wish to serve a warm and special note of thanks to my guide and head of PG department department Ms. Ankita Gangwal Gangwal for the precious precious time sacrificed in guiding and helping me to complete this project successfully.

Divya Pareek  Semester-I ICG

CONTENTS

S.NO

TOPICS

P. No.

1

Introduction

1- 2

2.

Grievance Redressal System

3

•

Introduction to Grievance

4-5

•

Forms of Grievance

6-7

•

Methods of Identifying Grievance

8-11

•

Causes of Grievance

12-13

•

Effects of Grievance

14-15

•

Presentation of Grievance

16-17

•

Role of Human Resource Department

18-19

•

Principles of Handling Grievance

20-22

•

Machinery for Handling Grievance

23-26

•

Benefits of Grievance Handling System

27-29

•

Essential of Grievance Procedure

30-31

3

Objective of Study

32

4

Research Methodology

33-35

5

Few examples from Different Industries

36

•

Infosys

36-37

•

Hotel Marriott

38

6

Conclusion

39-40

7

Bibliography

41

INTRODUCTION Organizations are made up of people and function through people . Without  people and organizations organizations cannot exist. The The resources of men, money, materials & machinery are collected , coordinated and utilized through  people, that is why why people are the most significant significant resource of any organization. This resource is called “ HUMAN RESOURCE”. Human resources represent the people at work. They are the sum total of  the inherent abilites, acquired knowledge and skills .They need to be united into a team because without united human efforts, no organization organization can achieve its goals. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT is that part of management

concerned with people at work & with their relationships within the organization. It seeks to bring together men and women who make up an enterprise, enabling each to make his own best contribution to its success  both as an individual individual and as a member of working working group. Human resource management is known by different names e.g. personnel management, manpower management. Significance of human resource management:  Attracting and retaining the required talent through effective human

resource planning, selection, placement, orientation, compensation and promotion policies.  Developing the necessary skills and the right attitudes among the

employees through training , development, performance appraisal etc

 Seeking willing cooperation of employees through motivation,

 participation, grievance grievance handling etc.  Utilizing the available human resources available.

Scope of human resource management is very wide. Efficient management of the grievances of the employees is one of the integral part of it. A grievance is a sign of employee’s discontent with job and its nature. The employee has got certain aspirations and expectations which he thinks must be fulfilled by the organization. When the organization fails to satisfy the employee needs, he develops a feeling of discontent or  dissatisfaction. dissatisfaction. All organizations have grievances therefore they need a sound grievance redressal system to tackle the employee grievances, which could otherwise hamper the growth of employee and the organization.

INTRODUCTION TO GRIEVANCE

The The term term "gri "griev evan ance ce"" mean meanss "any "any disc discon onte tent nt or diss dissat atis isfac facti tion on,, whether whether expressed expressed or not and whether whether valid valid or not, arising arising out of anything connected with the company that an employee thinks, believes or even feels, is unfair, unjust or inequitable." Said by Michael J. Jucius,

This definition definition is very broad and covers dissatisfa dissatisfaction ctionss which which have the following characteristics: 1. The The discon disconten tentt mu must st aris arisee out of someth something ing connec connected ted with with the the company. Workers may be dissatisfied because of several reasons, e.g.,

illn illnes esss in the the fami family ly,, quarr quarrel el with with a neig neighb hbou our, r, disl dislik ikin ing g for for the the  political party in power, and so on. Such outside sources are beyond the the cont contro roll of the the comp compan any y and, and, ther theref efor ore, e, do not not cons consti titu tute te a grievance. 2. The discontent may be expressed or implied. Expressed grievances are comparatively easy to recognize and are manifested in several ways, eg., gossiping, gossiping, jealously jealously,, active active criticism, criticism, argumenta argumentation, tion, increased increased labour turnover, carelessness in the use of tools and materials, untidy housekeep housekeeping, ing, poor workmanshi workmanship, p, etc. Unexpresse Unexpressed d grievances grievances are indi indica cate ted d by indi indiffe fferen rence ce to work work,, day day drea dreami ming ng,, abse absent ntee eeis ism, m, tardiness, etc. It is not wise to recognize only expressed grievances and over overlo look ok the the unex unexpr pres esse sed d ones ones.. In fact fact,, unex unexpr pres esse sed d or impl implie ied d grievances are more dangerous than the expressed ones because it is not not know known n when when they they may may expl explod ode. e. Henc Hence, e, the the exec execut utiv ivee shou should ld

