A happy employee is generally a productive employee. Certainly, employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to be good ambassadors for your company and are often better with customers. But what happens when an employee is unhappy or disgruntled? When an employee is dissatisfied at work, they may be unproductive and may also bring others down with their poor attitudes. It is important to know effective ways to handle employee grievances.
Put a Grievance Process in Place
One of the best ways to ensure effective handling of employee grievances is to implement a grievance process. Putting a process in place establishes a universal procedure for all employees. It is advisable to put the process in place before the need arises. Publish it as part of your employee handbook and procedure manual. Train human resources staff on the processes that you want to employ if an employee files a complaint.
Talk to the Employee
Disgruntled employees want and need to be heard. The first thing an employer should do when confronted with a grievance is to speak to the employee about it. Make sure the conversation is private and confidential. It is imperative that you do not try to minimize the complaint or brush it aside. All grievances need to be taken seriously because they reflect how an employee is actually feeling. Obtain as much information as possible, so you can properly investigate the complaint.
Investigate the Grievance
Before you make any decisions or come to any conclusions, investigate the complaint. There are various methods you may use to learn more about the grievance. Some of the things you can do include interviewing other employees or witnesses, and looking at surveillance footage, among other things. If the complaint involves another employee, you will need to have a meeting with that employee to learn their side of the story. Take notes and dig deeper into the situation so you can determine the best course of action.
Meet with the Employee
Once you have made a determination, you will need to have a formal meeting with the employee who filed the grievance. Remember that it is good practice to have a member of HR or another company representative attend the meeting. Inform the employee of the conclusions and what will be done to resolve the matter. Keep in mind that the employee may not always agree with your decision, especially if you conclude that no action is needed. Document the grievance, including investigative steps, and keep it in their personnel file. Provide written documentation to the employee.
Follow Up
After the grievance has been resolved, follow up with the employee. Make sure that the complaint was handled in a satisfactory manner and ensure that the issue was resolved and is no longer occurring. It is also necessary to get to the root cause of the complaint and make company-wide changes or put policies in place to address the matter. If the employee is still not satisfied with the result, they may appeal the decision or file another grievance. If that happens, you will know that the solution you provided may have been inadequate, and you need to reevaluate the situation.
Employee grievances can be challenging, but they are a part of life. It is important to establish a company standard and practice that managers and others may use when handling employee complaints. To learn more, contact our legal team at Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd. at (608) 784-8310 or online for a consultation.