TRAINING REPORT

ON
GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE
BEING FOLLOWED IN
RANBAXY LABORATORIES LIMITED

SUMBITTED TO :
PROF.AKHIL SWAMI
( FINANCE DEPTT.)

SUBMITTED BY:
RASHI JHANG
MBA HR (2008-2010)
A0102308122

ACKNOWLEDEMENT

Working on this project is not only the effort but this is the result of the guidance,
assistance and inspiration of several people who helped me throughout the project.
I extend my sincere thanks to Mr.Rajnish Ratna , Program leader , HR Deptt as well as
my faculty guide , Mr.Akhil Swami for giving me an opportunity to conduct my summer
industrial training.
I would like to express my sincere sense of gratitude to my project mentor Mr.Abhay
Kapoor, General Manager, Human Resource Department, Ranbaxy lab. Ltd and
Mr.Surinder Bhandari , HR Manager , for their guidance, and abundant encouragement
through my eight weeks training.
My thanks are also to all the respondents who responded favourably to the questionnaire
and spared time out of their busy schedules.
This letter of thanks would be incomplete if I missed out to mention my heart filled
gratitude to my faculty members, family members and well wishers who have taken
sincere pain to boost my morale in the moments of despair and acted as the source of
inspiration for me.

RASHI JHANG

ABSTRACT

Project Title: GRIEVANCE

HANDLING IN RANBAXY

LABORATORIES

My objective in the study of grievance handling in Ranbaxy laboratories limited is to

know what procedure is being followed in the organization to solve disputes and
grievances and thereby give suggestions if any discrepancies.
Firstly I want to know as to what kind of grievances occur in Ranbaxy Laboratories .
Then want to study as to
WERE THE GRIEVANCES SOLVED
If they were solved WHAT WERE THE PRACTICES AND METHODS USED TO
SOLVE THEM
During this study want to take note as to what are the discrepancies , if any in grievance
handling procedure being followed.
Questionnaires will be filled from technicians and management .
My study would involve my suggestions to Ranbaxy as to incorporating some more
useful methods to avoid any deviations .
I want to help Ranbaxy in any possible way I can by providing some useful suggestions.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Maintaining quality of work life for its employees is an important concern for the any
organisation. The grievance handling procedure of the organisation can affect the
harmonious environment of the organisation.
The grievances of the employees are related to the contract, work rule or regulation,
policy or procedure, health and safety regulation, past practice, changing the cultural
norms unilaterally, individual victimization, wage, bonus, etc.
Here, the attitude on the part of management in their effort to understand the problems of
employees and resolve the issues amicably have better probability to maintain a culture
of high performance.
Managers must be educated about the importance of the grievance process and their role
in
maintaining
favorable
relations
with
the
union.
Effective grievance handling is an essential part of cultivating good employee relations
and running a fair, successful, and productive workplace.

Positive labor relations are two-way street both sides must give a little and try to work
together. Relationship building is key to successful labor relations.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem.It may

be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically.(Kothari
1998)
In this project work i have taken a sample size of 200.The data was collected in
RANBAXY, MOHALI (in both Mohali-I and Mohali-II) using the simple random
sampling.
I conducted a survey using the questionnaire. I constructed a questionnaire for
employees of the organisation. The response was based on likert s five point scale
with the response ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Some questions
had other options also apart from 5 point scale.
For the analysis portion i have used various graphs like:-column charts ,bar
diagrams ,pie charts , doughnut charts , cylinder graph , cone graph and pyramid
graph , tubes and columns with depth .

ABOUT RANBAXY

#1. Ranbaxy : Malvinder Singh, CEO and MD, Ranbaxy, and Takashi Shoda,
president and CEO,
Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd after signing the strategic
deal

A company empowered by one mission-to place itself on the world map. An

enterprise propelled by one force- that synergizes its energies to charter unexplored
markets. Organisations fuelled by one dream- to transform competition into
opportunity.

Today, Ranbaxy has emerged as a leading pharmaceutical company on the Indian

firmament, with the second largest market share and enjoys an enviable reputation
for its high standard of ethics and quality around its core strength of anti-infective,it
has produced new brands in emerging therapeutic areas like cardiovascular ,central
nervous system and nutritional. Supporting this expansion ,the company has
invested in world class manufacturing infrastructure that leverages Indias
comparative cost advantage and skilled manpower,while delivering international
quality.The companys drive for internationalism is guided by the well planned
brand strategy that covers some of the world emerging markets like
China,cis,Central Europe and Latin America.Its position today is in league of the
top ten pharmaceutical companies of the world and a decent ranking as eleventh
largest company in the international generics space is the resounding endorsement
of its strategic mind.

It is clear that for a long time ,the dominant share of revenues of the company
would continue to come from the ever expanding global generics market.Hence the
intent of ranbaxy mission is to achieve a sustained growth rate through the
continous pursuit of innovation phase one trials for pervasion,a compound for
treating prosthetic males have been completed. Phase 1 trials with clafrinast ,an
asthma compound is an important step towards research based value creation.This
company also had success with Ciprofloxacin,an ingenous form,created through the
novel drug delivery systems research. As the demand of the bulk drugs inside the
country and abroad was increasinglycrapidly.

A new plant was setup at toansa near ropar in 1987.This was a higher capacity plant
designed to cater to the present and future needs,initially antibiotics like
ampicillin,trihyderate and doxycycline were manufactured.Later on the drugs like

cephalexin monohyderate and ranitidine were also prepared.The plant at toansa was
designed to meet the stringent standards set by the Food and Drug
Administration(FDA) of USA .This plant has been approved by FDA and this will
open up American and other newer markets for Ranbaxys products.

At present Ranbaxy has four plants for the manufacture of bulk drugs two at
Mohali,one at Dewas(MP) and another at Toansa near Ropar.At present,Ranbaxy is
the second most Indian company engaged in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals
,bulk drugs and fine chemicals.Ranbaxys vast range of highly pure laboratory
reagent and chemicals enjoy a place of pride in the market.

IT trends has rebuilt as a step towards leveraging information for value creation
using its information backbone around an ERP application,alomg the focus on reengineering several business processes around the internet and has put in place
business solutions that challenge existing ways of doing business .The underlying
spirit of the companys human assets and their intensive competitive and
entrepreneurial energy has played a great part in transforming the company into a
multicultural and multiracial team.

Today, Ranbaxy is the largest exporter accounting for 12% of the industry exports
pharmaceutical substance and dosages forms to over 50 countries with the
international sales comprising of 45% of the total turnover.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited is India's largest pharmaceutical company. Incorporated

in 1961, Ranbaxy exports its products to 125 countries with ground operations in 46 and
manufacturing facilities in seven countries. The company went public in 1973, and
Japanese company Daiichi Sankyo gained majority control in 2008.
Atul Sobti is currently Ranbaxy CEO and Managing Director, having taken over from
Malvinder Singh in May 2009.

General Information

Founded

1961

Type
Website
Industry
Headquarters
Employees

Public Company
www.ranbaxy.com
Pharmaceuticals
Gurgaon Haryana India
1001-5000 employees

Company Profile
Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest pharmaceutical company, is an integrated,
research based, international pharmaceutical company, producing a wide range of quality,
affordable generic medicines, trusted by healthcare professionals and patients across
geographies. Ranked 8th amongst the global generic pharmaceutical companies, Ranbaxy
today has a presence in 23 of the top 25 pharmaceutical markets of the world. The
Company has a global footprint in 49 countries, world-class manufacturing facilities in 11
countries and serves customers in about 125 countries.
In June 2008, Ranbaxy entered into an alliance with one of the largest Japanese innovator
companies, Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd., to create an innovator and generic
pharmaceutical powerhouse. The combined entity now ranks among the top 15
pharmaceutical companies, globally.The transformational deal will place Ranbaxy in a
higher growth trajectory and it will emerge stronger in terms of its global reach and in its
capabilities in drug development and manufacturing.

Vision & Aspirations

Ranbaxy is driven by its vision to achieve significant business in proprietary prescription
products by 2012 with a strong presence in developed markets. The Company aspires to
be amongst the Top 5 global generic players and aims at achieving global sales of US $5
Bn by 2012.

