Grievance Handling and Dispute Resolution Machinery
Grievance Handling and Dispute Resolution Machinery
This domain tests how an individual complaint becomes a resolved grievance, and where internal procedure ends and statutory dispute resolution begins.
Core principles
- A grievance is an employee's dissatisfaction about treatment, pay, conditions or supervision. A dispute is broader and may be collective.
- A good procedure is written, time-bound, accessible, fair and follows natural justice: hear both sides and give reasons.
- Typical steps: supervisor, department head, HR or grievance committee, and final appeal. Certified standing orders or company policy may prescribe the ladder.
- Statutory machinery under the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 includes conciliation, arbitration and adjudication. Conciliation assists; arbitration decides by consent; adjudication decides by law.
Worked example
An employee claims three days of overtime were not paid. The supervisor should record the complaint within 48 hours and check attendance and wage sheets. If unpaid, the department head verifies the calculation; HR then corrects the payroll and reports reasons. If the employer denies the claim, the grievance committee hears both sides. Only if unresolved should the matter go to conciliation or arbitration. The sequence preserves evidence and prevents escalation.
Traps
Do not treat every grievance as a collective industrial dispute. Do not skip the internal ladder without reason. Conciliation is not arbitration. A grievance procedure without time limits or written records loses credibility.