GRIEVANCE HANDLING

AND REDRESSAL
 INTRODUCTION
I am viplow Jaiswal with my friend
have prepared this project to give you brief explanation
about the topic grievances seek and redressal. Our
objective of making this project is to familiarize you with
the grievance handling procedure in the organization or
how the grievances of employees as well as of the workers
working at different level are redressed in the
organization. We had tried our best to include all the
relevant information related to this topic.
To provide practical exposure this project is supported by
practical example like the methods used by Infosys
company in redressing the grievances of its employees.
At last we would like to mention some sources we had
gone through while making this project such as HRM
textbook (Author -V.S.P Rao), Websites like Infosys.com
and www.indeed.com etc . So let’s come to the contents of
the project.

Contents
1. What is Grievances
2. Features of Grievances
3. Forms of Grievances
4. Difference between complaint and Grievance
5. Causes of Grievances
6. Effects of Grievances
7. Effective Redressal of Grievances
8. Advantage of having an effective grievance
procedure
9. Steps involved in grievance procedure
10. Model of Grievance procedure
11. Objective of grievance handling
12. Guidelines for handling grievance handling
13. Grievances handling procedure of Infosys
14. Suggestions
15. conclusion

What are grievances

A grievance can be broadly defined as an employee's
dissatisfaction or feeling of personal injustice relating
to his employment. A grievance is said to arise when
an employee feels that something has happened or is
happening to him-that he thinks is unfair, unjust or
inequitable. It must be noted that discontentment or
dissatisfaction over something is not a grievance. The
unhappy feelings must find their way in the form of a
complaint. When the complaint remains unattended
and the aggrieved employee feels that he is being
taken for a ride-rightly or wrongly, for valid reasons or
for ridiculous ones-the dissatisfaction grows and
assumes the status of a grievance. A grievance, thus,
is a complaint that has been put in writing and made
formal.
Features of grievances
If we analyse the views of various experts cited above,
some noticeable features emerge clearly

 Discontent or dissatisfaction:
A grievance refers to any form of discontent or
dissatisfaction with any aspect of the organization.

 Real or imaginary:
The discontent can arise out of real or imaginary
reasons. When the employee feels that injustice has
been done to him, he has a grievance. The reasons for
such a feeling may be valid or invalid, legitimate or
irrational, justifiable or ridiculous.

 Voiced or unvoiced:
The discontent may be voiced or unvoiced. But it must
find expression in some form. However, discontent per
se is not a grievance. Initially, the employee may
complain orally or in writing. If this is not looked into
promptly, the employee feels a sense of lack of justice.
Now the discontent grows and takes the shape of a
grievance.
  Perceived non-fulfilment of expectations:
A grievance, broadly speaking, may refer to perceived
non-fulfilment of one's expectations leading to
dissatisfaction with any aspect of the organisation.

Forms of grievances

A grievance may take any one of the following forms: (a)

factual, (b) imaginary, (c) disguised.

 Factual: A factual grievance arises when legitimate

needs of employees remain unfulfilled, e.g., wage
hike has been agreed but not implemented citing
various reasons.

 Imaginary: When an employee's dissatisfaction is

not because of any valid reason but because of a
wrong perception, wrong attitude or wrong
information he has. Such a situation may create an
imaginary grievance. Though management is not at
fault in such instances, it has to clear the 'fog'
immediately.
  Disguised: An employee may have dissatisfaction
for reasons that are unknown to himself. If he/she is
under pressure from family, friends, relatives,
neighbours, he/she may reach the work spot with a
heavy heart. If a new recruit gets a new table and
almirah, this may become an eyesore to other
employees who have not been treated likewise
previously.

 Difference between complaint and

grievance
BASIS FOR COMPLAINT GRIEVANCE
COMPARISON

Meaning A complaint can be any Grievance refers to the

act, treatment, behavior or legitimate complaint made by
state which an employee an employee, regarding
perceives as unfair or unjustified treatment,
unjust. concerning any facet of their
employment.
Who can file? Complainant Aggrieved
What is it? An oral or written claim Written complaint by a
by the unrepresented represented employee.
employee.
Nature Informal Formal
Issue Minor or Major Major
Causes of grievances

Grievances may occur for a number of reasons.