Financials
Ranbaxy was incorporated in 1961 and went public in 1973. For the year 2008, the
Company recorded Global Sales of US $ 1,682 Mn, reflecting a growth of 4%. The
Company has a balanced mix of revenues from emerging and developed markets that
contribute 54% and 39% respectively. In 2008, North America, the Company's largest
market contributed sales of US $ 449 Mn, followed by Europe garnering US $ 330 Mn.
Business in Asia has been going strong with India clocking sales of around US $ 300 Mn
with market leadership in several business segments, backed by strong brand-building
skills.
Strategy
Ranbaxy is focused on increasing the momentum in the generics business in its key
markets through organic and inorganic growth routes. The Company continues to
evaluate acquisition opportunities in India, emerging and developed markets to strengthen
its business and competitiveness. Growth is well spread across geographies with focus on
emerging markets. Ranbaxy has forayed into new specialty therapeutic segments like
Bio-similars, Oncology, Peptides and Limuses. These new growth areas will add
significant depth to the existing product pipeline.

R&D
Ranbaxy views its R&D capabilities as a vital component of its business strategy that will
provide a sustainable, long-term competitive advantage. The Company has a pool of over
1,200 scientists engaged in path-breaking research.
Ranbaxy is among the few Indian pharmaceutical companies in India to have started its
research program in the late 70's, in support of its global ambitions. A first-of-its-kind

world class R&D centre was commissioned in 1994. Today, the Company's multidisciplinary R&D centre at Gurgaon, in India, houses dedicated facilities for generics
research and innovative research. The robust R&D environment for both drug discovery
and development reflects the Company's commitment to be a leader in the generics space
offering value added formulations based on its Novel Drug Delivery System (NDDS) and
New Chemical Entity (NCE) research capabilities.
The new drug research areas at Ranbaxy include anti-infectives, inflammatory /
respiratory, metabolic diseases, oncology, urology and anti-malaria therapies. Presently,
the
Company
has
8-10 programs including one anti-malaria molecule which has obtained approval from the
Drug Controller General of India to initiate Phase III human clinical trials in India. The
Company has signed collaborative research programs with GSK and Merck.
NDDS focus is mainly on the development of NDA/ANDAs of oral controlled- release
products for the regulated markets. Ranbaxys first significant international success using
the NDDS technology platform came in September 1999, when the Company outlicensed its first once-a-day formulation to a multinational company.
People
The Companys business philosophy based on delivering value to its stakeholders
constantly inspires its people to innovate, achieve excellence and set new global
benchmarks. Driven by the passion of its over 12,000 strong multicultural workforce
comprising 50 nationalities, Ranbaxy continues to aggressively pursue its mission to
become a Research-based International Pharmaceutical Company and attain a true global
leadership position.

Manufacturing Facilities
An organisations capabilities and intent are strongly reflected in the product it
manufactures. In other words, the manufacturing competencies and facilities echo truly,
the R&D extent and the ability to implement it for the best of the market it targets.
RANBAXY possesses the manufacturing strengths that have established it as a
producer of world-class generics, branded generics and a major supplier of its range of
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for pharmaceutical products of companies
worldwide.

Ranbaxy has world-class manufacturing facilities in 11 countries namely Brazil, China,

Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Romania, South Africa, USA and Vietnam.
Its overseas facilities are designed to cater to the requirements of the local regulatory
bodies of that country while the Indian facilities meet the requirements of all
International Regulatory Agencies. Some of the agencies such as MCA-UK, MCCSouth Africa, FDA-USA and TGA-Australia, have audited Ranbaxys manufacturing
facilities for the compliance with international Good Manufacturing Practices and have
registered its products for safety, quality and efficacy.
Products
Using the finest R&D and Manufacturing facilities, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited
manufacture and markets generic pharmaceuticals, value added generic pharmaceuticals,
branded generics, active Pharmaceuticals (API) and intermediates.
The Company remains focused on ascending the value chain in the marketing of
pharmaceutical substances and is determined to bring in increased revenues from dosage
forms sales.
Ranbaxy's diverse product basket of over 5,000 SKUs available in over 125 countries
worldwide, encompasses a wide therapeutic mix covering a majority of the chronic and
acute segments. Healthcare trends project that the chronic treatment segments will
outpace the acute treatment segments, primarily driven by a growing aging population
and dominance of lifestyle diseases. Our robust performance in Cardiovasculars, Central
Nervous System, Respiratory, Dermatology, Orthopedics, Nutritionals and Urology
segments, clearly indicates that the Company has strengthened its presence in the fastgrowing chronic and lifestyle disease segments. Ranbaxy's top 20 products, ranging from
Anti-infectives to Dermatologicals, account for revenues of over US $ 600 Mn.
Top Ten Molecules

Simvastatin
Amoxy+Clav Potas Com
Amoxycillin
Ciprofloxacin
Isotretinon
Cephalexin
Ketorolac Tromethamine
Cefaclor
Clarithromycin
Cefuroxime Axetil
LIFE AT RANBAXY

A career at Ranbaxy means an opportunity for ample learning & growth. It offers avenues
to work across the globe along side the finest minds. The Company offers a challenging
assignment, a world class working environment, professional management, competitive
salaries, stock options along with exceptional rewards.
Opportunities
The global spread of Ranbaxy and the blazing growth in business provides ample
opportunities for our employees to build careers in various fields. Opportunities have
never been a constraint for the deserving. It believes in employee growth that goes
beyond vertical movements and change in designations. Potential and performance are
the pillars of career progression at Ranbaxy. A robust development process supports this.

The managers will generally have the opportunity to live and work in different countries;
such international experience will help them better understand our complex business and
grow both personally and professionally.

Salary and Benefits

Salaries and other benefits in Ranbaxy are comparable with the best in the industry and
one can expect to be rewarded highly if the performance is consistently outstanding.
Group Life Insurance, Medical Insurance and Pension plans are a few examples of the
benefits we provide to our employees and their dependents with adequate financial
protection on long term basis.
Stock Ownership
The ownership in business is fundamental to personal progression, it encourages you to
take ownership of your investments.
Stock ownership is a part of the compensation for our managers early in their career at
Ranbaxy: you will see the business results straight in your pay slip!

LATEST NEWS OF RANBAXY :

New Delhi: Representatives of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd and its Japanese parent Daiichi
Sankyo will jointly meet officials of the US Food and Drug Administration to sort out
issues relating to the Indian firm's manufacturing facility at Paonta Sahib.
"Officials from Ranbaxy and Daiichi Sankyo will have a joint meeting with the USFDA
this month," Daiichi Sankyo spokesperson said over telephone from Tokyo.
He, however, declined to give the exact date of the meet saying, "It is not fixed yet when
the meeting would take place."
The USFDA had halted review of the Paonta Sahib unit and also banned import of
products manufactured at the factory.
When asked about the issues of meeting, the spokesperson said: "We have to clarify the
concerns of FDA."
Some of the officials of the team formed by the Japanese firm to look into FDA's
allegation would also take part in the meeting.
Daiichi Sankyo has formed a joint team with Ranbaxy to look into the USFDA's charge
that the Indian drug major had falsified data and test results in its drug applications.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE RANBAXY PLANT IN PUNJAB

In the chemical division,various bulk drugs are manufactured.The chemical

division has three units in Punjab.One is located in Toansa ,two are located at
Mohali and one unit is located at Dewas (MP),where ciprofloxacin is
manufactured.In the plant of chemical division ,various drugs like antibiotics,antimalarial,anti-bacterial and anti ulcer is manufactured.

Two plants at Mohali are generally known as Mohali-I and Mohali-II.The Mohali-I
plant started functioning in 1974,Toansa plant started functioning in 1987.The
Mohali-II plant started functioning in 1991 and Dewas in 1991.Various plant heads
independently manage all these plants.In each unit, separate facilities with respect
to the manufacture of drugs,along with their manufacturing areas have been
provided.This is required to reduce the chance of any cross contamination under the
drugs laws and to comply with goods manufacturing practices.

Mohali-I
Mohali-I plant is an old plant and most of the drugs were first introduced here for
commercial production,before shifting them to other locations with better facilities
from FDA point of view.This plant is so designed that the title modification of
different drugs can be manufactured.The plant basically deals mostly with the
manufacturing of ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS(API).This
plant is divided into plant areas A10 AND A11.

Mohali-II
At Mohali-11 plants,separate blocks have been divided for the preparation of each
drug.The Toansa ,Mohali-II and Dewas plants are planned in such a way that their
system,facilities,manufacturing practices and standards meet the requirements of
FDA

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The stakes in grievance handling are higher than they appear to lay eyes. In the spectrum
of possible grievance outcomes there lies at one end, a resolution that all sides accept as a
fair and final end to the controversy. The membership sees the value in the grievance
procedure and respects the way that the union representatives and management conducted
themselves. The labor management relationship is thereby strengthened and
enriched. Productivity improves.

