申诉outcome3.doc

1. According to best practice, what should be the contents of a formal grievance procedure?
General principles
a)An attempt should be made to solve workplace problems and difficulties informally and without
b)Recourse to the formal grievance procedure
c)Formal grievances should be raised in writing
d)The employee has the right to be accompanied by a companion at a grievance meeting
e)Written records will be kept of all grievance meetings, including employee’s case, employer’s response and the outcome of each meeting
f)Management will ensure confidentiality of all meetings and associated documentation
g)At the end of each stage, the employee is to be advised of the next stage
h)Employees who raise grievances will not be victimized.
Stage one
The employee should raise the grievance with their immediate line manager, who should arrange a grievance meeting as soon as possible. The meeting to be held within five working days of initial raising. The meeting should be carried out in a relatively informal manner. The staff member should be notified of the outcome of meeting within five working days.
Stage two
If the staff member is not satisfied with the response they received at stage one, they can, within five working days of receiving the decision, raise the grievance in writing with the next most senior manager. This manager will arrange a meeting, to be held as soon as possible.
Stage three
If the staff member is not satisfied with the response they received at stage two, they can, within five working days of receiving the decision, raise the grievance in writing with the managing director.
An appeal hearing will be held as soon as possible. This meeting will hear evidence from all the parties who have been involved in the grievance procedure so far.
The decision made at stage three of the grievance procedure is final

2(a) Discuss fully what you consider to be Nick’s grievance?
①Nick thinks he had a good chance of being promoted but he had not even been offered an interview. ②Nick realized he had not been successful was when the appointment of Geoffrey Roberts was announced in the staff bulletin. The letter telling him that his application had been unsuccessful arrived two days after the announcement was made public. Nick thinks he doesn’t have the announcement in time. ③Nick thinks although he lateness occasional, but Martha doesn’t feel unsatisfied. He pointed out that he was good at sales and managing stock. As he had never been issued with a formal job description, he should have the promote chance. ④Nick argued that he accepted what Martha had said, but he thinks he could not have been expected to carry out those duties if he was not told about them, or had not had it pointed out that he was performing unsatisfactorily. ⑤Nick left the meeting still angry and declaring that he could not work under Geoffrey Roberts as it would be ‘humiliating’. He thinks it’s unfair, and he can not accept the Martha’s analysis.

2(b) How did a lack of communication contribute to Nick’s grievance, and specifically who failed to communicate appropriately or sufficiently with whom?
①Martha and Nick
Nick thinks he did his fair share of supervising the staff by arranging lunch breaks and countersigning cheques which was all he could remember being asked to do when staff supervision was discussed at his interview and he pointed out that he was good at sales and managing stock. As he had never been issued with a formal job description, he assumed that he was performing all the duties required of him. Martha never point out her unsatisfied. But Martha admitted that she might not have been specific enough in her requirements of him, or in her criticism of his performance, because she did not want to create a bad atmosphere. She thinks Nick should have been aware of what was expected of him as it was discussed at interview, and as it was against company policy to issue job descriptions, he should have used his initiative to find out by asking if he wasn’t sure.
②Nick and Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Manger having accepted Martha’s opinion, he did not progress Nick’s application any further. Interviews were held and a suitable candidate was selected. His action is unfair for Nick. He should give Nick a chance to take part in the interview and he shouldn’t just listen to the Martha’s opinion. As a candidate, Nick should initiative notice the promote situation and he doesn’t have communication with Human Resources Manager.

2(c) What other factors and failures of good management practice made the original problem worse?
①They lack of communication. If Nick can keep well communication with Martha and Human Resources Manager, the problem may be solved.
②During deal with the promote question, Martha and Human Resources Manager lack of correct procedure. Martha as the Nick’s line manager, she should point out his misconduct in time. But in order to keep friendly work atmosphere, she never point out her unsatisfied. Whereas, when Human Resource Manager give her opinion of promote Nick for the post of Assistant Manager, she points many complain, it lead to Nick lost the chance of interview and promote. Her action is unreasonable. As line manager, when the staff has some mistakes or their performance is not meeting the required standard, she can take inform action firstly, she can tell Nick where need to improve, if his performance still improvement, she can send a clear signal of their dissatisfaction by taking formal disciplinary action. Advise the employee in writing of what they are alleged to have done wrong, issue an invitation in writing for the individual to attend a meeting to discuss the problem reminding of their right to be accompanied make sure the employee actually informed. But Martha direct tell the Human Resources Manager that Nick is not suited to the promoted position. For the Martha’s points, Human Resource Manager should investigate at first, instead of believe Martha’s word. Moreover, Martha did not have any documented evidence of having raised any of these points with Nick prior to his application for the promoted post.

2(d) Examine each of the parties involved and outline how they could have acted differently in the circumstances in order to avoid the eventual conflict.
①As line manager, Martha could keep communication with Nick in time when she find the problems. Martha can encourage him to use his initiative to solve problems when Nick dealing with customer complaints. She can remind Nick to improve his management skill and training skill in personal conferences.
②As the Senior Sales Assistant, Nick is a good salesperson with a pleasant personality and he is competent in sales, ordering and stock control. But He has not shown any managerial commitment or skills in his role as Senior Sales Assistant, for example, poor personal timekeeping and lack of response to poor timekeeping or performance in other staff. If he can find his problem and improve his management skill forwardly, Martha wouldn’t oppose his promotion.
③When HR manager listening the Martha’s points, he should investigate clearly. He need investigate the problem from more aspects, not just believe Martha, and he need give Nick a chance to explain. At finally, decide whether to give him a chance to interview or promote.

2(e) Imagine that you are Jennifer Miller and that you are now going to have to manage Nick’s grievance. What action would you now recommend:
(i) to retain Nick’s loyalty?
(ii) to prevent a reoccurrence of a similar grievance?
If I was Jennifer Miller, I will retain Nick’s loyalty. Because as the Nick saying he was already doing the job perfectly well, apart from a few passing comments about occasional lateness, Martha had always seemed satisfied with his work. He felt that he did his fair share of supervising the staff by arranging lunch breaks and countersigning cheques which was all he could remember being asked to do when staff supervision was discussed at his interview. He pointed out that he was good at sales and managing stock. As he had never been issued with a formal job description, he assumed that he was performing all the duties required of him. Martha also admitted that Nick is a good salesperson with a pleasant personality and he is competent in sales, ordering and stock control. Nick has great value for company, so I will retain his loyalty. But he could not work under Geoffrey Roberts as it would be ‘humiliating’, as HR manager, I will added his welfare and guarantee his rights, let him feel fairly. At the same time, arranging him join the management training, improve his management skills.

3 Using examples from the case study, explain how a formal grievance procedure can contribute to the resolution of conflict and to the improvement of organisational performance.
If the company solve the problem depend on grievance procedure step by step, Nick will satisfied with the solution to his grievance, he will feel fairly. And he will stay back to work. It is useful to the company, he was good at sales, ordering and managing stock, and he was values as a member of the team.
Resolving problems as they occur is part of every day life for a supervisor or manager, and a good working relationship between worker and supervisor will ensure that many problems are resolved before there is any significant conflict involved. The grievance procedure is there as means of solving problems, but only when all other less formal attempts have failed.
A grievance procedure provides a safety mechanism to prevent issues from getting out of control and causing significant harm to individuals and organizational efficiency.