develo develop p a sevent seventh h sense sense for antici anticipat pating ing grieva grievance nces. s. He should should be sensitive to even the weak and 'implied' signals from the employee. An employee may causally remarks that it is too hot in the room or that he has been assigned a job that he does not like. All such casual remarks and grumblings grumblings are grievance grievancess by implicati implication. on. Only for a painstaki painstaking ng and observant supervisor it is possible to discover what is bothering the empl employ oyee eess befo before re they they them themse selv lves es are awar awaree of grie grieva vanc nces es.. The The  personnel department can be helpful by training supervisor to become  proficient in observing employees. The techniques of attitude surveys and and stat statis isti tica call inte interp rpret retat atio ions ns of tren trends ds of turn turnov over er,, comp compla lain ints ts,, transfers, suggestions, etc., are also helpful in this connection. 3. The discontent may be valid, legitimate and rational or untrue and  irrational or completely ludicrous. The point is that when a grievance

held by an employee comes to the notice of the management it cannot usually usually dismiss it as irrational or untrue. Such grievances grievances also have to  be attended to by the management in the same way as rational grievances. We should know that a large part of our behaviour is irra irrati tion onal al.. This This may may be large largely ly due due to our our dist distor orte ted d perc percep epti tion on.. Emotio Emotional nal grieva grievance ncess which which are based based upon upon sentim sentiment entss (like (like love, love, hatred, resentment, anger, envy, fear, etc.), misconceptions and lack of  thinking are examples of our irrational behaviour. These grievances are the most difficult to handle.

FORMS OF GRIEVANCES GRIEVANCES Forms of Grievances

Factual

1.

Imaginary

Disguised

Factual :

When an employee is dissatisfied with his job, for genuine or factual reasons like a breach of terms of employment or any other reasons that are clearly attributed to the management, he is said to have a factual grievance. Thus, factual grievances arise when the legitimate needs are unfulfilled. The problem that he has is real and not virtual. 2.

Imaginary :

When an employee's grievance or dissatisfaction is not because of  any factual or valid reason but because of any factual or valid reason  but because of wrong perception, wrong attitude or wrong info inform rmat atio ion n he has. has. Such Such a grie grieva vanc ncee is call called ed an imag imagin inar ary y grievance. Though it is not the fault of management, the responsibility of dealing with it still rests with the management. So the problem is not real. It is in the mind or just a feeling towards someone of something. So be careful your grievances could be very much imaginary!

3.

Disguised :

An employee may have dissatisfaction for reasons that are unknown to him. This may be because of pressures and frustrations that an employee is feeling from other sources like is personal life. I am sure you will agree that if you have fought at home and come to the institute, you cannot concentrate in the class. Similarly if you have had a bad day in the institute, that will reflect in the mood at home. We are all humans and are sensitive to the environment that we operate in! The managers have to detect the disguised grievances and attend to them by counseling the concerned employees. They have to find out the root cause of the problem rather than find quick fix solution to them.

METHOD OF IDENTIFYING GRIEVANCES Method of Identifying Grievances

Gripe Boxes

Observation

Opinion Survey

Grievance Procedure

Exit Interview

Open Door Policy

Work Environment

A rational HR manager always anticipate employee grievances in advances and take step to tackle them before they become damaging and dangerous to the organization. An average manager redresses grievances as and when they crop up. An HR manager should make effort to know about the latent grievances before they turn into actual serious disputes. There are various means and methods of knowing about employee grievances. They are as follows: 1.

Observations : A supervisor or a manager can usually anticipate

the behaviour of people working under him. Employee's grievances can be anticipated by their carelessness, absenteeism, wastage of  materials, or damaging tools. Supervisors work very close to the scene scene of actual actual operatio operations. ns. Hence, Hence, they they can easily easily find find out the unusual behaviour of workers and can take action promptly.

2.

Opinion Su Surveys : Surveys can be conducted to know the opinions

of employ employees ees about about the workin working g enviro environme nment, nt, behavi behaviou ourr of the supervisors, managers policies and personnel matters. 3.

are boxes in in which the the employees employees can can drop Gripe Bo Boxes: These are their anonymous complaints. They are different from the suggestion  boxes in which employees drop their named suggestions with an intention to receive rewards, these boxes do not reveal the identity of employees. An employee can express his feelings, complaints, discontent or injustice very freely without any fear of punishment.

4.

Exit In Interviews: Many employees leave their present organizations

due to some discontent. By conducting 'Exit interviews' managers can find out the real reasons due to which the employees is leaving the organization. Employees can be encouraged to give a correct  picture about the firm so that lackings can be removed. Employee can give the fearless answers to the questions asked. He may also be given a questionnaire to fill up and answer the important questions. Thus, exit interview can provide valuable information about poor  side of the firm. 5.

Grievance Procedure: A system systemati aticc grieva grievance nce proced procedure ure is the

 best means to highlight employee dissatisfaction at various levels. In the absence of such a procedure, grievances pile up and burst up in violent forms at a future date. 6.

Work Environment: The best way to know about grievances is to

know your work environment in which grievances occur in the first  place. Hone your ability to recognize, diagnose, and correct the

caus causes es of pote potent ntia iall empl employ oyee ee diss dissat atis isfa fact ctio ion n (suc (such h as unfa unfair  ir  appraisals, inequitable wages, or poor communications) before they  become grievances. 7.