Economic: Wage fixation, overtime, bonus, wage

revision, etc. Employees may feel that they are paid less
when compared to others.

Work environment: Poor safety and bad physical

conditions, unavailability of tools and proper machinery,
unrealistic targets, poor quality of materials etc.

Supervision: Relates to the attitudes of the supervisor

towards the employee such as perceived notions of
bias, favouritism, nepotism, caste affiliations, regional
feelings, etc.

the employee colleagues;

 Work group: Employee is unable to adjust with his
feelings of neglect, victimization and becomes an object
of ridicule and humiliation, etc.

Miscellaneous: These include issues relating to

(management policies) certain violations in respect of
promotions, safety methods, transfer, disciplinary rules,
fines, granting leave and medical facilities

Effects
Grievances, if they are not identified and redressed,may
adversely affect workers, managers and the
organisation as a whole.
Effects on production Effects on employees Effects on manager
 Low quality of production  Increase in the rate of absenteeism  Strains the
 Low quantity of production and and turnover superior-
productivity  Reduces the level of subordinate
commitment,sincerity and relationship
 Increase in the wastage of punctuality.  Increase in
materials,spoilage/breakage of  Increase the incidence of accident indiscipline
machinery  Cases.
 Increase in the cost of production  Reduces the level of employee  Increase the
per unit morale degree of
supervision,
Control and
Follow up.
 Advantage of having an
effective grievance procedure

The following are some of the distinct advantages of

having a grievances handling procedure: (Need for a
grievance procedure)

 Read the pulse of employees : The management is

able to know the employees' feelings and opinions
about the company's policies and practices. It can
feel the 'pulse' of the employees.

 Chance to ventilate feelings: With the existence of a

grievance handling procedure, the employee gets a
chance to ventilate his feelings. He can let off steam
through an official channel. Certain problems of
workers cannot be solved by first line supervisors,
for these supervisors lack the expertise that the top
management has, by virtue of their professional
knowledge and experience.
 Compelled to listen to the voice of employees: It
keeps a check on the supervisor's attitude and
behaviour towards their subordinates. They are
compelled to listen to subordinates patiently and
sympathetically.

 Boost the morale of employees: The morale of the

employees will be high with the existence of proper
grievance handling procedure. Employees can get
their grievances redressed in a just manner.

 Discovery of grievances

Grievances can be uncovered in a number of ways.

Gossip and grapevine offer vital clues about
employee grievances. Gripe boxes, open door
policies periodic interviews, exit surveys could also
be undertaken to uncover the mystery surrounding
grievances. These methods are discussed below:

 Observation : A manager/supervisor can

usually track the behaviours of people working
under him. If a particular employee is not
getting along with people, spoiling materials
 due to carelessness or recklessness, showing
indifference to commands, reporting late for
work or is remaining absent, the signals are
fairly obvious. Since the supervisor is close to
the scene of action, he can always find out such
unusual behaviours and report promptly.

 Grievance procedure: A systematic grievance

procedure is the best means to highlight
employee dissatisfaction at various levels.
Management, to this end, must encourage
employees to use it whenever they have
anything to say.In the absence of such a
procedure, grievances pile up and explode in
violent forms at a future date. By that time,
things might have taken an ugly shape
altogether, impairing cordial relations between
labour and management. If management fails
to induce employees to express their
grievances, unions will take over and emerge as
powerful bargaining representatives.

 Gripe boxes: Gripe boxes may be kept at

prominent locations in the factory for lodging
anonymous complaints pertaining to any
aspect relating to work. Since the complainant
 need not reveal his identity, he can express his
feelings of injustice or discontent frankly and
without any fear of victimization.

 Open door policy: This is a kind of walk-in-

meeting with the manager when the employee
can express his feelings openly about any work-
related grievance. The manager can cross-check
the details of the complaint through various
means at his disposal.

 Exit interview: Employees usually leave their

current jobs due to dissatisfaction or better
prospects outside. If the manager tries
sincerely through an exit interview, he might be
able to find out the real reasons why 'X' is
leaving the organization. To elicit valuable
information, the manager must encourage to
the employee to give a correct picture so as to
rectify the mistakes promptly. If the employee
is not providing fearless answers, he.may be
given a questionnaire to fill up and post the
same after getting all his dues cleared from the
organization where he is currently employed. at
  Opinion surveys: Surveys may be conducted
periodically to elicit the opinions of employees
about the organisation and its policies. It is
better to use as many channels as possible, if
the intention is to uncover the truth behind the
curtain.

