22-1 EXCEL BOOKS

Chapter

22

EMPLOYEE
GRIEVANCES AND
DISCIPLINE
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ANNOTATED OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION
When an employee feels that something is unfair in the organisation,
he is said to have a grievance. To be precise, grievances have
certain common features;

Features of the term “grievance”

 Perceived non fulfilment of one's expectations leading to dissatisfaction with any
aspect of the organisation.
 The dissatisfaction arises out of employment and not due to personal or family
problems
 The reasons could be real or imaginary or disguised.
 The discontent may be voiced or unvoiced

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EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES

Causes
 Economic
 Work environment
 Supervision
 Work group
 Miscellaneous
Effects
If grievances are not identified and redressed properly, they may
adversely affect the workers, managers and the organisation.
 Production
 Employees
 Managers
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Grievance Procedure

It is a formal channel of communication used to resolve grievances.

Having a formal grievance procedure has its own advantages.
Workers get a wonderful opportunity to ventilate their feelings.
Management can go back to the roots of a problem quickly.
Supervisors, too, have to fall in line and listen to workers’
complaints more seriously. A fair redressal mechanism would boost
the morale of all employees greatly.

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The discovery of grievances

The success of a grievance procedure, to a large extent, depends

on the various ways adopted to dig out the problem:

How to uncover grievances?

 Observation
 A formal grievance procedure
 Gripe boxes
 Open door policy
 Exit interviews
 Opinion surveys

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Essentials of a formal grievance

procedure

A sound grievance procedure must have the following characteristics

Prerequisites of a grievance procedure

 Conformity with statutory provisions
 Unambiguity
 Simplicity
 Promptness
 Training
 Follow up

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Steps in the grievance procedure

 Identify grievances
 Define correctly
 Collect data
 Analyse and solve
 Prompt redressal
 Implement and follow up

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Model Grievance Procedure

The model grievance procedure suggested by the National Commission

on Labour involves six successive time-bound steps each leading to the
next, in case employees have any reason to complain against any issue
affecting their organisational lives.

Model grievance procedure

P ro ce d u re T im e F r a m e
A p p e a l a g a in s t w it h in a w e e k

M anager 3 days

G r ie v a n c e C o m m i t te e 7 d a y s u n a n im o u s

HOD 3 days

S u p e rv is o r 4 8 h o u rs

F o re m a n

W o rk e r

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Grievance Procedure

Guidelines for handling grievances

 Treat each case as important and get the grievance in writing
 Talk to the employee directly
 Discuss in a private place
 Handle each case within a time frame
 Examine company provisions in each case
 Get all relevant facts
 Control your emotions
 Maintain proper records
 Be proactive, if possible.

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Discipline

In a restricted sense, it is the act of imposing penalties for wrong

behaviour (negative); broadly speaking, it is a condition of orderliness,
where employees willingly practice self control and respect organisational
rules and codes of conduct (positive). The differences between the two
sides of the same coin could be expressed thus:
The differences between positive and
negative discipline
P o in t N e g a tiv e D is c ip lin e P o s itiv e D is c ip lin e
C oncept I t is a d h e r e n c e t o e s t a b li s h e d n o r m s I t is t h e c r e a t io n o f a c o n d u c i v e c lim a t e
a n d r e g u la t io n s , o u t o f f e a r o f in a n o r g a n is a t i o n s o t h a t e m p lo y e e s
p u n is h m e n t. w i ll in g ly c o n f o r m t o t h e e s t a b lis h e d r u l e s .
C o n f lic t E m p lo y e e s d o n o t p e r c e iv e th e T h e r e i s n o c o n fl ic t b e t w e e n in d i v id u a l
c o r p o r a t e g o a ls a s t h e ir o w n . a n d o r g a n i s a t io n a l g o a ls .
S u p e r v is i o n R e q u ir e s in t e n s e s u p e r v is o r y c o n t r o l E m p lo y e e s e x e r c is e s e lf c o n tr o l t o m e e t
to p r e v e n t e m p lo y e e s f r o m g o in g o ff o r g a n is a t io n a l o b j e c t i v e s .
th e t ra c k .