Open Door Po Policy: Some organizations extend a general invitation

to their employees to informally drop in the manager's room any time time and talk talk over over their their grieva grievance nces. s. At first first glance glance,, this this policy policy appear appear both both suitab suitable le and worka workable ble.. Experi Experienc encee has shown shown that, that, except except in very small firms, it is rarely workable. In large concerns, concerns, howe howeve ver, r, wher wheree ther theree are seve several ral leve levels ls of mana manage geme ment nt,, it is organizationally unsound to invite employees to take complaints dire direct ctly ly to a memb member er of top top mana manage geme ment nt.. Bypa Bypass ssin ing g a lowe lower  r  supervisor in this way has at least two undesirable consequences : a.

It preve prevent ntss supe superv rvis isor or from from gett gettin ing g firstfirst-ha hand nd info informa rmati tion on that that is stated or implied in the complaint.

 b.

When the complaint is not presented to the supervisor, members of higher management lose a valuable opportunity to assess a supervisor's skill. They do not k now what action, if  any, the supervisor would have taken to correct a ground for  dissatisfaction.

Beside above this policy may appear unattractive due to the following limitations : (1) Top management does not have the time to attend to innumerable routine grievances.

(2) (2) Top Top mana manage geme ment nt rema remain inss unfa unfami mili liar ar with with the the actu actual al work  work  situation in which the grievances developed. (3) Some Some employees hesitate to be signed out as having a grievance. Others are afraid they will incur their supervisor's disfavour. (4) This polic policy y may also hide the top top manageme management's nt's own own hesitat hesitation ion to make contacts with the workers. (5) Open Open door policy policy inevit inevitabl ably y weakens weakens line line authorit authority y of people people at organizational levels below and above the supervisor who was originally bypassed. All in all, then, there are such serious objections to the open-door   policy that a formal complaint complaint and grievance procedure seems preferable. 8.

Other Means :

Group Group meetin meetings, gs, period periodica icall interv interview iewss with with

employees, collective bargaining sessions are some other means thro throug ugh h whic which h one one can can get get info inform rmat atio ion' n'ss abou aboutt empl employ oyee ee's 's dissatisfaction.

CAUSES OF GRIEVANCES Causes of Grievances

Working Conditions Management Policy

Alleged Violation Personal Maladjustment

Grievances may arise due to the following reasons : 1.

Grie Gr ieva vanc nces es ari arisi sing ng out out of of Work Workin ing g Cond Condit itio ions ns :

(i) Poor physical physical conditio conditions ns of work place. place. (ii)Very tight production standards. (iii) (iii)

Non-av Non-avail ailabi abilit lity y of of prope properr tools tools and machin machines. es.

(iv) (iv)

Unplan Unplanned ned change changess in in schedu schedules les and proced procedure ures. s.

(v) Failure to maintain maintain proper discipline. discipline. (vi) (vi)

Mism Mismat atch ch of the the wor worke kerr wit with h the the job. job.

(vii) (vii) Poor Poor relat relation ionshi ship p with with the the supe supervi rvisor sor.. 2.

Grie Gr ieva vanc nces es ari arisi sing ng fro from m Mana Manage geme ment nt Pol Polic icy y:

(i) Wage rates rates and method method of wage wage payment. payment. (ii)Overtime and incentive schemes. (iii) Seniority.

(iv)

Transfers.

(v) Promotion, demotion and discharge. (vi) (vi)

Lack Lack of opport opportuni unitie tiess for for career career growth growth..

(vii) (vii) Penalt Penalties ies impo imposed sed for misc miscond onduct uct.. (viii) (viii) Hostility Hostility toward towardss trade trade union. union. (ix) 3.

Leave.

Grie Gr ieva vanc nces es ari arisi sing ng fro from m Alle Allege ged d Viol Violat atio ion n of :

(i) The collective collective bargaining bargaining agreemen agreement. t.

4.

(ii) (ii)

Comp Compan any y rule ruless and and regu regula lati tion ons. s.

(iii (iii))

Cent Centra rall or Stat Statee laws laws..

(iv) (iv)

Resp Respon onsi sibi bili liti ties es of mana manage geme ment nt..

Grieva Grievance ncess arisi arising ng out out of of Pers Persona onall Mala Maladj djust ustmen mentt :

(i) Over-a Over-ambi mbitio tion. n. (ii) (ii)

Exce Excesssive sive self self-e -est stee eem. m.

(iii (iii))

Impr Imprac acti tica call atti attitu tude de to life life..

EFFECTS OF GRIEVANCES Effects of Grievance

On the Production

On the Employees

On the Managers

Grievances, if they are not identified and redressed, may affect adversely the workers, managers and the organization. The effects are : 

On the Production : •

Low quality of production and productivity.

•

Incr Increa ease se in the the wast wastag agee of mate materi rial al,, spoi spoila lage ge// leak leakag agee of  machinery.

