Nine out of ten times, prospective clients call us after losing a case. employee grievances cost companies tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket each year. The loss of revenue and diminished reputation causes businesses to seek better ways to handle HR related issues.
Documenting Employee Grievances and HR Investigations:
One of the most common oversights management makes is the importance of documentation. Accurate logging of incidents, grievance tracking, and record keeping of supporting materials for HR issues can prove to be the difference between justifying disciplinary actions and facing legal ramifications.
Not every HR issue may lead to a filed grievance. A simple disagreement among peers can be resolved easily. However, there are a number of significant events that require thorough HR investigations and detailed documentation that could protect a company from litigation.
Conflicts Workplace conflicts are inevitable. Personalities clash, arguments ensue, and physical altercations happen. If conflicts arise to a point where it becomes necessary to intervene for the safety and well-being of staff, it’s critical that you document the employee grievances when you are first made aware of the issue. Whether it’s a dispute between colleagues or management, recording the employee incident is necessary to ensure it is dealt with appropriately. Justifying a resolution such as termination, may come down to how effectively your documentation can support the dismissal.
Attendance Excuses. Excuses. Attendance policies are implemented to improve productivity. If an employee has excessive absences (that cannot be justified), is prone to lateness, or has a tendency to leave earlier than business hours, the HR team should be keeping track. Poor attendance wreaks havoc on individual performance and company ROI; it lowers employee morale, and causes an unbalance in a collaborative workplace.
Non-Compliance State and federal regulations set forth by the DOL are strictly enforced in the workplace. A safe and supportive environment must be maintained. Therefore, when employee grievances arise pertaining to discrimination and workplace harassment, or in regards to disability, maternity or long-term leave, and any disputes in direct relation to employee rights and compliance violations, opening a case and archiving all supporting documents is necessary.
Performance All warnings and disciplinary actions should be documented and attached to an employee profile for performance reviews and probationary hearings. Any interruption in productivity and operations by an individual should be tracked and documented by HR to ensure action is taken swiftly and appropriately. Improving outcomes is the ultimate goal, and recording progress or regression and benchmarking findings is one way this can be achieved.
LaborSoft is the number one partner for innovative HR case management. Our configurable, cloud-based technology makes it easy for you to document and archive all supporting materials for issues and grievances. LaborSoft saves you time and money with online features and capabilities that streamline HR investigations and minimize risk.
Contact us for a customized demonstration and learn how LaborSoft can help you improve communications, build a more collaborative, safe, and supportive workplace, and reduce the likelihood of costly litigation.