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Discipline

Some of the common disciplinary problems confronted by

organisations include the following
Common disciplinary problems
A tte n d a n c e -r e la te d p r o b le m
 U nexcused absence
 C h r o n ic a b s e n t e e is m
 L e a v in g w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n
 E x c e s s iv e t a r d in e s s
D is h o n e s t y a n d r e la t e d p r o b le m s
 T h e ft, u n s a fe a c ts
 F a ls if y in g e m p lo y m e n t a p p lic a t io n
 W ilf u lly d a m a g in g f a c t o r y a s s e t s
 F a ls ify in g w o r k r e c o r d s
P e r fo r m a n c e r e la te d p ro b le m s
 F a ilu r e t o c o m p le t e a s s ig n e d w o r k
 P r o d u c in g s u b s ta n d a r d p r o d u c t s
 F a ilu r e t o m e e t p r o d u c t io n n o r m s
O ff th e J o b b e h a v io u r p r o b le m s
 I n s u b o r d in a t io n
 S m o k in g
 F i g h t i n g w i t h c o ll e a g u e s
 G a m b lin g , b e t t in g
 C a r e le s s n e s s
 S le e p in g w h ile a t w o r k
 U s in g a b u s iv e la n g u a g e a g a in s t s u p e r v is io r s
 S e x u a l h a ra s s m e n t
 A c c e p t in g b r ib e s , g if t s

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Discipline

Causes of Indiscipline
 Absence of effective leadership
 Unfair management practices
 Communication barriers
 Non-uniform disciplinary action
 Divide and rule policies
 Inadequate attention to personnel problems

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Positive Discipline Approach

The positive discipline, based upon reminders, is a cooperative

discipline approach where employees responsibility for the desired
behavioural change. The focus is on coping with the unsatisfactory
performance and dissatisfactions of employees before the problems
become major.

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Steps in positive discipline approach

Step 1: An Oral Reminder: Notice here that the word warning is removed. The oral
reminder, supported by written documentation, serves as the initial formal
phase of the process to identify to the employee what work problems he or
she is having. This reminder is designed to identify what is causing the
problem and attempts to correct it before it becomes larger.
Step 2: A Written Reminder: If the oral reminder was unsuccessful, a more
formalised version is implemented. This written reminder once again reinforces what
the problems are and what corrective action is necessary. Furthermore, specific
time tables that the employee must accept and abide by, and the
consequences for failing to comply, are often included.
Step 3: A Decision-making Leave: Here, employees are given a decision-making
leave—time off from work, usually with pay—to think about what they are
doing and whether or not they desire to continue work with the company:
This “deciding day” is designed to allow the employee an opportunity to make
a choice—correct the behaviour, or face separation from the company.

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Progressive Discipline Approach

In a progressive discipline system, the employee is given ample

warning of performance or other work related problems. Failure to
change his or her behaviour is accompanied by increasingly harsher
disciplinary action. Due process is based on the action that
employees have the right to be treated fairly, particularly when being
disciplined.

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The Progressive Discipline Approach

Im p r o p e r b e h a v io u r

D o e s th is v io la t io n No N o d is c i p l in a r y
w a r r a n t d is c ip lin a r y a c tio n
a c tio n ?
Ye s

D o e s t h is v io la t i o n No O ra l
w a rra n t m o re th a n w a rn in g
a n o r a l w a r n in g ?
Ye s

D o e s th is v io la t io n No W r itt e n
w a rra n t m o re th a n w a rn in g
a w ritte n w a r n in g ?

Ye s

D o e s th is v io la t io n No
w a rra n t m o re th a n S u s p e n s io n
a s u s p e n s io n ?

Ye s

Te r m in a ti o n

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Progressive Discipline Approach

The Red Hot Stove Rule

This rule states that discipline should be immediate, consistent, impersonal
and should be in writing.
Disciplinary Action in India
The disciplinary action followed in most Indian companies consists of the
following steps:
 Issuing a letter of charge
 Considering the explanation offered by the employee
 Issuing a show cause notice
 Holding an enquiry based on” principles of natural justice”

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Progressive Discipline Approach

Giving a fair chance to employee to explain his case thoroughly

Enabling the employee to cross examine the evidence furnished by
management
Explain his own point of view without any fear or pressure
See that punishment is in line with the offence committed.
 Making a final order of punishment consisting of various actions such as:
Dismissal
Discharge
Suspension
Demotion to a lower grade
Withholding of increments
Imposing fines
Issuing a warning
Initiating follow up action.
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Essentials of A Good Disciplinary System

 Rules and performance criteria

 Documentation of facts
 Consistent response to rule violations
 Training of supervisors
 Prompt action
 Impersonal discipline
 Reasonable penalty
 Follow up

Employee Grievances And Discipline