What is Grievance?
International Labour Organization (ILO):
a complaint of one or more workers with respect to wages and allowances, conditions
of work and interpretation of service stipulation, covering such areas as overtime, leave,
transfer, promotions, seniority, job assignment and termination of service
Dale Yoder:
a written complaint filed by an employee and claiming unfair treatment
National Commission of Labour:
Complaints affecting one or more individual workers in respect of their wage
payments, overtime, leave, transfer, promotion, seniority, work assignment and discharge
would constitute grievance

Causes of Grievance

In an organization a grievance may be presented by an employee or group employees,

with respect to any measure or a situation that directly affects the individual or is likely to
affect, the conditions of employment of many workers. If such a grievance is transformed
into a general claim, either by the union, or by a group of employees, then the claim falls
outside the scope of grievance procedure as it is a collective grievance and therefore it
falls under collective bargaining.
In Grievance Procedure, A survey of practices in industries in India, its classified in to
19 causes of employee grievances have been outlined. They are
1.Promotions
3.Continuity of service
5.Disciplinary action

2.Amenities
4.Compensation
6. Fines

7. Increment
9. Medical Benefits
11. Payment
13. Recovery of dues
15. Superannuation
17. Transfer

8. Leave
10. Nature of job
12. Acting promotion
14. Safety appliances
16. Suppression
18. Victimisation and
19. Condition of work.

The grievance handling procedure of the organisation can affect the harmonious
environment of the organisation. The grievances of the employees are related to the
contract, work rule or regulation, policy or procedure, health and safety regulation, past
practice, changing the cultural norms unilaterally, individual victimization, wage, bonus,
etc. Here, the attitude on the part of management in their effort to understand the
problems of employees and resolve the issues amicably have better probability to
maintain a culture of high performance. Managers must be educated about the importance
of the grievance process and their role in maintaining favorable relations with the union.
Effective grievance handling is an essential part of cultivating good employee relations
and running a fair, successful, and productive workplace. Positive labor relations are twoway street both sides must give a little and try to work together. Relationship building is
key to successful labor relations.

SUMMARISED DIAGRAM :
CAUSES OF GRIEVANCE

( I ) Economic
Wage fixation.
Overtime.
Incentive.
Allowances.
Increments.

( II ) Work Environment
Poor physical condition of workplace
like unsafe working condition,
illumination, poor ventilation and
unsafe equipments.
Stringent production norms.
Defective tools and equipment.
Poor quality of material.
Unfair practices.
Nature of Job.
Poor quality raw material, tools,
equipments.etc.

( III ) Supervision
Relates to the attitude of
the supervisor towards the
employee such as perceived
notions of bias, favoritism,
regional feelings etc.

( IV ) Work Group
Employee is unable to adjust
with his colleagues.
Suffers from feelings of neglect.
Victimization and becomes an
object of ridicule and
humiliation etc.

Investigating a grievance
Grievance handling requires investigative skills and skills of advocacy. One of the major
issues in the investigation is to determine what is the breach of the employees right.
Once it is established that a breach has occurred, then a report should be prepared based
on the use of the five ws:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Who were involved?

When did the breach occur?
Why did the breach occur?
Where did the breach occur?
What happened?

It is usually agreed that action will not be taken on any breach until the full grievance
procedure is utilized, giving the person whose right has been breached, full opportunity to
ventilate concerns.

Grievance handling requires skills of advocacy and can be considered to be semi-judicial

in nature.
The grievance handler should try to set time limits for the resolution of grievances,
should ensure that the person to make the decision on the grievance is competent to
decide and free of bias, and should develop a menu of solutions- a variety of options to
decide on the outcome.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE :
Grievance procedure is a formal communication between an employee and the
management designed for the settlement of a grievance.

Grievance Handling Procedures

1.
2.
3.
4.

The person aggrieved raises the issue with the immediate supervisor;
Failing settlement, the matter is referred to a manager;
Failing settlement, the aggrieved workers can refer the issue to the shop steward;
The shop steward or delegate can enter the case and request a meeting with the
manager or someone from the personnel or human resource department;
5. Failing the above, a senior trade union official can intervene;
6. Failure at the domestic level can lead to a third party intervention eg an
employers federation (in some countries eg Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and
Barbuda and Jamaica, there are industrial courts or industrial tribunals);
7. The final stage is conciliation or arbitration.

Discontent or dissatisfaction is not a grievance. They initially find expression in the form
of a complaint. When a complaint remains unattended to and the employee concerned
feels a sense of lack of justice and fair play, the dissatisfaction grows and assumes the
status of grievance.
Usually grievance relate to problems of interpretation of perceived non-fulfillment of
ones expectation from the organization. Aggrieved employees usually manifest defiant
behavior.
The grievance procedure can be divided into two parts:-

1
2

A formal grievance redressal process and ;

An informal process of grievance handling

All the employees of the Corporation fall under the broad purview of the grievance
redressal system.
The grievance procedures differ from organization to organization.
1. Open door policy
2. Step-ladder policy
Open door policy: Under this policy, the aggrieved employee is free to meet the top
executives of the organization and get his grievances redressed. Such a policy works well
only in small organizations. However, in bigger organizations, top management
executives are usually busy with other concerned matters of the company. Moreover, it is
believed that open door policy is suitable for executives; operational employees may feel
shy to go to top management.
Step ladder policy: Under this policy, the aggrieved employee has to follow a step by
step procedure for getting his grievance redressed. In this procedure, whenever an
employee is confronted with a grievance, he presents his problem to his immediate
supervisor. If the employee is not satisfied with superiors decision, then he discusses his
grievance with the departmental head. The departmental head discusses the problem with
joint grievance committees to find a solution. However, if the committee also fails to
redress the grievance, then it may be referred to chief executive. If the chief executive
also fails to redress the grievance, then such a grievance is referred to voluntary
arbitration where the award of arbitrator is binding on both the parties.

Need for Grievance Procedure

Maintain healthy employment relationship
Provide a clear and transparent framework to deal with difficulties
Equal treatment to all under similar circumstances
To ensure issues are dealt with fairly and reasonably
An opportunity to raise concerns fearlessly
To provide points of contact and timescales to resolve issues of concern
To try to resolve matters without recourse to legal intervention
Acts as a defense for organization in case of legal intervention

Precautions and Prescriptions

The management should take care of following aspects to develop a culture of trust and
confidence upon the employees.
1. Always ensure that the managers involved in the grievance handling procedures have a
quiet place to meet with the complainant.
2. Always ensure that managers have adequate time to be devoted to the complainant.
3. Explain manager's role, the policy and the procedures clearly in the grievance handling
procedure.
4. Fully explaining the situation to the employee to eliminate any misunderstanding and
promote better acceptance of the situation complained of.
5. Try to let employee present their issues without prejudging or commenting
6. Do use a positive, friendly ways to resolve the crisis than punitive steps, which disturb
the system.
7. Do remain calm, cool, collected during the course of the meeting.
8. Always focus on the subject of the grievance than allied issues.
9. Don't make threats manage the grievances.
10. Never make use of allegations against personalities.
11. Be aware of the staff member's potential concerns to the possible repercussions of
raising a grievance.
12. Don't become angry, belligerent, or hostile during grievance handling procedure.

14. Listen and respond sensitively to any distress exhibited by the employees.

16. Reassure them that the managers will be acting impartially and that your hope is to
resolve the matter if possible.
17. Don't "horse trade" or swap one grievance for another (where the union wins one,

management wins one). Each case should be decided on its merits.

18. Avoid usage of verbosisms like "it will be taken care of."
19. Ensure effective, sensitive and confidential communication between all involved.
21. The investigator or decision maker acts impartially, which means they must exclude
themselves if there is any bias or conflict of interest.
23. Try to look upon the problem on different angles for appropriate understanding.
25. Consider all relevant information in the investigation process.
30. Tell them exactly what they are supposed to have done, to whom and explain, why
this may be seen as discrimination/harassment or as inappropriate.
31. Grievances are preferably to be settled informally at the level of the employee's
immediate supervisor.
34. Follow documentation the procedures, of all necessary steps taken to resolve the
problem/complaint.

Essential Pre requisites of a Grievance Procedure

Every organization 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 pre-requisites:
(a)
(b)

(c)
(d)

(e)
(f)

(a)
Conformity with statutory provisions: Due consideration must be
given to the prevailing legislation while designing the grievance handling
procedure.
(b)
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.
(c)
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.
(d)
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.
(e)
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.
(f)
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.

