Limitations of Grievances

If grievance procedures are effective, they will help management identify and remedy problems within an organisation before they grow into larger problems. In some cases, the settling of grievances becomes a sort of scorecard that reinforces an ‘us versus them’ mentality between labour and management. It is vital that a company's grievance procedures include steps to prevent a backlash against those who choose to use them.

A grievance is a formal complaint lodged by an employee against his/her employer. Other conflicts can be resolved without the use of a formal grievance, but if this is not the case, the employee will need to state the facts of the incident that led to them filing a grievance. When working with the union, the steps are well defined and must be handled within prescribed time limits.