 Effective redressal of grievances

Every organization should have a systematic

grievance procedure in order to redress the
grievances effectively. As explained above,
unattended grievances may culminate in the form
of violent conflicts later on. The grievance
procedure, to be sound and effective should
possess certain pre-requisites

Conformity with statutory provisions : Due

consideration must be given to the prevailing
legislation while designing the grievance handling
procedure.

 Clarity: Every aspect of the grievance handling

procedure should be clear and unambiguous.
All employees should know whom to approach
 first when they have a grievance, whether the
complaint should be written or oral, the
maximum time in which the redressal is
assured, etc. The redressing official should also
know the limits within which he can take the
required action.

 Simplicity: The grievance handling procedure

should be simple and short. If the procedure is
complicated it may discourage employees and
they may fail to make use of it in a proper
manner

 Promptness: The grievance of the employee

should be promptly handled export and
necessary action must be taken immediately.
This is good for both the employee and
management, because if the wrongdoer is not
taken to task, it may affect the morale of other
employees as well.

 Training: The supervisors and the union

representatives should be properly trained in
all aspects of grievance handling beforehand or
else it will complicate the problem.
 Steps in the grievance procedure
 Identify grievances: Employee dissatisfaction
or grievance should be identified by the
management if they are not expressed. If they
are ventilated, management has to promptly
acknowledge them.

 Define correctly: The management has to

define the problem properly and accurately
after it is identified/acknowledged.

 Collect data: Complete information should be

collected from all the parties relating to the
grievance. Information should be classified as
facts, data, opinions, etc.

 Analyse and solve: The information should be

analyzed, alternative solutions to the problem
should be developed and the best solution
should be selected.

 Prompt redressal: The grievance should be

redressed by implementing the solution.
  Implement and follow up: Implementation of
the solution must be followed up at every
stage in order to ensure effective and speedy
implementation.

Model grievance procedure

Grievance procedure is a formal communication

between an employee and the management designed
for the settlement of a grievance. Grievances could be
settled in two ways-open door policy or step ladder
policy.

Open Door Policy: Under the open door policy, the

aggrieved employee would meet the chief executive of
the organization, express his feelings of discontentment
or unhappiness fearlessly and get the contentious issues
resolved quickly. Such a policy, however, would work in
small organizations.
Step Ladder Policy: This approach is more suitable for
bigger organizations. According to the step ladder
approach, workers' representatives are to be elected for
a department or their union is to nominate them.
Management has to specify the persons in each
department who are to be approached first and the
departmental heads who are supposed to be
approached in the second step.

The Model Grievance Procedure specifies the details of

all the steps that are to be followed while redressing
grievances.

STEP 1: In the first step the grievance is to be submitted

to departmental representative, who is a representative
of management. He has to give his answer within 48
hours.

STEP 2: If the departmental representative fails to

provide a solution, the aggrieved employee can take his
grievance to head of the department, who has to give
his decision within 3 days.
STEP 3: If the aggrieved employee is not satisfied with
the decision of departmental head, he can take the
grievance to Grievance Committee. The Grievance
Committee makes its recommendations to the manager
within 7 days in the form of a report. The final decision
of the management on the report of Grievance
Committee must be communicated to the aggrieved
employee within three days of the receipt of report. An
appeal for revision of final decision can be made by the
worker if he is not satisfied with it. The management
must communicate its decision to the worker within 7
days.

STEP 4: If the grievance still remains unsettled, the case

may be referred to voluntary arbitration.

Guidelines for handling

grievances

The following guidelines may help a supervisor while

dealing with grievances. He need not follow all these
steps in every case. It is sufficient to keep these views in
mind while handling grievances.

 Treat each case as important and get the grievance

in writing.
 Talk to the employee directly. Encourage him to
speak the truth. Give him a patient hearing.

 Discuss in a private place. Ensure confidentiality, if

necessary.
 Handle each case within a time frame.

