What's wrong with the grievance procedure?

[fishtank]

The problem with a B&H case is it can backfire.
The position of a lot ,if not most reps is that they would rather a member took out a grievance against a manager than went down the B&H route because a grievance is relatively risk free whereas a B&H could find you facing a conduct charge for bad faith.
Now that isn't a hard and fast rule because some cases are far more serious than others but it is a general,if unofficial position within the CWU.

The only problem is...the grievance procedure doesn't work.

I'm genuinely interested.
Why?

[Lincox]

Fish you dont need telling the difference in severity between B&H and Grievance. What I fail to understand is how HR can make immediate judgements on whether to proceed with a B&H case. I would have thought that their role would be to advise the person alleging, based on his/her statement on whether this has purely been a case of procedural irregularities, in which case a grievance would be the correct procedure, or if the allegation statement includes information on any kind of intimidation, verbal harassment, bullying then the correct procedure should be a B&H case. Unfortunately this is not the case, as I have personally witnessed. HR automatically default to a Grievance Procedure. They know that RM managers have no fear of this because the sanctions, even if you can get an acknowledgement of wrong doing, are weak and not carried through. I believe the big problem is that HR are a department completely manipulated by senior management and not there to help support people who are many times crying out for support during a very difficult situation they find themselves in at work. CWU should be pushing towards more involvement in the way cases are progressed from initial statement.

[music4essex]

I am going through this same procedure at present

I put my paperwork through to HR and after a quick phone call to me stated it to [ut back to grievence when it is def a case of B/H , I have contacted Linda Roy over this which was put back to area, I wrote to bob Gibson( but not heard anything, I am still within my 3 months to carry on the grievence and especially as my manager tried it on again during xmas pressure

But I don't hold much faith at the moment especially as I am off with depression due to the stunt my manager pulled a week before xmas, I have tried all routes done the job to the book but find myself not knowing which way to turn and wether to cary on with the grievence

Essex mum

[Lincox]

Whatever you do, don,t give up. If you do,this bullying manager will see your weakness and use it. Go through the whole procedure, if you are being delayed in any way send details of the delays to Moya Greene and copy to the union and the manager hearing your grievance, who no doubt will be the same person who is delaying procedures.. When they began to see that I was not going away, things began to change and not only was I left alone, but since then, as an office we have been left alone. For some unknown reason, the manager I was complaining about has gone without any announcement, reasons, explanations, nothing. So you see Music that you may not get an acceptance in writing of guilt, and as I do you may not feel that you have had complete recognition of the wrongs that you had to put up with, but you will have shown that you are not a person that is going to sit down and take all the sh.te thrown at you.

[Bag of d2d]

In my experience the grievance procedure is a waste of time and just makes you a marked man. I took out a stage 2 grievance agains my dom nearly 2 years ago. I'm still waiting for an outcome. The whole process is a joke and the union seem powerless to help.

[Lincox]

Were you given an initial decision and did you decide to challenge this by way of appeal?

[Bag of d2d]

No. I've had meetings with 2 managers but they don't seem interested in making a decision.

[hotfudge]

took a year to win my appeal and the whole process is a shamples

[Lincox]

Exactly the same hotfudge, took me just over a year but the recommendations have never been actioned by the DSM. The man is a total joke.

[Lincox]

Bag of D2D
Send a message to Moya Greene stating that the managers dealing with your grievance are refusing to make a decision and as such are not complying with the terms and conditions of the grievance procedure, which in turn is causing you and your family a great deal of unnecessary stress, and a feeling of not being valued. Send a copy of your email to the two managers concerned, and Dave Ward at CWU Headquarters. I think your case will immediately become very high priority.

[roger]

Bag of D2D
Send a message to Moya Greene stating that the managers dealing with your grievance are refusing to make a decision and as such are not complying with the terms and conditions of the grievance procedure, which in turn is causing you and your family a great deal of unnecessary stress, and a feeling of not being valued. Send a copy of your email to the two managers concerned, and Dave Ward at CWU Headquarters. I think your case will immediately become very high priority.

As Lincox says or you could try your regional IR/ER manager or regional resourcing manager,worked for me on more than one occasion.

[music4essex]

Whatever you do, don,t give up. If you do,this bullying manager will see your weakness and use it. Go through the whole procedure, if you are being delayed in any way send details of the delays to Moya Greene and copy to the union and the manager hearing your grievance, who no doubt will be the same person who is delaying procedures.. When they began to see that I was not going away, things began to change and not only was I left alone, but since then, as an office we have been left alone. For some unknown reason, the manager I was complaining about has gone without any announcement, reasons, explanations, nothing. So you see Music that you may not get an acceptance in writing of guilt, and as I do you may not feel that you have had complete recognition of the wrongs that you had to put up with, but you will have shown that you are not a person that is going to sit down and take all the sh.te thrown at you.

Thanks Lincox and everyone else who has made comments I sent my forms off today

Essex mum

[bandit650]

I know how you feel about the B&H procedure but please don't give up,if staff walk away & i know how hard it is weather it is a grievance or B&H procedure if we give up and stop then we will never win,you are right to say that the managers that deal with the complaints are less than honest or they are someones mate then go and spread it across to just say it and let Moya hear about it,she won't be able to keep ignoring it,i am going through it myself and it is not easy but i have decided that if it is not dealt with then i will ask Moya to see what she has to say!