What would you expect a grievance procedure to cover?

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The grievance procedure must enable an employee to bring his workplace concerns to upper levels of management. The procedures must follow strict guidelines which should provide an aid in solving the grievances of the employees. An employee must get a proper chance to present his case and the opportunity to be heard. 

A grievance can have up to four phases: 

(1) the management resolution steps

(2) qualification for hearing

(3) hearing

(4) review of the hearing decision. 

Many grievances result in resolution during the management steps, without a grievance hearing. Ultimately, a resolution must be reached in a timely manner.

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures(external link opens in a new window / tab) (the Code) sets out principles that you and your employer should follow to achieve a reasonable standard of behaviour in handling grievances.

• Advice on handling discipline and grievances at work (LRA website)(external link opens in a new window / tab)

In a union environment, a typical grievance procedure begins with an employee presenting a problem to his or her immediate supervisor within a certain time period after the offending event has occurred. The supervisor then has a set amount of time to either respond or send the grievance on to be addressed by the head of the department. At this point, a union representative enters the negotiations on behalf of the employee. If the situation is still not resolved, the grievance continues up the chain of command to the plant manager and the president of the local union. If the labor union fails to follow the procedures at any point, the contract usually specifies that it must drop the grievance. Conversely, the company is usually obligated to resolve the grievance in the employee's favor if management fails to follow the procedures outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.

If the situation still cannot be resolved, the final step in the grievance process is for both parties to present their side to a pre-designated arbitrator. The arbitrator's role is to determine the rights of both parties under the labor agreement, and his or her decision is usually final. The labor contract generally specifies the type of arbitrator used, the method of selecting the arbitrator, the scope of the arbitrator's authority, and the arrangements for the arbitrator's payment. A potential intermediate step involves presenting the grievance to a mediator, whose job is to help the parties solve their own differences before they reach the formal arbitration phase. Mediation is usually less time consuming and expensive than arbitration. In addition, the mediator may be able to teach the two parties dispute resolution skills that may be helpful in solving future problems.