•



Increase in the cost of production per unit.

On the Employees : •

Increases the rate of absenteeism and turnover.

•

Reduces the level of commitment, sincerity and punctuality.

•

Increase the incidence of accident.

•

Reduces the level of employee morale.



On the Managers : •

Strains the superior-subordinate relations.

•

Increases the degree of supervision, control and follow up.

•

Increase in employee unrest and conflicts.

PRESENTATION OF GRIEVANCES GRIEVANCES

presen enta tati tion on of grie grieva vanc nces es have have thei their  r  Info Inform rmal al and and form formal al pres advantages and disadvantages. Informal treatment of grievances avoids the fear of bringing in

writ writin ing g and and perp perpet etua uati ting ng the the reco record rd of an empl employ oyee ee bein being g a chro chroni nicc grievance against the management. But informal and oral handling tends to  promote a feeling of inadequacy, less attention, and even inconsistent treatment. The recent trend in grievance handling has been towards Formal  procedures. It is the most common conflict management tool available to the employers. In practice, formal grievances get more serious attention than do informal complaints. The formal step provides for the grievances to  be presented in a written form. The reason for writing is not to generate a  bureaucratic culture but but to inject a sense of of responsibility. Most enterprises have written grievance procedures patterned after  the Indian Labour Conference model. In exercising the right to present a grievance, the employee needs to be free from restraint or coercion. An aggrieved worker is likely to be emotionally upset and does not always feel capabl capablee of puttin putting g his proble problem m before before co-emp co-employ loyee ee of his choice choice.. The  presentation of grievance to the first-line supervisor and its settlement at that level is very important. First-line management is more familiar with the workplace problem areas and so better capable of handling them.

A measure of success of the grievance redressal process is the extent to which grievances are settled with skill, fairness, understanding and good  judgment. Emphasis is, therefore, placed for grievances being settled at the first stage. Workplace grievances help the managers in learning the values of persuasion, persuasion, compromise compromise and hard realities realities of gaining gaining co-operati co-operation on from men of diverse interests. Front-line managers need to be trained to be factual and analytical in grievance handling and to investigate and not to evaluate any grievance.

ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

Grievance handling is not the monopoly of a specialist or of a functional department. The role of personnel department in this regard should be : (a) (a) To devis devisee a soun sound d grie grieva vanc ncee proc proced edur uree whic which h coul could d serv servee as an effective upward communication in the organization; (b) To advise advise the line line people people about about the the importa importance nce of a sound sound grievan grievance ce handling system and its implementation; (c) (c) To trai train n the the staf stafff peop people le,, espe especi cial ally ly the the front front-l -lin inee supe superv rvis isor ors, s, in effective grievance handling and in counseling skills; (d) (d) To imple mpleme ment nt prom prompt ptlly the the deci ecisio sions take taken n by the gri grieva evance nce committee, and for that matter to maintain effective and close liaison with all concerned; (e) To maintai maintain n records records of of the activitie activitiess of the the grievan grievance ce committe committeee such such as details of meetings held, actions taken and implemented; (f) To take take nece necess ssar ary y foll follow ow-u -up p acti action on,, revi review ew that that proc proced edur ure, e, and if  nece necess ssary ary,, modi modify fy the the exis existi ting ng proc proced edur uree to suit suit the the chan changi ging ng circumstances; and (g) To follow follow up individ individual ual cases cases of grievanc grievances es settled settled and identi identify fy its effect on the concerned individual worker and its impact on other  employees of the organization.

PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING GRIEVANCES

Handling grievances must be based upon well-considered principles  but such principles are not absolute insurance of success in dealing with grievances because laws of human behaviour are nonexistent. However,  principles do work most of the time; hence, it is desirable to search them out out and rely on them as guides. In the field of handling grievances, a number of   principles have been distilled from the experience of many companies. Some of these are discussed below. 1.

Have Interview : In handling grievances, a considerable amount of 

time must be spend talking to employees, gathering data from them, and passing on various types of information. Such talks, to be most effective, should follow definite patterns, and adhere to some welltested rules 2.

Cons Constr truc ucttive ive Atti Attitu tude de : Wise managers seek to develop an attitude

towards employees that will result in gaining their confidence. Also, avoid giving the impression the subordinates are ignorant. Managers shou should ld not not unde undere rest stim imat atee the the inte intell llig igen ence ce of empl employ oyee ees. s. The The mana manage geme ment nt shou should ld give give the the impr impres essi sion on that that the the view viewpo poin ints ts of  empl employ oyee eess are are cons consid ider ered ed to be fair fair unle unless ss prov proved ed othe otherw rwis ise. e. Management should also display a sincere interest, in the problems of  employees and constructive willingness to be of help. 3.

