Employee Grievance handling & redressal

Concepts Grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of injustice in connection with one’s employment situation that is brought to the attention of management.

Features of grievance Reflects dissatisfaction or discontent or a feeling of injustice with any aspect of the organization

The dissatisfaction must arise out of employment and not from personal or family problems

The dissatisfaction can arise out of real or imaginary problems

A grievance arise only when an employee feels that injustice has been done to him

The dissatisfaction may be expressed or implied

Features of grievance The grievance result from perceived non fulfillment of one’s expectations from the organization

Grievance, if not redressed in time tend to lower morale & productivity.

Causes of grievances1. Employment conditions

2. Effect of trade unions

3. Difference of opinions

4. Social injustice

5. Adherence to rules

6. Psychological reasons

Effects of grievance Sense of frustration, disloyalty & non cooperation among workers

Loss of interests in work

Effects on quantity & quality of work

Indiscipline – absenteeism, violence & strikes

Importance of grievance handling

Encourages human problems to be brought out Gives an opportunity to the workers to solve their problems Management can know about the attitude of the superiors Boosts employee morale Develops good group culture Managers & supervisors will be tend to give more importance to human aspects

Steps Nature of grievance should be defined, expressed & described as early as possible

All the relevant facts should be gathered

Management should prepare a list of alternative solutions

Best solution should be selected by studying all the tentative solutions

Convey the final decision

Follow up action

Discovery of grievances Observation

Grievance procedure

Exit interview

Opinion surveys

Gripe boxes

Open door policy

Conformity with existing legislation Acceptability Unambiguity Simplicity Promptness

Training

Follow-up

Machinery for redressal of grievances

Aggrieved employee

Front line supervisor Union representative

Middle management Middle level union leader

Top management Top union leaders

Arbitration

Model procedureVerbal presentation of grievance to the officer designed – 48 hrs – head of the department – action within 3 days or the reason of delay should be conveyed – grievance committee – 7 days – unanimous decision can be implemented & in case of difference of opinion – refer to manager – 3 days – if not satisfied appeal for revision along with the union (7 days) – voluntary arbitration

Grievance legislation The industrial employment (Standing orders) act 1946

The factories act 1948

Industrial disputes act 1947

Discipline A force that promotes individuals or groups to observe the rules, regulations & procedures which are deemed to be necessary for the effective functioning of the organization

Essentials of a good discipline system

Proper understanding of the rules

Documentation of the misconduct

Training of supervisors

Quick action

Properly defined procedure

Fair action

Tactful disciplinary action

Impersonal discipline

Reviews & revisions

Types of discipline Negative discipline

Positive discipline

Acts of misconduct Minor offenses

Major offenses

Intolerable offenses

Punishments1. Minor punishments

- Verbal Reprimand

- Written reprimand

- Loss of privileges

- Fine

Punishments2. Major Punishments

-Withholding increments

-Demotion

-Discharge

-Dismissal

Factors contributing to indiscipline

Lack of consistency

Absence of code of discipline

Policy of divide & rule

Faulty supervision

Neglect of personal problems of employees

Delay in settling grievances

Procedure for disciplinary action

Preliminary investigation Issuing a charge sheet Consideration of explanation Show cause notice Suspension of the employee Notice of enquiry Holding of the enquiry Recording the findings of the enquiry Making a final order of punishment Follow Up

Code of discipline Obligations to be observed by the management

Obligations to be observed by trade unions

Principles binding both parties

Standing orders Specify the responsibilities of employers and workmen Industrial employment standing orders Act 1946 Regulate conditions of recruitment, discharge, disciplinary action & holidays of workers employed

The employer has to draft a standing order within 6 months of the establishment becoming eligible & submit the same to the certifying authority.

It should be same as the model standing orders It will be sent to all recognized trade unions & adjudicates the differences

The certified standing order can’t be altered for 6 months

Items in standing orders

Classification of workmen

Workmen’s ticket & register

Manner of notification of period of hours of work, holidays, pay days & wage rates

Shift working

Attendance & late coming

Items in standing orders

Procedure to apply leave & the authority to authorize

Closing & reopening, temporary stoppages,

Termination of employment & notice of the same

Disciplinary action for misconduct

Complaints

Retrenchment Termination of the services of the employees because of the replacement of labour by machines or closure of a department due to continuing lack of demand for the product manufactured in the department.

