NOTES
Self-Instructional
Material 145
Employee Welfare,
Separation
2. The discontentment or dissatisfaction is a result of issues related to the work
place or employment and has nothing to do with personal or family life.
3. The dissatisfaction could either be expressed or implied. It is easier to note
and identify expressed grievances as they are reflected through gossip, active
criticism, arguments, poor performance and other ways. On the other hand,
unexpressed grievances can be seen in indifference to work, laziness,
absenteeism, etc.
4. It is not necessary for the discontentment to be always true, rational or
legitimate. It may or may not be valid. In fact, at times it may be altogether
irrational. The important thing is that the moment a grievance is noticed, it is
not possible for the management to overlook or dismiss it as being irrational
or invalid.
5. A grievance can be traced to the employees’ perception of unfulfilled
expectations from the employers/organization.
6. A grievance results from a feeling of injustice experienced by the
employee(s).
7. In the absence of timely redressal, grievances end up lowering morale and
reducing employee productivity.
12.3.2 Understanding Employee Grievance
The best way to handle grievances is to prepare to tackle them in anticipation.
Steps should be taken to tackle them even before grievances take on huge
proportions. The normal practice for an ordinary manager is to redress grievances
as and when they are brought to his notice. A very good manager will anticipate
grievances and prevent them. A good manager will be able to sniff out simmering
grievances even before they get transformed into actual grievances through several
ways. They are:
1. Observations: If an employee lacks compatibility with his colleagues, is
always late for work, fails to meet deadlines, is slow and damages office
property, then his behaviour is noticed by his seniors or superiors and reports
it to the higher authorities.
2. Opinion surveys: An organization may conduct regular surveys to find out
the opinions and views of its employees with regard to the policies and
procedures of the organization. Regular meetings, group sessions, periodical
interviews with workers and collective bargaining sessions help to reveal
employee discontent, if any, and helps check its growth into a grievance(s).
3. Gripe boxes: If a worker resents the company’s policies but is
uncomfortable voicing his grievances openly, then there should be a facility
for him to submit a written complaint or drop it in a gripe box. The
complainant should be allowed to maintain anonymity. This allows employees