Thee Prov Th Provis isio ions ns shou should ld be Clea Clearr-Cu Cutt : No grievance procedure can

 be expected to work satisfactorily unless there are definite provisions, provisions, consistently adhered to, determining what is to be done, when, and by

whom, whom, it is observ observed. ed. "Unless "Unless these these provis provision ionss are set up, made made known, and consistently adhered to, it is unrealistic to expect that employees will cooperate by expressing their dissatisfactions to the appropriate authority, in the correct form, and at a suitable time." 4.

It shoul hould d be Simple ple : The complaint and grievance procedure should

 be sufficiently simple so that it can easily and quickly be explained explained to each new employee before he begins working for the company, and so that it can be readily understood even by a person who has had relatively little formal education. 5.

It shou should ld func functi tion on Pro Promptl mptly y : "Prompt action is not only desirable

from the complainant's point of view; it is also in management's interest. Undue delay can be costly in the growth and spread of  employee dissatisfaction. While an employee is waiting to see what, if anyt anyth hing ing, man managem agemen entt will ill do abou aboutt his comp compllain aint, his his dissatisfaction is apt to loom large in his mind. It is more realistic to recognize the psychological fact that anything that annoys a person is important to him. He will brood over it and magnify its significance. Furthermore, any unnecessary delay constitutes another grievance." 6.

Other Princ rincip iple less :

a)

A griev rievaance nce sho should uld be deal dealtt with ith in the the firs firstt inst nstanc ance at the the lowest level: that is, an employee should raise his grievance with his immediate superior. It may be simple to settle it on the spot and that will be the end of it. Even if it cannot be settled at that level, the man's superior will know what is happening. This is necessary not only to maintain his authority, but also to prevent

him from being aggrieved, as he will certainly be, if he is by  passed and hears of the complaint complaint from his own superior.  b)

It must be made clear to the employee what line of appeal is avai availa labl ble. e. If he cann cannot ot get get sati satisf sfac acti tion on from from his his imme immedi diat atee superior, he should known the next higher authority to which he can go.

c)

Sinc Sincee delay delay caus causes es frust frustra rati tion on and and tempe tempers rs may rise rise and and rumors rumors spread around the work, it is essential that grievances should be dealt with speedily. As it is said that a stitch in time saves nine. Similarly the problems of the employees should be taken taken care of   by the management least it should become a major for the management.

d)

The grie grievan vance ce proce procedur duree should should be be set up with with the the partic participa ipatio tion n of the the empl employ oyee eess and and it shou should ld be appl applic icab able le to all all in the the organization. The policies and rules regarding grievances should  be laid down after taking inputs from the employees and it should should be unifor uniformly mly applic applicabl ablee to all in the organi organizat zation ion.. It should be agreed that there would be recourse to the official machinery of conciliation unless the procedure has been carried out and there is still dissatisfaction, and moreover, there must be no direct action on either side, which might prejudice the case or  raise tempers while the grievance is being investigated.

MACHINERY FOR HANDLING GRIEVANCES To prompt organizational health, a systematic grievance procedure must be established in the organization. Setting up and maintaining the  procedure is responsibility of top management, whether employees are unioni unionized zed or not. not. Every Every organi organizat zation ion needs needs a perman permanent ent proced procedure ure for  handling grievances. This procedure usually consists of a number of steps arranged in a hierarchy. The number of these steps varies with the size of  the organization. The objectives of a grievance procedure are : (a)

To let aggrieved employees know what to do if they are dissatisfied with their job or concern and where to look for or appeal to.

(b)

To have check on arbitrary management decisions.

(c)

To promote fair and equitable treatment of employees.

(d)

To protect the right of employees.

(e)

To co control th the ar arbitrary us use of of ma managerial po power an and authority.

(f )

The mi minimize di discontent of of em employees th that ma may ha have adverse effects on morale and willingness to work.

(g)

To promote cooperation and productivity on the part of   employees.

The details of a grievance procedure or machinery may vary from orga organi niza zati tion on to orga organi niza zati tion on.. A stan standa dard rd proc proced edure ure whic which h is most mostly ly followed

Conciliation, Arbitration Adjudication

4

Unsettled Grievance 3

Top Management

Top Union Leader  

Unsettled Grievance 2

Middle Management

Middle Level Union Leader 

Complaint or Grievance 1

Union Representative

Supervisor 

Aggrievd Employee A Four-steps Grievance Procedure

First we should consider the levels at which grievance occurs. The  best way to redress a grievance grievance is to resolve it at the the level at which it it occurs.

A worker's grievance should be resolved by his immediate boss, the first line supervisor. The higher the discontent rises through the hierarchy, the more difficult it is to resolve. 1.

