Grievance Procedures - Assignment Example

Grievance Procedures Grievance procedures are extremely important in the smooth functioning of any industry or enterprise. If we take into consideration the hospitality industry in particular, grievance procedures need to be implemented since the whole industry depends on personal interactions at different levels between employees, administration and clients. Thesis statement: Grievance procedures form an important part of labor relations with respect to the hospitality industry. A very broad definition of labor relations would mean the dealings and interactions between the management of a firm or organization and its labor force, which are or will be unionized. According to the International Labor Organization (“Good Practice Guide”) grievance procedures are “the procedures by which workers’ grievances are dealt with or resolved. They also serve as a system of communication between workers and managers, inform managers of potential trouble, provide an outlet for complaints, and avoid slowdowns, absenteeism, strikes and damages.” Here we take a look at why grievance procedures are important in improving labor relations. The ILO states that grievance procedures help solve a variety of issues that are likely to crop up in any work environment some of which are explained as follows (“Good Practice Guide”). Many a times, problems in the work place occur when the terms and conditions of employment which were guaranteed to the employees at the time of hiring are not implemented correctly by the management. Grievance procedures help to give employees the necessary motivation and support to continue in their work place without feeling betrayed by their employer. It gives them a sense of job security and an ability to understand what they rightly deserve. It also helps them to seek legal counsel or aid in the circumstances where their terms of contract have been compromised or violated in any unfavorable way. Lack of proper health and safety measures is another major concern for employees in an industry. In some cases, workers are subjected to risky and dangerous conditions and sadly many of them are unaware of the potential hazard to their personal health and well being. However, the presence of effective grievance procedures makes sure that employees can ask for compensation in the occurrence of any form of occupational harm or injury. Sometimes, changes in policies or in the organizational structure can cause a disturbance in the flow of activities for a regular employee. In some cases, employees are not notified of crucial changes in policies which consequently lead them through the wrong path. It is the right of any employee to know of significant changes or alterations in the policies, procedures and organizational structure of the company where he / she belongs if such changes are intended to have significant direct or indirect consequences on him / her. Grievance procedures make sure that this right is not denied to any employee. In an industry where the work force is large and varied it is important that there are equal opportunities given to all employees based on their necessary skills and commitment to their respective field of work. However, in countless number of cases many are denied rightful chances and promotions due to some loose threads within the organizational network. Grievance procedures help employees to bring such issues to the notice of the management. Any organization in any industry would have had to deal with one or more instances of sexual and moral harassment. Preferential or defamatory treatment on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality or sex is a constantly addressed issue in organizations all over the world. Such incidents have a direct and very deep impact on the employee to the point where the person may even contemplate quitting his employment. Discrimination and harassment at the work force have multiple effects not just on the person involved, but on a larger scale i.e. on the society and nation. Grievance procedures are quintessential in keeping this issue under control. Grievance procedures not only address these issues, but also help in keeping the work atmosphere less volatile and decrease the magnitude of the problem considerably. It reduces the risks of strikes, walk outs or demonstrations and helps solve issues within the enterprise thereby avoiding government intervention. It is mutually beneficial for the employee and the employer making their relationship stronger and empowering both parties in the long run as well as increasing productivity. It also gives credibility and functionality to human resource development and labor relations. At this juncture, I would like to explain how grievance procedures are necessary in the hospitality industry. Hospitality industries in general are classified in to different sectors and hire a great number of people based on the skills required for any particular work. This could be anything from maintenance and cleaning to food and accommodation or event management. It is therefore inevitable that people from all backgrounds, both economic and social, with differing skills and capabilities are part of the same organization and work in tandem under the same roof. Under such circumstances the stakes are high and even a minor negligence or error from the part of the management could set off a chain reaction invariably affecting a major chunk of the work force. This is one reason why grievance procedures are a necessity in the hospitality industry. The second reason I quote here is the fact that this is an industry which works with extremely large number of people. When there are more people, there