GRIEVANCE

PROCEDURE

IN

INDIAN

INDUSTRY

The 15th session of Indian Labor Conference held in 1957 emphasized the need of an
established grievance procedure for the country which would be acceptable to unions as
well as to management. In the 16th session of Indian Labor Conference, a model for
grievance procedure was drawn up. This model helps in creation of grievance machinery.
According to it, workers representatives are to be elected for a department or their union
is to nominate them. Management has to specify the persons in each department who are
to be approached first and the departmental heads who are supposed to be approached in

the second step. The Model Grievance Procedure specifies the details of all the steps that
are to be followed while redressing grievances. These steps are:

STEP 1: In the first step the grievance is to be submitted to departmental representative,

who is a representative of management. He has to give his answer within 48 hours.
STEP 2: If the departmental representative fails to provide a solution, the aggrieved
employee can take his grievance to head of the department, who has to give his decision
within
3
days.
STEP 3: If the aggrieved employee is not satisfied with the decision of departmental
head, he can take the grievance to Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee
makes its recommendations to the manager within 7 days in the form of a report. The
final decision of the management on the report of Grievance Committee must be
communicated to the aggrieved employee within three days of the receipt of report. An
appeal for revision of final decision can be made by the worker if he is not satisfied with
it. The management must communicate its decision to the worker within 7 days.

The Unit Grievance Redressal Committee

The Unit Grievance Redressal Committee comes into picture in stage III of the grievance
redressal procedure. Matters to be dealt with by the committee include the following:
0
Settlement of grievances relating to or arising out of the terms and conditions of
employment of employees in the day today working
1
Questions as to whether or not the Companys rules have been followed in any
particular case, e.g. breach of acting rules
2
Matters relating to discipline and conduct as between the management and the
employees
3
Matters relating to propriety or otherwise and severity of punishment given as a
disciplinary measure.
4
Complaints regarding withholding of increments.
5
Questions relating to the abuse of privileges of provision of amenities
Limitations of functions

1
The committee is not concerned with the problems of planning and development
in their wide sense. The committee also does not discuss matters which are trade
questions such as wages, allowance, hours of work, leave, olg age benefits and the like,
which are covered by agreement with the trade unions or by reports of Conciliation
boards or awards of Industrial tribunal.
2
Any decision of the committee must be superseded by an agreement between the
management and the union.
Members of the Committee
1
The committee consists of ten members of whom five represent the management
and five represent the employees
2
Management Representatives : The representatives of the Management on the
committee are nominated by the management
3
Employees Representatives : The representatives of employees on the committee
are nominated by the union, which is registered under the Trade

Union Act, is representative of the employees and is recognized by the management for
this purpose.
Officers of the Committee
The Committee has a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and a member Secretary
1
The Chairman is nominated by the management from amongst its representatives
on the committees
2
The Vice-Chairman is nominated by the union from amongst its employees
representatives on the committee.
3
The Secretary is nominated by the management from amongst its representatives
on the committee
Term, of Office
1
Term of office of the employees representative on the committee other than
members nominated to fill casual vacancies, is 36 months from the date of formation of
the Committee.
2
A member nominated to fill a casual vacancy holds office for the unexpired term
of his predecessor.
Vacancies
In the event of a representative of the Management or the employees ceasing to be
employed in the establishment or in the event of his resigning membership from the
Committee, or absenting from attending three consecutive meetings of the committee
without sufficient cause, the successor of such representative is nominated by the
management or the union as the case may be.
Power to co-opt
The Committee has the right to co-opt in consultative capacity persons employed in the
establishment having the particular or special knowledge of a matter under discussion.
Such co-opted members are not entitled to vote and are to be present at meetings only for
the period during which the particular question is before the committee.

Quorum for the Meetings

At least one-third of the number of members from each side can form the quorum for a
meeting of the committee. No quorum is necessary for an adjourned meeting.
Meetings
The committee can meet as often as necessary but not less than once a month.
Payment to employees representatives
The employees representatives, if they attend meetings while on duty, are paid by the
Corporation their full wages of the time they spend in the committees as if they are on
their usual duty.
Decisions of the committee
The unanimous decisions of the committee are binding on the management, the
employees and the union.
Where the recommendations of the Unit Grievance Redressal Committee are not
unanimous, the Chairman puts up the case to the Central Grievance Redressal Committee
for consideration.
Date and time of meeting:
Date and time of the meeting is fixed by the Chairman.
Notice of meeting
The notice of meeting with its agenda is ordinarily sent by the secretary to each member
of the committee three days before the date of the meeting.

STEP 4: If the grievance still remains unsettled, the case may be referred to voluntary
arbitration

All disputes, complaints or grievances arising out of the terms and conditions of
employment, or recognized working procedures, or written, negotiated agreements must
be presented through this procedure. The employee(s) shall continue to work as directed
by
management
pending
the
final
disposition
of
the
issue."
"Prior to any formal grievance, the employee must discuss the issue with his/her
immediate supervisor within three (3) working days after the date of occurrence, or three
(3) working days after the date which the affected employee(s) could reasonably been
made aware of the issue giving rise to the dispute or complaint."
"If not resolved by the immediate supervisor within three (3) working days, the
employee(s) may submit a formal grievance, in writing, to Step 1 no later than three (3)
working
days."
STEP !: A written grievance may be submitted by the grievant to the immediate
supervisor, as set forth above. The employee may request a union representative

accompany him/her to the discussion, which will be held as soon as practicable, but not
more than three (3) working days after the submission of the grievance. The supervisor
shall provide a written answer to the employee within three (3) working days after the
meeting. If the issue is not resolved, the employee(s) and/or Union may appeal to Step 2,
within
three
(3)
working
days.
STEP 2: A meeting between the employee, union representative, the Department head
and the supervisor shall be held upon receipt of the appeal, or within three (3) working
days thereof. The Department Head shall provide a written response to the union
representative within three (3) working days of the meeting. If no settlement is reached,
to be timely, the union must appeal to Step 3 within five (5) working days.
STEP 3: A meeting between the General Manager, Department Head, Human Resource
Representative, the District Union Representative, and two (2) other local Union officials
(if a discipline case one [1] local union official may be displaced by the grievant) shall be
arranged within five (5) working days of receipt of the Union's appeal from Step 2. The
meeting date will be established as soon as possible, but no later than twenty (20)
working days from the receipt of the appeal, except where circumstances warrant an
extension. Such extension shall not extend for more than five (5) working days.
The General Manager, or his designate shall render a decision, in writing, to the District
Union Representative no later than five (5) working days. If the matter is not resolved,
the Union may submit the matter to ARBITRATION within ten (10) working days of
receipt
of
Management's
STEP
3
answer.
ARBITRATION: Each party shall submit a list of five (5) names to the other. From the
Ten (10) names presented, one (1) should be selected as the impartial arbitrator. If no one
is acceptable, the union shall submit three (3) names; the company shall submit two (2)
names resulting in a list of five (5) names. (In subsequent cases, the arrangement will be
reversed.) The party submitting the most names will be the first to eliminate one name,
the other party will follow and the sequence will continue until only one name is left.
(In the US a list of qualified arbitrators may be obtained from the American Arbitration
Association [AAA], the Federal Medication and Conciliation Service [FMCS], or the
National Academy of Arbitrators [NAA]. Usually, they are attorneys or professors who
have
developed
a
reputation
as
fair,
impartial
and
unbiased.)
The parties agree that the sole remaining name shall be the arbitrator for this case only.
The parties further agree that the decision rendered will be final and binding on all
parties, i.e. Management, Union, grievant and employees. The expenses of the arbitration,
including the arbitrator's fee shall be [borne equally by the parties OR paid by the losing
party]
The arbitrator will have no authority to add to, delete from, or amend any term/condition
of employment, or recognized working procedures, or written, negotiated agreements.

Post hearing briefs will not be filed unless requested by the arbitrator, or at the request of
either
party.
The arbitrator's decision may be oral (bench decision) or written. If written, it shall be
delivered to the parties simultaneously no later than thirty (30) working days form the
close of the hearin

A GOOD GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE PRACTICE :

To a great extend the aggravation of industrial problems depends on manager's
approaches and attitude in effective handling of employees grievances. Care should be
taken in the way managers approaches the problem and perceiving the pros and cons of
the situation. The conflict management approaches include the win-win strategy that help
in the healthy organisational practices and which reflects the strong organisational
culture. The cooperation from both parties is the pre-requisite to handle the problem and
effective settlement of the grievances. Conscious use of professional self can help
managers in the conflict handling situations grievance redressal process.

A good practice dictates that procedure should be:

set down in writing
aimed at settling matters as closely as possible to the point of origin
equitable in the way in which all workers are treated
simple to understand
rapid in their operation to ensure that grievances are processed in a timely manner.
Further the procedure should ensure that, if a grievance is not settled at the informal or
the first formal stage, workers should have the right to have their grievances heard at
further levels, i.e. the right to appeal should be built into each stage.
The number of stages contained in the procedure will depend on the size and nature of the
organisation, the management structure and the availability of resources. In the informal
stage the grievance is discussed informally with the immediate manager. If the matter is
not resolved the grievance is taken to the next stage and so on. In each stage a more
senior manager handles the issue; the last stage being handled by the managing director

or his authorised deputy or by a grievance committee.