Imme Immedi diat atee Boss Boss Stage age : In a unionized firm, the first stage of the

 procedure usually involves three people: the aggrieved employee, his imme immedi diat atee boss boss and and the the unio union n repr repres esen enta tati tive ve.. At this this stag stagee a diss dissat atis isfi fied ed empl employ oyee ee pres presen entt a comp compla lain intt to his his imme immedi diat atee supe superv rvis isor or.. Most Mostly ly this this inte interv rvie iew w ma be info inform rmal al.. Ofte Often n the the supe superv rvis isor or can can say say or do what whatev ever er is nece necess ssar ary y to sati satisf sfy y the the complaint. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, e.g., because his supervisor cannot take action on the complaint or dismisses it out of  hand as being without merit, the second step is in order. 2.

the grie grieva vanc ncee is not not redr redres esse sed d at the the Intermediate State : If the supe superv rvis isor' or'ss leve level, l, it will will usua usuall lly y be refe referre rred d to the the head head of the the concerned department. It is important that line management assume  prime responsibility for the settlement of a grievance. Any direct involvement by personnel department may upset balance in line-staff  relations. At this stage, the complaint becomes an official grievance. In organize organized d concer concerns ns

the written written grievan grievance ce not only states states the

orig origin inal al comp compla lain intt but but also also cons consti titu tute tess and and appe appeal al to high higher  er  management against the action (or inaction) of a first-line supervisor. The management representative concerned at this stage is the next high higher er supe superv rvis isor or,, usua usuall lly y the the gene genera rall fore forema man n or the the divi divisi sion on superintendent.

At the intermediate level, grievance can be settled with or without union involvement. Excessive reliance on supervisor at this stage can  jeopardize the interests of the employee and effect the credibility of  the procedure. 3.

Organisational Level : If a grievance is not settled at the

intermediate level also, is referred to the top management. By now, the grievance may acquire some political importance. At this stage the the tip tip lead leader ersh ship ip of the the unio union n may may also also step step in forma formall lly y if the the  procedure provides for it and informally if the procedure procedure prohibits it. 4.

Thir Th ird d Part Party y Invo Involv lvem emen entt : If the grievance has not been settled bi-

laterally within the organization, it goes to a third party. It could be conciliation, arbitration or adjudication or the matter may even be refe referr rred ed to a labo labour ur cour court. t. In the the grea greatt majo majori rity ty of griev rievan ance ce  procedures (about 95 percent), the terminal step is voluntary arbitration, i.e., appeal to an impartial arbitrator or umpire whose decision the parties agree in advance to accept as final and binding. Arbitration usually is limited to grievances involving disputes over  the interpretation or application of the labour agreement and not to grievances or proposals the might involve a change in the agreement.

BENEFITS OF GRIEVANCE SYSTEM

Effective grievance system is an important and integral part of human resource management. Grievances are natural in any organization. These should be solved as early as possible, otherwise they can create serious  problems for the organization, the industry and society. If an individual's grieva grievance ncess remain remain unatte unattende nded d and unres unresolv olved, ed, these these may damage damage the morale, productivity and efficiency of employees. These may take the form of collective disputes. These may become the cause of industrial unrest or  labour agitation. A systematic procedure should, therefore, be developed to settle all grievances. Such a procedure provides the following benefits : 1.

Grievances provide provide useful data on the basis Provides Us Useful Data : Grievances of which the management can diagnose the problem and can initiate corrective action.

2.

Expr Expres essi sion on of Diss Dissat atis isfa fact ctio ion n : There are several ways in which

employ employees ees express express their their dissat dissatisf isfact action ion ranging ranging from

apathy apathy to a

more more aggr aggres essi sive ve reac reacti tion on of host hostil ilit ity y or even even viol violen ence ce.. In fact fact,, grievances provide a channel to 'release the employees' discontent. Without the system of grievances, unexpressed dissatisfaction may lead to harmful effects and destructive activities. Due to grievance system, managers can take corrective action before discontent get expressed in undesirable behaviour. 3.

complaint int and grieva grievance nce Impr Improv oves es Mutu Mutual al Unde Unders rsta tand ndin ing g : A compla  procedure, may provides an opportunity for mutual understanding and and solu soluti tion on of genu genuin inee comp compla lain ints ts,, or it may may wors worsen en exis existi ting ng

relationships. The way in which it is used is often a reflection of the  philosophies

of

management

and

union

representatives.

Managements and unions can derive lasting benefit from procedures for handling complaints and grievances. 4.

Affects Morale : A suppressed grievance may be more damaging to

morale and productivity than one which has been aired through and orderly procedure. The purpose of both a line manger and a personnel administrator in analyzing complaints and grievances is to help raise employee morale and to increases operating efficiency. Grievances represent situations in which employees feel that they have not been trea treate ted d fair fairly ly.. They They are, are, ther theref efor ore, e, rath rather er dire direct ct indi indica cato tors rs of  individual morale. 5.

Other Benefits :

a.

It brin brings gs grie grieva vanc nces es into into the the open open so tha thatt manag managem emen entt can can learn learn about them and try corrective action.

 b.