is a greater chance for disagreements and disputes, sometimes within employees too. This would end up in an unhealthy work atmosphere. This is a service industry where direct interaction with customers and meeting client requirements forms the foundation of its functioning. This means a considerable increase in the number of people involved in an already densely populated industry. Since the clients are the focal point of the business, customer satisfaction is the primary goal. Given the high level of competition within the industry and customers who pay large amounts in exchange for uncompromised service, the management is under constant pressure to deliver the best results. Consequently they try to extract the maximum possible output from the combined labor force and this complex network of people, interactions and goals can give rise to many issues. Another simple reason, why the grievance procedures work in this industry is the fact that in most cases, the employer is a large, multimillion dollar enterprise of mammoth proportions and a normal employee working in it would seem almost insignificant, and therefore it is easy for the strong to overpower the weak. Grievance procedures help employees working in blue collar jobs to voice their opinions and raise their concern against any injustice that has been brought upon them. In order to explain the importance of grievance procedures in the hospitality sector I shall take the example of a recent incident involving the Hyatt Regency in Toronto (“Toronto Labor Movement”, 2010). This hotel network was unwilling to bargain a fair collective agreement with their employees since January 31, 2010 which had caused unrest in its work force. A little later on, they decided to suspend the grievance procedures for employees which resulted in the workers boycotting their employer and staging a protest. With the suspension of grievance procedures the problem escalated and even garnered enough publicity to evoke an outcry in the whole of Toronto. The President of the Ontario Federation of Labor has urged people to avoid the Hyatt for dining, accommodation and any other get together in support of the employees. The president of the Toronto and York Region Labor Council also sides with the employees, condemning this move of the hotel and saying that they would freeze business with Hyatt unless they re introduce grievance procedures and treat their employees with more respect. A staff at the hotel says, “The grievance procedure gives us an orderly way to resolve disagreements with management. It will be much harder to resolve issues without confrontation and disruption now.” A similar case was noted in the Accor Hotels in Canada (“Support the Struggle”, 2010) where the workers have been trying to win union recognition and collective bargaining rights while the administration is adamant not to submit to their demands even though they have signed an international trade union rights agreement. The management has even expressed their displeasure at the employees by firing or punishing them. Labor unions continue to fight for what is legally their right. It should be noted here that large hotel networks only aim at maximizing profits and minimizing costs. Unfortunately, post recession this has had highly unfavorable results to the working class while the hotel chains like Hyatt Regency have stood strong and persevered with significant gains. The company made landslide profits when it went public in 2009 but at the same time also resulted in understaffing and over working thereby putting workers at risk of injury (“Toronto Labor Movement”, 2010). It is precisely for the same reason that they want to do away with grievance procedures as they are well aware of their limitations when the grievance procedures are effective. Thus even for a hotel empire like the Hyatt unfair practices are highly restricted and employee security has to be taken care of if grievance procedures are in effect. The correct understanding and implementation of grievance procedures is extremely important for the management of any hospitality firm. Seeing how this has direct links to labor relations as well as the industry I am involved in helps to bring forward an efficient and mutually beneficial outcome from my work place highlighting my management skills and at the same time taking in to consideration the rights and plights of the labor force. Grievance procedures are inevitable in establishing healthy labor relations at all levels. A thorough understanding of the process involved and the responsibilities of the parties in question is mandatory for management personnel in the hospitality industry. In some cases, for effective resolution of disputes it may even prove necessary to seek the advice of a legal counsel. The first and foremost step in implementing an effective system is to make sure that employees at every level and division are able to approach a responsible supervisor who may either solve the dispute or approach higher authorities for the same. A proper understanding of the principles and processes involved will enable a more logical and unbiased judgment for the issue. We have thus seen in this article with the help of real life examples how grievance procedures or its absence can affect both the labor relations and the hospitality industry structure. List of References: 1. Cruz-Haicken, Cristal. Toronto Labour Movement calls for boycott of Hyatt Regency Toronto (2010). Press Center. Unite Here. 2. Grievance Procedures. Good factory Guide. Factory Improvement Program. International Labor Organization. 3. Support the Struggle for Trade Union rights at the Accor Canada Hotels (2010). www.iuf.org. Read More