A good grievance procedure should outline:
how and with whom to raise the issue
whom next to apply if not satisfied
time limits to each stage
the right to be represented
Further the grievance procedure should provide for proceedings and records to be kept
confidential. The organisation must keep accurate records detailing the nature of the
grievance, the management response and the reason behind it, as well as any action taken.
The managers handling the grievance should be open minded and impartial in their
thoughts and actions and should be trained in grievance handling. It will be a good
practice that another management representative who can act as a witness and/or a note
taker accompanies managers.
The grievance procedure should be made known to all workers either by providing
individual copies during induction or by providing access via the organisations intranet
site. The grievance procedure document should specify the scope and rule out issues that
are covered by other company procedures such as the disciplinary, harassment, job
evaluation appeal procedures etc. Further it would a good practice to have a pro forma
document for notification of formal grievance and a flow chart showing how the
procedure operates. Also, special allowances should be made for individuals who are
disabled and whose first language is not English.
Needless to say, the grievance procedures should adhere to the rules of natural justice. It
should be fair and seen to be fair. There should be full investigation by an unbiased
individual to establish the facts of the case. Employees who have raised a grievance
should not subsequently be disadvantaged in any way.

Grievance procedures are a means of dispute resolution that can be used to address
complaints by employees against management or to settle disputes between a company
and its suppliers, customers, or competitors. The best-known application of grievance
procedures is as a formal process outlined in labor union contracts. "The term grievance
as it appears in the written contract refers to a formal complaint by people who believe
that they have been wronged by a management decision," Vida Gulbinas Scarpello, James
Ledvinka, and Thomas J. Bergmann wrote in their book Human Resource Management:
Environments and Functions. In fact, studies show that 95 percent of collective
bargaining agreements include procedures for filing and resolving grievances between
labor and management, usually through the process of arbitration.
But grievance procedures do not necessarily have to be so formal and elaborate. In small
businesses, the procedures may consist of a few lines in an employee manual or the

designation of a single ombudsman to deal with problems as they develop. Peer review of
employee concerns is another popular way to address grievances. On the other hand,
some larger companies may create an entire department dedicated to fielding complaints
from employees or customers.
Whatever form they may take, grievance procedures are intended to allow companies to
hear and resolve complaints in a timely and cost effective manner, before they result in
litigation. Knowing that formal procedures are available often encourages employees to
raise concerns or question company policies before major problems develop. It also tends
to makes managers less likely to ignore problems, because they know that upper
management may become involved through the grievance process. In union settings,
grievance procedures help protect employees against arbitrary decisions of management
regarding discipline, discharge, promotions, or benefits. They also provide labor unions
and employers with a formal process for enforcing the provisions of their contracts.
Although having grievance procedures in place is important in both unionized and nonunionized settings, companies must support their written policies with consistent actions
if they hope to maintain good employee relations. "To make the grievance procedure
work, management and the union have to approach it with the attitude that it serves the
mutual interests of management, employees, and the union," Scarpello, Ledvinka, and
Bergmann wrote. "An effective grievance procedure helps management discover and
correct problems in operations before they cause serious trouble. It provides a vehicle
through which employees and the union can communicate their concerns to upper
management."
For grievance procedures to be effective, both parties should view them as a positive
force that facilitates the open discussion of issues. In some cases, the settling of
grievances becomes a sort of scorecard that reinforces an "us versus them" mentality
between labor and management. In other cases, employees are hesitant to use the
grievance process out of fear of recrimination. Some studies have shown that employees
who raise grievances tend to have lower performance evaluations, promotion rates, and
work attendance afterwards. This suggests that some employers may retaliate against
employees who raise complaints. It is vital that a company's grievance procedures include
steps to prevent a backlash against those who choose to use them.
Persons with complaints, concerns, grievances want a swift review and resolution of the
problem by management. Such quick response is beneficial to the employee,
Management
and
the
organization.
The employee because (s)he knows that the issue has been addressed in a timely, fair and
consistent manner, even though they may not like the resultant answer.
Management can concentrate fully on running the business without distractions.
The organization runs more efficiently since everyone knows that the issue has been
resolved, one way or the other, and the employees can apply their efforts to their

responsibilities.
The "3 Step" procedure encompasses a progressive face to face review of the issue by
sequentially higher levels of Management and Labor. The issues become clearer as the
parties move away from emotion and toward logic. (This is the method most commonly
used
in
the
US.)
Of course, this presumes that the parties actually want to resolve the grievance in a
manner beneficial to both. If there is a hidden agenda, wherein one party seeks to come
out ahead, the issue usually finds its way to arbitration.

DETAILS :

(a)

(a)
Employee dissatisfaction or grievance should be identified by the
management if they are not expressed. If they are ventilated, management has
to promptly acknowledge them.

(b)

(b)
The management has to define the problem properly and
accurately after it is identified/acknowledged.

(c)

(c)
Complete information should be collected from all the parties
relating to the grievance. Information should be classified as facts, data,
opinions, etc.

(d)

(d)
The information should be analyzed, alternative solutions to the
problem should be developed and the best solution should be selected.

(e)

(e)

The grievance should be redressed by implementing the solution.

(f)

(f)
Implementation of the solution must be followed up at every
stage in order to ensure effective and speedy implementation.

METHODS ALREADY BEING

FOLLOWED IN RANBAXY TO SOLVE GRIEVANCES

Firstly , in case of any grievance the immediate supervisor is informed about the
grievance .
The supervisor does his best to solve the problem.
If any problem is not solved , the HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT takes care of
the problem.
The grievance Is solved amicably.
Also employees union has been formed in ranbaxy .
Employees suggestions are also welcomed.
The best way ranbaxy thinks to keep away from grievances of employees is to keep the
employees engaged .
So , they have adventure , sports , and cultural activitiesbeing held for employees.

The Statutory Provisions for the Grievance Handling Procedure under the
Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.
The provisions are under: Cl 28) (1) Any workman desirous of the redress of a Grievance arising out of his
employment or relating to unfair treatment or wrongful exaction on the part of a superior
shall either himself or through a trade union of which he is a member, submit a complaint
to the manager in his behalf.
(2) The Manager or any such officer shall personally investigate the complaint at such
times & places as he may fix. The workman and(i) any other workman of his choice, or
ii) (ii) where the complaint is made through a trade union a member of the union shall
have the right to be present at such investigation.
Where the complainant alleges unfair treatment or wrongful exaction on the part of a
superior, a copy of the order finally made by the Manager shall be supplied to the
complainant if he asks for one.
In other cases the decision of the investigating officer & the action, if any taken thereon
by the Manager shall be intimidated to the complainant:
Provided that complaints relating to assault or abuse by any persons holding a
supervisory position or refusal of an application for urgent leave shall be enquired into
immediately by the Manager or such other officers as he may appoint.
Cl 29. The decision of the Manager upon any Question arising out of, or in connection
with, or incidental to these Standing Orders shall be subject to an appeal to the proprietor
except where the Manager is himself the proprietor.

Grievance Policy
The purpose of this policy is to provide a supportive framework whereby all grievances at your organization can be
effectively resolved.