It helps in preventing grievances from assuming big proportions. The The mana manage geme ment nt catc catche hess and and solv solves es a grie grieva vanc ncee befo before re it  becomes a dispute.

c.

It help helpss in establ establish ishing ing and mainta maintaini ining ng a work work cult culture ure or way way of  of  life.

d.

It serves as an outlet for for employee gripes, discontent and frustrations.

e.

It help helpss in prev revent enting ing grie rievan vances ces from from assu assumi min ng dang dangeerou rous  proportions. Management came solve a grievance before it

 become a dispute. It is an orderly and expeditious means for  redressal of grievances. f.

It enab enable less the the manag managem emen entt to know know the the att attit itud udes es and and feeli feeling ngss of  employees concerning the policies, rules and practices of the organization. With such knowledge necessary improvements in  policies and rules can be made.

g.

It prov provide idess the worker workerss a forma formall oppor opportun tunity ity for expr express essing ing thei their  r  fears, anxiety and dissatisfaction. Such release of emotions helps to improve the morale and productivity of employees.

h.

It help helpss to maint maintai ain n cordi cordial al relat relatio ions ns in the the indus industr try. y. It bring bringss uniform uniformity ity in the the handli handling ng of grieva grievance nces. s. It also also stimul stimulate atess confidence in employees and builds a sense of security among them. It enables both the parties to settle the grievances to their  mutual satisfaction.

i.

It ser serve vess as a che check ck upo upon n arbi arbitr trar ary y and and bias biased ed act actio ion n on the the par partt of mana manage geme ment nt.. Mana Manage gers rs know know that that thei theirr acti action onss can can be reviewed and challenged and, therefore, become more careful.

Overall a well-designed and properly structured grievance redressal  procedure provides: (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 measure of promptness in the handling of the grievance.

ESSENTIALS OF A GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

A grievance procedure should incorporate the following features : 1.

Conf Confor ormi mity ty with with exis existi ting ng legi legisl slat atio ion n : The procedure should be

designed in conformity with the existing statutory provisions. Where  practicable, the procedure can make use of such machinery as the law might have already provided for. 2.

Acceptability : Everybody must accept the grievance procedure. In

order to be generally acceptable, it must ensure the following :

3.

•

A sense of fair-play and justice to the worker.

•

Reasonable exercise of authority to the manager, and

•

Adequate participation of the union.

Simplicity : The following points should be noted in this regard: •

The procedure should be simple enough to be understood by ever employee.

•

The steps should be as few f ew as possible.

•

Channels for handling grievances should be carefully developed.

•

Employees must know the authorities to be contacted at various levels.

•

Information about the procedure should be thoroughly among all employees through pictures, charts, diagrams etc.

4.

Promptness : Speedy settlement of a grievance is the cornerstone of 

a sound sound hr policy policy.. It should should be remembe remembered red that that justic justicee delaye delayed d is  justice denied. The procedure should aim at a rapid disposal of the grieva grievance nce.. This This can be achiev achieved ed by incorp incorpora oratin ting g the follow following ing feature in the procedure: (a) (a) As far as poss possib ible le,, grie grieva vanc nces es shoul should d be sett settle led d at the lowe lowest st level. (b) No matter matter shoul should d ordinar ordinarily ily be be taken taken up at more more than two two level, level, i.e. normally there should be only one appeal.

(c) Time Time limit limit shoul should d be placed placed at each each step step and and it shoul should d be rigidl rigidly y followed at each level. 5.

Training : In order to ensure effective working of the grievance

 procedure, the supervisors and the union representatives should be given training in working of the grievance procedure. All the policies should be conveyed to the concerned parties. 6.

Follow-up : The hr department should review the working of the

grievance procedure periodically and necessary changes should be introduced to make it more effective. A regular follow up of the system increases the faith of the people in the system. Therefore it the the grie grieva vanc ncee proc proced edur uree shou should ld be revi review ewed ed when whenev ever er it is so required.

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

 To gain insight on the grievances faced by the employees in their 

work environment.  To learn its negative effects on the work of the employees as well

as the organization.  Grievance Redressal System which need to be followed in every

organization. f or the  Essential and benefits of the grievance redressal system for employees and the organization.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research is a careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for  new facts in any branch of knowledge.

According to Redman & Mory research is a “systematized effort to gain new knowledge.”

TYPES OF RESEARCH

 DESCRIPTIVE Vs ANALYTICAL

Descriptive research includes surveys and facts finding enquiries of  different kinds. The major purpose of the descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over  the variables, he can only report what has happened or what is happening eg frequency of shopping, ANALYTICAL RESEARCH has to use facts or information already available & analyse to make a critical evaluation of the material.  APPLIED Vs FUNDAMENTAL Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or business organizations.

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH is mainly concerned with generalizations & with the formulation of a theory. Fundamental or Basic research is directed directed towards finding finding information that that has a  broad base of applications. applications.

