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How Long Can Grievance Process Take? What do you think?
As an employee, you could face many problems, concerns, or complaints against your colleague, superior, or any other person or matter related to your workplace. Generally, this problem can be solved with mutual understanding, direct conversations, meeting with the superior, etc.
But when other informal ways of solving the problem fail, a formal grievance process is the way to go. Let’s discuss today how long can grievance process take.
How Long Does It Take To Raise A Grievance?
As the grievance process is a formal procedure, it usually must be made in written form. Your company should have a grievance process formally stated in the terms and conditions of the company.
Try to find out what those procedures are on your company’s handbook, personal guidelines, or other instructional documents. If not found, ask your supervisor or HR about this matter.
It shouldn’t take much time to write and file a written complaint. Generally, it can be filed within hours or several days. Try to rub it on workdays and not before the days before weekends or holidays.
However, if there is any time limit as to when to make the complaint after the incident or concerning matter last occurred, you must strictly follow that.
How Long Does It Take Complete The Investigation?
After someone raises a grievance, a formal investigation process starts. The time the investigation takes depends on the subject matter.
If it is related to something documentary or official mistakes like an inaccurate paycheck or error in the information, it could be done quickly. But if the subject matter involves several other persons or any serious issue, it could take weeks and even months for the investigation to be completed.
How Long Does It Take To Arrange A Grievance Meeting?
A grievance meeting could be held after you submit your written complaint or after the investigation is done.
If the meeting is held after your complaint, someone can ask you questions and try to solve the matter in this meeting. Here the outcome can be a decision given by your superior officer or an order to investigate the matter. However, you can appeal if a decision is given against your interest.
If a meeting is held after the investigation is done, it is supposed to be about the investigation’s findings. Here, another attempt to solve your problem could be made depending on the investigation result.
Generally, arranging the meeting should not take more than several hours with a notice of 1-2 days. However, the conference can be held in several sessions and prolonged to several days if the problem is not solved within one meeting.
How Long Does It Take In Mediation?
If a meeting among the officials is not effective, mediation could be the final step of the grievance process before you proceed to file a claim before an employment tribunal.
Mediation requires a third, independent, and impartial person who tries to help solve the problem through mutual understanding between the parties. He can be someone from the company or any external or professional mediator.
A mediation process takes almost the same time as the meetings I mentioned above.
How Long Does It Take Overall?
As you can understand from the article, how much time a grievance process can take depends completely upon the subject matter and the professionalism of the officials. If it is a small problem, it can be solved within hours. But on a more serious matter, it could take months to be solved.
Conclusion
The grievance process is a necessary proceeding every employee should be able to use but may never have to use. It can ultimately result in losing someone’s job.
So whenever you think of raising a grievance process, think of the other options you have as that would save much of yours and the company’s time.
By now, hopefully, you know how long can grievance process take, so make sure to use this wisely.
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