This template policy is an ideal addition for professionals looking to apply human resource policy best practices either to
their own organizations or to introduce as part of a service offering to their clients.
Policy Description
This ready-to-implement policy covers the following items:

Purpose Of The Policy

Scope
Grievance Process
Responsibilities (Department of Human Resources, Employing Department, Employee)
Reporting

Review of Policy

KEY FINDINGS :
Some Companies (usually without unions) have established a non-traditional conflict
resolution method that is gaining popular acceptance: peer review is a process for
resolving day-to-day work-related grievances in a fair, just manner without involving
outside parties or upper management. The employee has the opportunity to appeal his or
her case to a panel of peers, whose decision is binding on the employee as well as the
company. Allowing the employees peers to be involved in the grievance resolution
process is unbiased and fair. Employees who have participated in peer review find that it
was
a
positive
learning
experience.
Under this scheme, selected employees (usually 3) are teamed with selected management

(2) to hear employee complaints. At the end of the hearing the "judges" vote by secret
ballot ("complaint is upheld; complaint is denied"). Counting of ballots is stopped when a
majority
is
reached
and
all
ballots
are
destroyed.
From the workforce volunteers (employees and management) have the opportunity to
express their interest by "signing up". Candidates for training are selected on the basis of
their reputation - fair, objective, incorruptible, and open-minded - and overall record.
The next step is to train the "selectees" as to the duty and scope of their responsibility. To
judge the case on the facts and evidence presented by both sides;Not to be intimidated by
management or coerced by employee(s); Be willing to question witnesses, respectfully, to
gain further insight and clarification of their statements as well as to assess credibility; To
render a fair decision, based solely on "just cause" and not on personal or emotional
considerations, and to recommend a just penalty for the offender.
In the beginning, Management will have some doubts as to the overall impact of such a
Review procedure on its authority to "run the business". In some cases, an argument
directed at "empowerment of employees", "employees as strategic business partners", or
(in the US, usually involving discrimination cases) "a cheap prelude to determining the
overall case prior to litigation" is sufficient for management to take a "try and see"
appoach.
In other cases, Management has been so protective of their position so as to be reluctant
to release any power to the employees. In such cases a major "selling effort" will be
required to calm Management fears that the "wolves have taken over the chicken house".
In either case, I would therefore recommend that initially "panels" be equally represented
(3 & 3). But as time goes on, and the Review system becomes more accepted (the results
will speak for themselves), management will recognize that such a scheme is in the best
interests of the Company as well as the employee, and feel more comfortable with 3/2
panels.
In the "Peer Review" procedure, generally reserved for more sophisticated organizations,
there is only one "step" involving employees and management who have no direct
interest in the dispute and who can review the issue and attendant facts without bias.

Organisations need to have well-written grievance procedures in place that encourage

employees to raise their complaints without fear of reprisal. Further, they need to ensure

that when grievances are raised they are handled effectively and sensitively. It should be
realised that it takes some courage on part of the employees to raise their head above the
parapet and make a compliant. The reception that employees receive when they have
made a stand is crucial to the maintenance of a healthy employment relationship and
employee
relations.
Employees become concerned or worried about all sorts of issues, some are work related
and others are of a more personal nature but may impact on their work situation. Issues
may concern individual workers or affect group of workers leading to individual or
collective
grievances.
When employees voice these concerns to managers, in order to seek some sort of redress,
they are initially classified as complaints. Good day-to day management should ensure
that the majority of such matters are resolved quickly and to the satisfaction of all parties.
It is not, however, always possible to find quick and easy solutions to employees
complaints.
it is a good practice to separate grievance and disciplinary procedures, as their aims are
very different. Appeals against disciplinary decisions should be channelled through the
disciplinary appeals procedure, not the grievance procedure. Thet decisions on the scope
of grievance procedure need to be made at the design stage and should depend on the
size, nature and culture of the organization as well as how sophisticated its existing
procedures
are.
It is obvious that fair and efficient handling of complaints and grievances in the
workplace can significantly contribute to good employee relation. This can be achieved
through good management practices but it is preferable to adopt a formal written policy
and procedure, to ensure consistency and a co-ordinated approach. Another benefit is that
should things go wrong, and a poorly handled grievance leads to legal intervention the
organisation will have a better defence if it can be shown that a comprehensive grievance
procedure
was
in
place
and
was
correctly
utilised.
The existence of formal grievance procedures should encourage employees to raise
concerns without fear of reprisal, provide a fair and quick way of dealing with
complaints, prevent minor disagreements developing into more serious disputes and help
to build an organisational climate based on openness and trust.
It is important that a grievance procedure should not be tokenist in nature. It is crucial as
to how the grievance procedure is perceived and applied for it to be successful. It is
vitally important for the procedure to have credibility. All parties need to be satisfied that
it is both fair in conception and application. It certainly should not be seen as a device for
simply going through the motions. If a grievance is raised then it is crucial that all parties
have a desire to ensure that there is a fair hearing of the complaint and that, ultimately,
justice is done.

GRIEVANCE INTERVIEW
The key to good grievance handling is a proper investigation and that process should
start with interviewing the member who comes to you with a problem.
Based on this key interview, you will make a number of important decisions such as
what to do with the problem, whether to investigate it further, and how to resolve the
issue.
We all know that most work problems are not very simple. In order to get at the heart of
the matter, we got to speak with the member and find out exactly what happened.
That means we have to develop three critical skills: interviewing, listening and writing

Guidelines for Effective Grievance Interview

Treat each case as important and get the grievances in writing
Accept responsibility- Do not pass the buck
Do not pre-judge, always give people an opportunity to explain
Give him a patient hearing
See whether any witness are available and visit the work area

Get all relevant facts about the grievance; examine the personal
records of the aggrieved worker

Ensure confidentiality
Handle each case within a time frame
Control your emotions, your remarks and behavior

 Maintain proper records and follow up the action taken in

each case
Do not automatically take the easy way out the best course of
action may not be the easiest, the most popular of the most
expedient
Be firm where necessary but fair
Refer company Policy in each case

HR RELATED SKILL :
Listening and questioning skills
A volunteer manager will benefit from some expertise in listening and questioning to get
the most out of any interview situation. Feedback should concentrate on observed
behaviour rather that perceived attitudes and challenge the impact of the behaviour rather
than the behaviour itself e.g your behaviour made me feel threatened rather than you
threatened me.

The interview
The way in which the grievance is handled is vital if both parties are going to feel
satisfied at the outcomes. What is satisfactory depends as much on how you reach a
solution as upon the solution itself. Be aware of the importance of non-verbal as well as
verbal signals.
1.
2.

Set an agenda welcome the grievance and agree an agenda for the interview.
Clarification this is the stage at which you try and get agreement as to exactly
what happened:
ii)
start with what the volunteer thinks happened, then you state end on a note of
appreciation. end on a note of appreciation

After the interview

1. Record the facts you have collected and the decision/agreement reached.
2. Implement the decisions or agreements as soon as possible.
3. Follow-up the action to make sure the problem has been resolved.
Evaluate the process what went well, how will you do it differently next time

A GOOD LISTENER :
Do it in person and spend time. Asking the five W's(what,when,where,who,why) may
not be difficult. Getting useful answers is another story. Your member may be so hot
under the collar that you may have to wait a few minutes before he or she can settle down
and tell you the whole story accurately and factually.
Take notes. Always take notes. You can't remember everything and taking notes conveys
to the member that you are taking this issue in a serious manner. The member may also
take your concern more seriously and give you more facts and less opinion if he or she
sees that their words are being written down. Some statements or facts may not seem
important at first, but take it all down. Later investigation may make this unimportant
information crucial to your case.
Use the grievance investigation form. The sheet will help you interview the member
and help you complete a full investigation of the matter. Your will be one step ahead if
you pursue the complaint as a grievance. Additionally, the worksheet will remain in the
union files so if the grievance is appealed to a higher level of the grievance process, your
investigation work will be preserved for other union grievance officers.
Let the member tell the story. Make sure that you take enough time with the member.
Listen to what the worker says without giving an opinion or making empty promises.
Have them tell the whole story and make notes as you go along so that you can follow up
on specific details later.
Follow up. Steer the interview back to the specific issue and ask for greater detail.
Keep in mind two other questions:
What else -- do I need to conduct a proper investigation? What further information is
needed? The success of any investigation means you start with the member but you must
also consider other sources of information.
How -- should the issue be resolved? A solution to the problem or complaint may arise in
the course of the interview. Give the member a chance to help resolve the issue. Use your
knowledge to guide the worker by making sure he or she understands the effect of any
suggested solution. Lastly, prepare yourself for the possibility of a full-blown grievance.
Begin to think about the remedy you will seek to correct the injustice.
There is no magic to interviewing a member. Just make sure that you have the time to
conduct a full interview, listen carefully, and write things down.

HR-related Skill Handling Grievances

The grievance process is an integral part of administering the collective agreement, a
grievance being a formal dispute between an employee (or the union) and management
involving the interpretation, application or alleged violation of the collective agreement.
The union files most grievances and, once they have been filed with the HR department,
management should seek to resolve them fairly and quickly. Handling a grievance is a
key skill for managers in a unionized (and non-unionized, if there is a grievance process
in place) workplace.

