What is Grievance Redressal? | Meaning & Definition | Akrivia HCM

A grievance redressal system is a process to address employee grievances, and it can be defined as a mechanism that enables employees to communicate their concerns to management. The grievance redressal system helps in resolving employees’ grievances in a formal manner which may be between an employee to employee or either between employee and management.

For an organization to function effectively, it is important that the employees are satisfied and happy about their job. Upon dissatisfaction with the response they receive, they can go higher up the chain until they finally reach someone who will listen to them.

The grievance redressal system provides a fair and transparent process for resolving employee complaints. It ensures that all employees are treated equally and fairly, regardless of their position or seniority. The system is implemented through various policies and procedures designed to ensure that grievances are handled fairly and impartially, without bias towards anyone involved in the process.

The 7 Key Points of a Good Grievance Redressal System

1. Document the issue/complaint: The employee should make an initial effort to resolve the grievance with their immediate supervisor. The first step is to write a letter to the grievance redressal committee/concerned department head/supervisor containing all relevant details of the issue. The supervisor’s decision is final unless it is unreasonable, arbitrary, or irrational.
2. Problem identification: A supervisor should identify the problem and assess the situation.
3. Collecting the information: When the problem has been identified, the supervisor should collect all relevant information about the grievance before developing a plan of action.
4. Analyze: To find the root of the problem, the supervisor must study various aspects such as the employee’s history, frequency of occurrences and management practices.
5. Decision making & Implementation: The management work out several alternative courses of action, and the consequences of each course on the employee and the administration are evaluated. A final decision is reached based on which course of action will benefit all parties concerned and is implemented.
6. Take action: If a grievance refers to a higher authority under this procedure and the outcome does not meet their expectations, both parties can agree to appoint an arbitrator.

What type of complaints come under the system?

Complaints that come under this category are:

1. Unfair treatment at work due to age and gender discrimination
2. Unfair promotion practices that do not follow meritocracy principles (e.g., favoritism)
3. Inappropriate behavior from a manager or supervisor
4. Sexual harassment
5. Disputes between co-employees