 Examine company provisions in each case. Identify

violations, if any. Do not hold back the remedy if
the company is wrong. Inform your superior about
all grievances.

 Get all relevant facts about the grievance. Examine

the personal record of the aggrieved worker. See
whether any witnesses are available. Visit the work
area. The idea is to find where things have gone
wrong and who is at fault.
  Gather information from the union representative
about what the employee has to say and what he
wants. Give short replies, uncovering the truth, and
treat him properly.

 Control your emotions, your remarks and

behaviour.

 Maintain proper records and follow up the action

taken in each case.

 Be proactive, if possible. Companies like the

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and NALCO
actually invite workers to ventilate their grievances
freely, listen to the other side patiently, explain the
reasons why the problems arose and redress the
grievances promptly.

Grievances handling procedure

od Infosys
Infosys is committed to providing a safe and positive work
environment. In keeping with this philosophy, the organization
envisages an open-door policy. Employees also have access to
several forums where they can highlight matters or concerns
faced at the workplace. This is achieved through a well-
established and robust grievance resolution mechanism
comprising ‘resolution hubs.’

Resolution hubs adhere to the principles of natural justice,

confidentiality, sensitivity, non-retaliation and fairness while
addressing concerns. The concerns are handled with a lot of
sensitivity, while delivering timely action and closure. A
detailed investigation process ensures fairness for all involved,
with an opportunity to present facts and any material
evidence.

Resolution hubs at Infosys

include:
HEAR

HEAR is a forum that fosters healthy employee relations by

giving our employees a neutral platform ‘to be heard’ and in
building the ‘speak- up culture’. The HEAR network consists of
40 global hubs that have the expertise to manage employee
concerns and includes 300 partners from business.
An employee can raise a complaint on the HEAR Webapp or
Infy Me mobile application. There is also
the [email protected] email ID to write to. The grievance
redressal team adheres to strict SLAs including 24 hours to
acknowledge receiving a complaint from an employee and 21
calendar days for closure of the issue. The Corporate HEAR
forum presents its report to the Audit Committee of the Board
every quarter

Anti-Sexual Harassment Initiative (ASHI)

The Company’s assurance to its employees towards providing

a harassment-free workplace is reflected in our key initiative,
ASHI (Anti-Sexual Harassment Initiative). As per the Act in
India, the Company has constituted Internal Committee (“IC”)
in all the Development Centers of the Company across India,
for redressal of sexual harassment related matters reported by
women employees.

We also have a strong governance mechanism in the form of

GRB (Grievance Redressal Body), to define, interpret and
implement the ASHI initiative and is accountable for
administering the policy centrally. GRB comprises of External
Members, Internal senior members, and the Investigative
Council. We follow a gender-neutral approach in redressal of
all such complaints.

Upon receiving a sexual harassment complaint, an immediate

acknowledgement is sent to the complainant and the
complainant is contacted within 24 hours, before it is taken up
for a formal redressal process in line with the POSH Act and
company’s policy on Anti-Harassment. We have stringent
internal timelines of 45 days for closure of such concerns.

Complaints received are classified and appropriate disciplinary

action is taken ranging from a warning to termination of
employment, as the case may be.

Extending the initiative to contract staff

Our commitment to a positive and safe working environment

is not restricted only to our employees, but also our suppliers,
who provide services in our campuses. Towards this endeavor,
we conduct mandatory sessions on the ASHI and the grievance
redressal processes. These sessions are covered in nine
vernacular languages currently. Emergency/Safety cards with
important contact numbers are also handed over to all Infosys
employees and employees of such suppliers. In addition to
this, we have also placed complaint boxes at designated
buildings within campuses to enable anyone to raise written
complaints, conveniently. With respect to workplace
grievances impacting a positive work environment, the
Company accepts and acknowledges concerns from
employees/contractors/ anonymous parties. Such grievances
undergo a neutral review in line with the principles of natural
justice.

Whistleblower Policy

We framed the Whistleblower Policy to enable stakeholders to

raise concerns regarding any potential violations involving
financial irregularities/breach of Infosys’ policies or applicable
laws – easily and without any fear of retaliation. The
complaints received under the ambit of this policy are
reviewed independently, while ensuring anonymity and
confidentiality.