FINDINGS WITH DATA :

Formal versus informal settlements

In general, almost half of all grievances do not go beyond the supervisor or manager
level. Of the 570,000 filed in 1999, 46% were informally addressed at this level(Table
shown). About 16% were addressed through a management committee, 22% through a
labour-management committee, and 9% by an outside arbitrator. Other mechanisms were
used in 20% of cases.
The settlement method used depends partly on the grievance procedures in place and
partly on the substance of the grievance. Stark differences were apparent in the address
mechanisms used by unionized and non-unionized workers.
The more informal resolution routes (mainly the manager/supervisor or a management
committee) were used most frequently by non-unionized workers; indeed, for many nonunionized workplaces, recourse was limited to these two levels. On the other hand, the
more formal settlement routes (labour-management committee or arbitration) were the
norm for unionized employees.
Thus, 8 in 10 non-unionized workers in 1999 saw their grievance informally addressed by
a supervisor/manager or a management committee, compared with 5 in 10 unionized
workers. In contrast, just over 5 in 10 unionized workers had their grievance addressed
through a labour-management committee or outside arbitrator, compared with only 1 in
10 non-unionized employees, most of them in larger establishments.

Non-unionized employees more likely to note improved post-grievance situations

Approximately 61% of the employees who filed a grievance in 1999 perceived some
improvement in their post-grievance situation (table shown)). Overall, men were more
likely than women to indicate an improvement (70% versus 53%). Among the major
occupations, managers ranked first in this regard (84%), possibly because managers
invariably play a major role in the resolution process. Marketing and sales recorded the
least (39%). A much higher-than-average percentage of workers in construction (84%)
indicated an improvement, as did workers in the Atlantic region (71%).
Despite the support received from unions during grievances (through shop stewards, for
example), fewer unionized workers than non-unionized reported an improvement in their
post-grievance situation (54% versus 68%). Possible explanations for this anomaly are
not readily available. They may partly derive from differences in the kind of issues being
grieved by the two groupsinformation not available from WES. In other words, the
issues being grieved by non-unionized workers may be easier to resolve. It is not possible
to ascertain the influence of resolution mechanisms used because not all mechanisms
were available to each filer, and also because some filers used more than one mechanism.

Workers with grievance privileges more satisfied with job, pay and
benefits
Overall job satisfaction depends on a variety of factors, including pay and benefits, nature
of the job, physical working conditions, relations with the boss and co-workers, job
stability, promotional prospects, and work arrangements (for example, shift, contract,

seasonal, or on-call work). Similarly, satisfaction with pay depends in part on job
demands and skill or educational qualification match. Finally, satisfaction with job
benefits depends on several factors, including their number and type..
While job satisfaction has many aspects, one would expectall else equalhigher
satisfaction among workers with grievance privileges. WES does indeed show slightly
higher overall job satisfaction for workers with grievance privileges. In 1999, about 91%
of these workers stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their job overall,
compared with 88% of those without such privileges (table shown). Ratings were
identical for the unionized and non-unionized.
Satisfaction with pay and benefits was generally lower than for the overall job. Here also,
a slightly higher percentage of workers with access to a grievance system (77%) than
those without (72%) stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their pay and
benefits. Again, unionized and non-unionized employees scarcely differed.
Employers with a grievance system at their workplace were also asked to rate their
labour-management relations. 5 About 92% rated these as good, another 8% as fair,
and only a handful as poor. The presence of a union appeared to have a slightly negative
effect. In workplaces with a grievance system but no union, 92% of employers perceived
their labour-management relations to be good compared with just under 88% of
employers in workplaces with a union.

Summary of data :
In 1999, approximately half the 10.8 million employees covered by the Workplace and
Employee Survey reported having a grievance system at their workplace. About 85% of
unionized workers had access to a grievance system compared with 35% of nonunionized workers. The union advantage persisted across age, sex, occupation, industry
and geographical dimensions. The likelihood of having a system increased with
establishment size.
About 11% of those with access filed a grievance in 1999. However, access to a
grievance system alone does not necessarily translate into use. The usage rate for
unionized workers, who have more access, was almost identical to the rate for nonunionized employees. Indeed, some workers with the least access to the system were the
most likely to use it, and vice versa.
While settlements through managers/supervisors and management committees appeared
to be the norm for non-unionized workers, unionized workers were more likely to use a
formal settlement mechanism such as a labour-management committee or an outside
arbitrator.
About 6 in 10 persons filing a grievance in 1999 perceived an improvement in their postgrievance situation. The ratio was higher for non-unionized employees7 in 10,

compared with 5 in 10 unionized workers. Factors accounting for the disappearance of a

union advantage in this situation, despite union workers' greater access to the system, are
not immediately clear from available WES data, but differences in issues being grieved
may have played a role.
Worker satisfaction with the overall job was generally higher than for pay and benefits.
The presence of a grievance system at the workplace appears to have had a slight positive
effect on satisfaction ratings. About 91% of all workers with grievance privileges
indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall job, and 77% said the
same with respect to pay and benefits. For those without access to a grievance system, the
corresponding percentages were slightly lower, at 88% and 72%. The ratings for
unionized and non-unionized workers were similar, with or without a grievance system at
the workplace.

KEY POINTS IN A DIAGRAM :

DISCIPLINARY INTERVIEWING EXERCISE

Introduction

The following procedure is designed to give fair treatment to an employee who has either
committed an offence or misconduct himself/herself on a specific occasion or has
continually failed to meet the company's required standards of attendance, timekeeping,
conduct or performance. This procedure does not affect the right of the company to
summarily dismiss an employee in the case of gross misconduct.
Disciplinary procedure

(a) First warning

(b)
An employee who fails to meet required standards will, in the first instance, receive a
warning from his/her supervisor.
(b) Second warning
If an employee for the second time fails to meet required standards s/he will receive a
written warning from his/her supervisor in the presence of the shop steward.
(c) Third warning
If the employee continues to give cause for dissatisfaction, a second written warning will
be given by the production manager in the presence of the supervisor and the shop
steward and will be considered as a final warning.
Disciplinary action

If the employee's performance or behaviour continues to be unsatisfactory, s/he may be

suspended for up to three days or dismissed. Such action will be notified to the employee
in the presence of his/her shop steward. In cases of dismissal the length of notice will be
in accordance with the Employment Act.
Appeal

An appeal against either suspension or dismissal may be made to the chief executive
officer, whose decision shall be final.

DATA ANALYSIS :
THE RATING 5 TO 1 DENOTES :
5 DENOTES : HIGH LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND STRONGLY AGREE
4 DENOTES : GOOD LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND MODERATELY AGREE
3 DENOTES : MODERATE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND AGREE
2 DENOTES : LOW LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND MODERATELY DISAGREE
1 DENOTES : EXTREMELY LOW LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND DISAGREE

QUESTION 1. HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE GRIEVANCE

HANDLING PROCEDURE BEING FOLLOWED IN YOUR ORGANISATION ?

QUESTION 2 : HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MANAGERS ATTITUDE

TOWARDS EMPLOYEES ?

SATISFACTION LEVEL OF THE EMPLOYEES

REGARDING THE MANAGERS ATTITUDE

QUESTION 3 : THERE SHOULD BE A PROPER GRIEVANCE CELL DESIGNED IN

THE ORGANISATION ?

QUESTION 4 : SUGGESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES ARE WELCOMES ?

QUESTION 5 :

THE MANAGERS SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE

EMPLOYEES ?

QUESTION 6 : RATE THE RESPONSE OF THE H.R DEPTT.TO YOUR GRIEVANCE

.

QUESTION 7 : THE GRIEVANCE DETAILS SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED ?

QUESTION 8 : IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR SHOULD BE MORE TRAINED IN

HANDLING YOUR GRIEVANCES?

QUESTION 9 : THE MANAGER SHOULD BE MORE COMPETENT TO SOLBE

PROBLEMS AND LISTEN TO U ?

QUESTION 10 : RATE THE H.R DEPTT S CONCERN FOR ITS EMPLOYEES ?

QUESTION 11 :

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TIME DURATION FOR ANY GRIEVANCE TO

BE SOLVED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

< 5 DAYS

12

5- 10 DAYS

= 62

= 24
c

10 15 DAYS

52

> 15 DAYS

QUESTION 12 : WHAT IS YOUR SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH THE TRAINING

PROCEDURE BEING FOLOWED IN YOUR ORGANISATION ?

QUESTION 13 :
WHAT IS YOUR SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH THE PROVISION OF CASH
REWARD OR BONUSES BEING GIVEN TO YOU?

QUESTION 14 : MARK THE ATTITUDE OF THE MANAGER .

QUESTION 15 :
YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF COMPANY S GOALS MISSION VISION?

QUESTION 16 :
PERFORMANCE
UNBIASED ?

APPRAISAL

SYSYTEM

IN

YOUR

ORGANSIATION

IS

QUESTION 17 :
ARE MANAGERS BIASED :

QUESTION 18 :
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS SHOULD IMPROVE IN YOUR
ORGANISATION ?

QUESTION 19 :
THE ORG.STRUCTURE IS WELL INFORMED TO YOU ?

