Grievances and complaints
Some thoughts and tips on how to help yourself
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer. Please use your best judgement for any information/advice provided in this blog post.*
In a previous life, I administered grievances, complaints and misconduct.
Though I wasn’t the decision-maker, nonetheless, I attended probably 100 disciplinary hearings and stuck around for discussion and determinations afterwards.
Here is my understanding of the grievance process and what I think you can do to help yourself.
Before
For managers: understand that grievances arise from lack of: clear process, role clarity, training, consultation and transparency; unclear communication; and feeling undervalued. In the procedure, Managers have a direct responsibility to:
“proactively identify and effectively manage workplace issues in accordance with the management principles set out in section 40(3) of Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld) (PS Act)”
Additionally, try to stop the issue becoming a formal grievance:
“[t]he Department of Education…expects that all employees will make reasonable efforts to work together and resolve issues as early and informally as possible”.
Reflect critically on the grievance:
Are there things that you need to take responsibility for?
Have you interpreted the situation correctly?
Did the grievance happen to you? Or are you drawing on other people’s experiences?
Have you been under added stress lately? Has the other person? Marriage, ill health, mortgage payments, family and children can all contribute.
Try to be empathetic and understanding.
Ask a loved one for their opinion of the situation.
Check tone, intonation, body language, what was/wasn’t said, power imbalances, cultural differences, language misunderstandings.
Grievances often arise from misunderstandings which accumulate, compound, and escalate.
Speak directly with the person that you have an issue with. Remain calm, adopt a neutral tone. Plan what you will say, keep the discussion brief. Lead with empathy. Write notes about what happened.
Do not email your grievance to the person - too much meaning is lost and there is room for misinterpretation.
Give the person time to reflect on what you’ve said but not too much time (i.e. the Friday before school holidays).
Follow discussion with your understanding of the resolution. Confirm with the other person.
If you are the person being approached:
Thank the person. Acknowledge how difficult it must have been for them to say something and how you appreciate their honesty and courage.
Option A: apologise on the spot; acknowledge that you had no idea how your actions impacted them. Discuss what you will do to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Thank them again. Transition discussion to something lighter (e.g. lunchtime, sport, weather).
Option B: tell them how seriously you take their concern, and that you need a bit of time to give proper consideration to what they’ve said. Suggest a catch-up at XYZ time/place to discuss the matter properly (and one-to-one). Do not escalate. Start informally.
Avoid the temptation to involve your other colleagues. The person you are aggrieved with deserves the opportunity to hear your concerns and respond appropriately. Clear is kind. Direct is respectful.
Good faith underpins the entire procedure.