What workplace grievances is
A grievance is a concern, problem or complaint an employee raises about their work, working conditions or treatment. A grievance process sets out how concerns are raised, who handles them, how they are investigated and how outcomes are communicated.
Certain complaints have their own statutory process, for example, complaints of sexual harassment are handled under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act through an Internal Committee where one is required.
Why it matters
Concerns that have no route stay unspoken until they become resignations, disputes or worse. A trusted process brings problems to light early, and a consistent one protects both the employee and the employer.
Common challenges
Fear of consequences
People do not raise concerns if they expect to be penalised for it.
No visible outcome
When nothing seems to happen, people stop raising concerns.
Inconsistent handling
Similar concerns handled differently undermine trust in the process.
The process, step by step
- 1
Provide a channel
A clear, accessible way to raise concerns, including confidentially.
- 2
Acknowledge
Confirm receipt promptly.
- 3
Investigate
Handle fairly, by someone without a conflict of interest.
- 4
Decide and communicate
Record the outcome and tell the person who raised it.
- 5
Protect
Guard against retaliation.
Best practices
- Offer more than one route, so no one must raise a concern with the person it is about.
- Acknowledge every concern quickly.
- Keep a confidential record of each case and its outcome.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating grievances as a manager's private matter.
- Leaving the person who raised a concern without an outcome.
- Handling statutory complaints outside their required process.
How software helps
Software gives employees a dedicated, accessible place to speak up, and gives HR a confidential record of each concern from receipt to outcome.
Questions about workplace grievances
A concern, problem or complaint an employee raises about their work, working conditions or treatment.
An anonymous route helps people raise concerns they would otherwise keep to themselves, though it can make investigation harder. Many employers offer both named and confidential routes.
Complaints of sexual harassment follow the process required by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, through an Internal Committee where one is required, rather than the general grievance route.
Provide a channel to raise concerns, acknowledge receipt promptly, investigate fairly, decide and communicate the outcome, and protect the person who raised it from retaliation.
Someone without a conflict of interest. Employees should also have more than one route, so nobody must raise a concern with the person it is about.
Yes. Leaving the person who raised a concern without an outcome is a common mistake, and when nothing seems to happen, people stop raising concerns.
By making protection from retaliation an explicit step in the process. People do not raise concerns if they expect to be penalised for it.
Yes. A confidential record of each case, from receipt to outcome, supports consistent handling of similar concerns.