QUESTION 20 :
THERE SHOULD BE MORE INTERACTION BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND
MANAGERS ?

Grievance Form No. 1 (In Hindi or mother-tongue as

applicable)
Name T. No. .
P. No. .. Destination

Section . Department .
Grievance regarding

Date

Signature of employee

RECOMMENDATION :
To a great extend the aggravation of industrial problems depends on manager's
approaches and attitude in effective handling of employees grievances. Care should be
taken in the way managers approaches the problem and perceiving the pros and cons of
the situation. The conflict management approaches include the win-win strategy that help
in the healthy organisational practices and which reflects the strong organisational
culture. The cooperation from both parties is the pre-requisite to handle the problem and
effective settlement of the grievances. Conscious use of professional self can help
managers in the conflict handling situations grievance redressal process.

From the analysis I found out that :

There is a need for a proper grievance cell in the organization
For speedy redressal of grievances of the workers.
The h.r deptt. should be trained in the field of grievance handling.
Managers should be unbiased .
The employees also suggested the hr policies of the organization to be updated .
Tact, said Isaac Newton, is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.
Treat the other side with respect in the hearing room.
Grievances stem from management policies and practices, particularly when they lack
consistency, fair play and the desired level of flexibility. Grievances also may arise
because of intra-personal problems of individual employees and union practices aimed at
reinforcing and consolidating their bargaining, strength. The absence of proper two-way
flow of communication can indeed be a fertile ground for breeding grievances.
So there should be a proper communication system in the organization.
The best way to handle grievance is summarized below :
When a grievance is received it should be assessed and the company should conduct a
detailed interview with the grievant and respondent.
then listen to all parties, identify the issues and conduct an investigation of fact if
required.
lastly , negotiate the best outcome for the parties and organisation and make
recommendations for further action if required.

We need the following skills n get trained in them :

They are :

PREPARATION
Prepared and cognizant
of case and grievance procedure

INTERVIEW SKILLS
Questioning skills
Listening skills
Summarizing and recording

PERSONAL MANNER
Put the parties at ease
Allow emotion to vent itself
Avoid passing judgement

ASSESSING THE FACTS

Obtain all relevant information
Check accuracy of information
Consult relevant documents
Consult relevant others

PLAN OF ACTION
Establish cause(s) of problem
Identify short- and long-term objectives
Cognizant of costs/benefits of options
Identify common ground
Introduce and pursue key commitments
Decide best solution
Explain best solution

ANNEXURE

TWO QUESTIONNAIRES ARE ATTACHED :

QUESTIONNAIRE
1

AGE

POSITION IN RANBAXY

IS THERE ANY GRIEVANCE CELL DESIGNED FOR

EMPLOYEES IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE

GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE BEING
FOLLOWED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION ?
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MANAGERS
ATTITUDE TOWARDS EMPLOYEES?

GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE SHOULD

IMPROVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION :

CAN YOUR COMPLAINT GO AGAINST YOU :

THERE SHOULD BE A PROPER GRIEVANCE CELL

DESIGNED IN THIS ORGANISATION

1
0

SUGGESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES ARE WELCOMED

THE MANAGERS SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO
THE PROBLEMS OF THE EMPLOYEES .

1
1

RATE THE RESPONSE OF THE H.R DEPTT. TO YOUR

GRIEVANCE

1
2

THE GRIEVANCE DETAILS SHOULD BE

DOCUMENTED

1
3

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR SHOULD BE MORE

TRAINED IN HANDLING YOUR GRIEVANCES :

YE
NO
S
RATINGS
5 4 3 2 1

1
4
1
5
a
c
1
6
1
7
1
8
1
9
2
0

THE MANAGER SHOULD BE MORE COMPETENT TO

SOLVE PROBLEMS AND LISTEN TO YOU.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TIME DURATION FOR ANY
GRIEVANCE TO BE SOLVED IN YOUR
ORGANIZATION.
5- 10
DAYS
> 15
d DAYS

< 5 DAYS

10 15 DAYS
WAS THERE ANY RECENT GRIEVANCE WHICH WAS
SOLVED THROUGH THE GRIEVANCE HANDLING
PROCEDURE?
IF YES , HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE
DECISION TAKEN ?
HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPETITION OF GRIEVANCE
WHICH WAS SOLVED EARLIER ?
IF YES, MENTION THE GRIEVANCE
.

YE
S

NO

YE
S

NO

ANY SUGGESTIONS TO THE COMPANY

QUESTIONNAIRE
5 DENOTES HIGH RATE OF SATISFACTION AND
HIGH
DEGREE OF AGREENESS

RATINGS
5 4 3 2 1
1

2
3
4
5

RATE ON THE SCALE OF 5 , THE LIGHTING

ARRANGEMENTS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION .
RATE THE PROVISION FOR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENTS BEING PROVIDED TO YOU.ON THE
SCALE OF 5.
CANTEEN FACILITY SATISFACTION LEVEL
RATE ON THE SCALE OF 5 , THE WASHROOM
FACILITIES.
SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH YOUR WORKING HOURS

SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH THE MEDICAL

FACILITIES BEING PROVIDED BY YOUR
ORGANIZATION?

RATE THE PAYMENT OF SALARY PROCEDURE BEING

FOLLOWED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION ON THE SCALE
OF 5.

WHAT IS YOUR SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH THE

DISCIPLINARY ACTION BEING TAKEN IN YOUR
ORGANIZATION AGAINST ANY MISCONDUCT

RATE THE H.R DEPTT S CONCERN FOR ITS

EMPLOYEES ON THE SCALE OF 5 ( 5 BEING MAX.
CONCERN

1
0

RATE THE TRAINING PROCEDURE BEING

FOLLOWED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION ON THE SCALE
OF 5.

1
1

1
2

1
3

HOW DO YOU RATE THE LEAVE GRANTING SYSTEM

IN YOU ORGANIZATION ON THE SCALE OF 5.
WHAT IS YOUR SATISFACTION LEVEL WITH THE
PROVISION OF CASH REWARD OR BONUSES BEING
GIVEN TO YOU ON THE BASIS OF PERFORMANCE
RATE THE CLEANLINESS BEING MAINTAINED IN
RANBAXY ON THE SCALE OF 5.

1
4
1
5
1
6
1
7
1
8
1
9
2
0
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
5
2
6
2
7
2
8
2
9
3
0
3
1

RATE THE SERVICE OF THE HELPERS IN THE

CANTEEN ON THE SCALE OF 5(5 BEING BEST
QUALITY SERVICE)
RATE THE FOOD QUALITY IN THE CANTEEN.
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BEING PROVIDED BY
THE ORGANIZATION.
AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES SUCH AS STATIONERY
, FILES WHENEVER YOU NEED THEM ?
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR
SCHEDULING OF YOUR JOB CONTENT .
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE
CONCEPT OF SUGGESTIONS FROM THE EMPLOYEES
ARE ENTERTAINED?
RATE THE DISCIPLINE MAINTAINED IN THE ORG.
MARK THE ATTITUDE OF THE MANAGER .
TRUST IN THE ORGANIZATION :
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR OWN
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR
JOB?
KNOWLEDGE OF COMPANY S GOALS MISSION
VISION RATE ON THE SCALE OF 5.
THE VENTILATION AT YOUR WORKPLACE SHOULD
IMPROVE :
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM IN YOUR
ORGANIZATION IS UNBIASED :
COMPENSATION FOR ANY ACCIDENT IS PROVIDED
WITHIN THE STIPULATED TIME PERIOD :
ARE MANAGERS BIASED
THE COMPANY FOLLOWS ITS PROMOTION AND
TRANSFER OFFERS AS MENTIONED IN ITS POLICIES.
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS SHOULD IMPROVE
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION:
THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE IS WELL
INFORMED TO YOU:

3
2
3
3
3
4
3
5

THE SAFETY IN HANDLING MACHINES SHOULD

IMPROVE :
SUGGESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES ARE WELCOMED
THERE SHOULD BE MORE INTERACTION BETWEEN
EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS

WHAT AREA CAN THE COMPANY IMPROVE

UPON. RANK THE PREFERENCE

DISCIPLINE
b HANDLING OF GRIEVANCES
c CLEANLINESS
d COMPETENCY OF MANAGERS
e ANY OTHER AREA ...............
a

REFERENCES :
2002. "Unionization and fringe benefits." Perspectives on Labour and Income (3, no. 8).
August 2002 online edition.
http://home.earthlink.net/~local1613/grievance_interview.html
Dennis D. Hunt , Dismissal And Grievance Procedures ( 56-59)
www.psaafa.org/default2.asp?active_page_id=89
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/nic/187/index.htm