HANDLING EMPLOYEE

GRIEVANCES
 HANDLING EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES
A grievance…
is defined as any real or imagined feeling of personal injustice that an employee
has about the employment relationship

refers to a formal complaint by employees who believe they have been short-
changed and thus deserve to be heard

refers to any complaint

a feeling that arises regarding the terms and
from imaginary conditions of employment or
conditions or from a formal dispute that is
incorrect reasoning is brought to the attention of
still a grievance if it either the management or
causes a feeling of the labor union for
injustice settlement in a unionized
organization
 NATURE OF GRIEVANCES
Individual Differences The way in which
policies and practices
are understood may
Individual differ from what
differences manager intends due
include attitude, to differences in
reaction to events individual
in their day-to- backgrounds\an
day relations at aggrieved employee
their jobs, with should be encouraged
their supervisors to air his gripes to
and coworkers unburden himself, to
“get off his chest”
whatever is bothering
him
 NATURE OF GRIEVANCES…
Attitude of the Supervisor
It is true that no supervisor can eliminate every
grievance but he can reduce them to a
minimum if he knows how to locate and
handle it
A supervisor who takes a hostile attitude
towards an employee who airs a complaint or
grievance is apt to discourage employees from
bringing out their gripes which result in
employee dissatisfaction which accumulates
and lowers morale
The airing of grievances should be regarded by
management as an opportunity to promote
understanding and improve employer-
employee relations
 CAUSES OF GRIEVANCES
1. A violation of management or the union of the labor agreement or
collective bargaining agreement (CBA)

2. Vague provisions of the CBA that lead to its different interpretations

3. Unfair treatment of a subordinate by the supervisor or ineffective or

inadequate supervision

4. Violations of Philippine law on labor, health and/or safety

5. Faulty supervision due to:

• Dictatorial tendencies of a supervisor
• Refusal to listen to employee complaint
• Unfair or inconsistent disciplinary actions
• Display of take-it-or-leave-it attitudes for subordinates
• Unclear and insufficient instructions
• Failure to inform employee of changes
 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION

•Employees and managers have some separate and distinct rights and responsibilities in
grievance resolutions, but many overlap.

•Both parties have the right to be heard, both parties are equally responsible to listen
without interrupting.

•The employee has the right to a

positive work environment but has
the responsibility to communicate
needs and discontent to the
manager.
•The manager has the right to expect a
certain level of productivity from the
employee but has the responsibility to
provide a work environment that
makes this possible.
 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION…

•The manager has the right to expect employees to follow rules but has responsibility
to see that these rules are clearly communicated and fairly enforced

•Both the manager and the employee must show good will in resolving grievances.
 PRINCIPLES IN GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
Section V of Rule XII requires that each department or agency shall establish a
grievance procedure which shall conform to the following principles:
a. An employee/union may, without resorting to formal grievance procedures,
discuss informally any problem relating to his conditions of employment with his
supervisor

b. In presenting a complaint or grievance, the employee shall be assured freedom

from coercion, discrimination or reprisal and of a speedy and impartial settlement
of such complaint or grievance

c. Complaints and/or grievance shall be resolved at the lowest possible level in the
agency

d. Grievance proceedings shall not be bound by formal legal rules and technicalities

e. An employee shall have the right to appeal decisions on grievances to such

competent authorities as provided for in this Rule

f. A complaint or grievance shall be considered not only in relation to its alleged

object, but also in relation to the personal situation of the complainant
 GRIEVANCE MACHINERY OR PROCEDURE
5 ARBITRATION

4 Union President Top Management

3 Grievance Committee Personnel Manager

Department Head or Plant

2 Head Steward
Superintendent

1 Shop Steward Supervisor or Foreman

AGGRIEVED
EMPLOYEE
To reduce the number if grievances that are appealed,
supervisors are encouraged to follow these
recommendations:
 Receive and treat all complaints seriously and give the
employee a full hearing.

 Get the facts by investigating and handling each case as

though it may eventually result in arbitration. Be sure to
investigate the 5 W’s

 Carefully examine all evidence before making a decision

 Follow-up to make sure the plan of action is properly carried

out by means of correcting conditions which could result in a
similar grievance happening again.
 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE IN NON-UNIONIZED
FIRMS
A company without any union must formulate a grievance
procedure for the guidance of its supervisors and employees.
The different steps in a grievance procedure usually involve
the following:
1. Presentation of employee problem/s to the foreman or supervisor
who is expected to settle the problem within the specified period.

2. If not satisfied, the employee can elevate the complaint to the next
higher level to resolve the grievance

3. The problem or case may be taken to arbitration for final decision if

no satisfactory solution has been reached by the above procedures
 AUTHORITY OF AN ARBITRATOR

As a general rule, the authority of an arbitrator embraces or covers the

following:
1. General authority to investigate and hear the case upon notice of the parties
and to render an award (decision) based on the contract and record of the case;

2. Incidental authority to perform all acts necessary to an adequate discharge of

his duties and responsibilities like setting and conduct of hearing, attendance
of witnesses and proof of documents and other evidences, fact-finding and
other modes of discovery, reopening of hearing, etc; and

3. Special power in aid of his general contractual authority like the authority to
determine arbitration of any particular dispute and to modify any provision of
existing agreement upon which a proposed change is submitted for arbitration.
Thank You!!!