Page 199 - DMGT516_LABOUR_LEGISLATIONS

Labour Legislations

Notes 4. 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.
5. 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 organisation. To elicit valuable
information, the manager must encourage the employees 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 organisation where he is currently employed.
6. Other channels: Group meetings, periodical interviews with employees, collective
bargaining sessions are some of the other channels through which one can have information
about employee discontent and dissatisfaction before they become grievances or disputes.
Each channel referred to above serves the purpose in a different way. Using more than one
channel is desirable because it may not be possible to get information about all types of
dissatisfaction from one channel. For example the type of information one can get through
a grievance procedure would be perceptibly different from what one can get from a gripe
box or an exit interview.

Essential Prerequisites of a Grievance Procedure

Every organisation 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 prerequisites:

1. Conformity with statutory provisions: Due consideration must be given to the prevailing
legislation while designing the grievance-handling procedure.
2. Unambiguity: 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.

3. 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.
4. Promptness: The grievance of the employee should be promptly handled and necessary
action must be taken immediately. This is good for both the employee and management,
because if the wrong-doer is punished late, it may affect the morale of other employees as
well.

5. 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.
6. Follow up: The Personnel Department should keep track of the effectiveness and the
functioning of grievance handling procedure and make necessary changes to improve it
from time to time.

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