Entitles the employees to compensation which in terms of section 25(f) of Industrial disputes act 1974 – 15 days average pay for every completed year of continuous service.

Suspension When the charge of indiscipline is grave the employee will be served a suspension order

Industrial employment standing orders Act 1946, - the suspended employee is to be paid a subsistence allowance equal to one half of his wages for 90

Three fourth of the wages for the remaining days

Dismissal Permanent disciplinary action

Reasons that lead to dismissal

1. Excessive absenteeism

2. Serious misconduct

3. False statement of qualification

4. Theft of the company property

Participative Management

A system where workers and management share important information with each other and participate in decision making.

Some of the examples are joint management councils, worker representative in the company board of directors etc.

Objectives Increasing productivity Ensure human dignity – get a respectable status to employees

Satisfying the workers Provide sense of belonging, pride & accomplishment Achieve industrial peace, better relations & increased cooperation

Develop leaders from within Provide employees better understanding of their role

Concept of participation Participation in decision making

Actual decision making

Control over decision making

Forms of participation Discussions

Group decision making

Labour management cooperation

Suggestion systems

Employee’s representation on board of directors

Work committees 1947 Industrial disputes Act More than 100 employees No. workers = no. employers Discuss matters of common interest Wide acceptance till 1953 The scope of the committee was confusing 1959, Indian Labour conference specified the areas Conditions of work, amenities, safety, administration of welfare funds, educational & recreational activities

Wages & allowances, bonus & profit sharing, rationalization of work load, retrenchment

Reasons for the failure Workers not satisfied with the scope

Suspicion from the trade unions

Employer referred only those areas of their personal interest to the work committee

Inter union rivalries

Recommendations are advisory in nature

Joint Management Council

1956, industrial policy resolution – highlighted the importance of worker’s participation

Five year plan

Government appointed a study group to understand the practices in other countries

1958 – recommendations for joint management council was made

Joint Management Council

It’s a voluntary body

Introduction of joint management council is at the discretion of the employers and employees

Equal number of workers & employers

Workers number should not be more than 12

The unit must employ 500 worker

Should have an established workers union

Must have good industrial relations

Functions Information sharing

Consultative

Administrative

Reasons for the failure Workers not happy with the scope

Management not prepared to give information

Trade union acceptance problems

Middle level & supervisors acceptance problems

Absence of representative trade union

HRIS It is a system designed to supply information to the human resource management, to help them in managing people efficiently and effectively.

Need for HRIS Large organization and greater number of manpower – labour problems

Geographically dispersed organizations

Complicated salary packages

Increased number of labour laws & statutory requirements

Maintenance & retrieval of employee files

Important uses of HRIS HR planning & analysis (manpower inventory, requirements, skills, turnover analysis, absenteeism analysis, placements, job matching, j.d., workforce utilization)

HR development (employee profiles, training, succession planning, career planning)

Staffing (sources of recruitment, application tracking, job offer, refusal analysis)

Important uses of HRIS Compensation ( pay structure, compensation administration, incentive plans analysis, legal regulations implementation)

Performance appraisal (competency records, comparison actual performance with standards)

Health, safety & security (safety training, accident records, health records, compliance with acts)

Labour relations (union negotiation records, attitude survey results, exit interview analysis, employee job history)

Process of HRIS Data Collection

-Procurement function

-Development function Remuneration function

-Maintenance functions

-Integrity functions

Data Management Processing operations (classification, analysis, summarizing & editing of data)

Storage of data (Indexing, coding, Filing)

Retrieval of data

Evaluation

Dissemination

Designing HRIS System Analysis

System design

System Engineering

System testing & implementation

System monitoring & evaluation

Computerized HRIS It is designed to monitor, control & influence the movement of people from the time they join the organization till the time they separate from the organization.

Advantages of computerized HRIS

Clear definition of goals

Reduction in time & cost for storing hr data

Availability of timely & accurate information

Development of performance standards for HR department

Better career planning & counseling

Better individual development

Advantages of computerized HRIS

Better problem solving

Implementation of training programs based on the requirements of the organizational goals

Faster response to changing statutory requirements and environments

High status of HR function due to its capability for strategic planning