Within any organisation problems will arise. These may be in regards to performance or behaviour, or conflicts among employees or between the organisation and the employees themselves. Discipline and grievance policies and procedures are necessary to ensure such matters are handled optimally and in a way that respects everyone’s rights.
Ensuring staff understand how these procedures work can help to protect your organisation from drawn out conflicts that waste time and money.
To run an organisation properly, it is important to have clear, established discipline and grievance procedures and policies. This ensures that if issues or disputes arise, a fair and unbiased resolution can be found wherever possible.
Moreover, making employees aware of these procedures helps to ensure employees:
- Recognise the seriousness of these procedures
Know what to expect
- Any such procedures will be handled in a respectful and confidential way
- Understand that these procedures exist as a last resort
- The value of trying to resolve issues informally
If employers fail to follow discipline and grievance procedures properly, it increases the likelihood of cases going to a tribunal. In such instances, if someone wins a case against the employer, they could be awarded up to 25% more.