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Annie Hayes

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HR Tip: Grievance procedure

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These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications.


Q: We do not have a written grievance procedure. We deal with issues as fairly as possible. Do you see any problems?

A: Indeed I do because you are failing to comply with the law. First you must give every employee in their statement of particulars a note of your grievance procedure, how they should lodge a grievance and how it will be handled. Second the process you follow must accord at least with the appropriate statutory procedure provided by the Employment Act 2002. The procedure for a current employee is quite simple. He or she should present the grievance in writing, you should meet to discuss it, give a written reply and allow at least one level of appeal. I commend you for having a work environment in which difficulties may be resolved peaceably but you do need to comply with the law in case anything goes wrong in the future.

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One Response

  1. Grievance procedure
    Not only is your practice a breach of the law it seems in the UK [as it is in New Zealand] but the more fundamental difficulty you will create is in fact being seen at times to NOT be fair. This will occur because you do not have a process that deals with each incident basically along the same lines. Such a process does not inhibit fairness but ensures consistency, which is one of the most valuable management skills to exhibit. The fairness most often comes in making sure the issue[s] being addressed are clearly detailed; obtaining an explanation; and then based on that explanation, taking an action. Those 3 steps are non-negotiable in my view. Be aware I am a long-time critic of having too many rules imposed on Employers by politicians and lawyers more interested in their own existence than industrial relations; but this one has has my unqualified support.

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