 QUANTITATIVE Vs OUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or  amount It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH It is concerned with qualitative phenomenon that is phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind. ‘Motivation research Is a type of qualitative research.

 CONCEPTUAL CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH Vs EMPRICAL RESEARCH

Conceptual research is related to some abstract ideas or theory. It is generally used by philosophers & thinkers to develop new concepts or reinterpret the existing one. EMPRICAL RESEARCH It is data based research, coming up with conclusions which are Capable of being verified by observation or experiment.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is a way to systematically solve solve the research  problem.

TYPES OF DATA  Primary data  Secondary data

 Primary data are those which are collected afresh and for the first

time and thus happen to be original in character.

 Secondary data are those which have already been collected by

someone else and which have already been passed through the statistical process.

In this report, case study secondary data has been used .

FEW EXAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES

 INFOSYS

SEXUAL HARASSEMENT AT INFOSYS: Infosys Technologies Technologies Limited, is a multinational multinational information technology services company headquartered in Banguluru. It is one of the India’s largest IT company. In 2001-03 it was surrounded with the charges of sexual harassment & unlawful termination made by an employee. Phaneesh Murthy, a top level executive & a director on the company  board , was accused of sexually sexually harassing and unlawfully unlawfully terminating his subordinate , Reka Maximovitch. All this happened in and around the US offices of Infosys. While sexual harassement of female employees was prevalent in the country, it was not reported or ignored. Either the victim kept quite out of fear or the matter was some how hushed by the management. The case attracted a lot of media coverage. Phaneesh was an integral  part of Infosys ‘s success story. He was liked and respected by all. He successfully set up the company’s overseas business. He was often called the ‘ other Murthy’ of Infosys. He was the highest paid executive in the company. But he had to resign as a lawsuit was filed by Reka against him. Initially the stance adopted by Infosys in this case seemed to go against its image (model of good corporate governance).

But later Infosys issued a press release that categorically stated that Phaneesh would not be taken back after the case was settled.

Learning Lesson For Infosys Infosys had taken several measures to strengthen its grievance redressal procedures & had designed & implemented an effective sexual harassement policy. Narayan Murthy said “ the litigation is  behind us. We have taken taken further steps to strengthen our internal  processes & improve the checks and and balances to handle similar  situations. Infosys conducted a course for all its officers & members (in India as well as abroad) on sexual harassment and the importance of being sensitized about the issue.

 MARRIOTT

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc is a worldwide operator & franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels & related lodging facilities. It was founded by J.W MARRIOTT.

GREIVANCE REDRESSAL SYSTEM AT MARRIOTT: By the mid 1990’s, Marriott had a comprehensive complaint Resolution system also known as the Guarantee of Fair Treatment, To ensure that employees grievances are properly addressed. Under guarantee of fair treatment, complaints passed through successive stages in Marriott’s hierarchy, starting with the immediate superior, depending on whether or not the said employee was happy with the redress response given at each stage. However given the decentralized nature of Marriott’s operations& with managers handling several tasks, resolution of the complaints resolution while continuing with guarantee of fair treatment. These methods included mediation, a toll-free hotline & peer-review.

BENEFITS Marriott’s efforts over the decades to develop an eco-friendly `work   place earned it widespread widespread recognition in the the hospitality industry. industry. It reaped benefits like higher employee satisfaction, less turnover, motivated workforce.

CONCLUSION

1)A Grievance refers to any form of discontent or  dissatisfaction with his job or its nature. 2)Every grievance must be considered important no matter  how irrelevant or insignificant it may seem. 3)Working conditions, management policy, personal maladjustment are its main causes. 4)If not redressed properly grievances may have an adverse effect on the workers, managers and the organization. 5)While dealing with the grievances of the subordinates Following points should be kept in the mind of the subordinates:  A grievance may or may not be real.  Grievance may arise out of not cuase but multifarious causes.  Every individual does not give expression to his grievance.

6)Effective grievance procedure for every organization is the need of the hour because:  It provides useful data.  Expression of dissatisfaction.  Effect morale and productivity. 7)Legal sanctity, acceptability, promptness, simplicity, training and follow-up are the essentials of a sound grievance procedure. 8)Some feedback method must be used by the organization like:

 To ask whether or not the employee is satisfied

with the decision.  To have a general discussion with the employee about the decision.  To ask others about a given employee’s reaction

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Gupta, Gupta, C.B, Human Human Resource Resource Manageme Management, nt, New Delhi, Delhi, Sultan Sultan Chand & Sons, Edition seventh, 2006 2. Tripathi, P.C, Human Resource Management, New Delhi, Sultan Chand & Sons, Edition fifth, 2008. 3. Mamoria, C.B, Mamoria, Satish, Gankar, S.V, Dynamics of  Industrial Relations, Mumbai, Himalaya Publishing House, Edition fifteenth, 2006 4. www. google. com 5. www. icmrindia.com 6. www. wikipedia. com