Employment Relationship Problem Resolution Process

Employees may raise a range of employment relationship problems with us which, if not sorted out quickly and satisfactorily, can ultimately become personal grievances  which need to be solved through a legal process. Examples might include; claims you are not paying them correctly, that your refusal to grant leave or pay sick leave was wrong, that you are victimizing them somehow, not applying their employment agreement properly, trying to make them do something they consider it is not reasonable for you to ask them to do etc. Under the Employment Relations Act there are procedures for dealing with employment relationship problems, including personal grievances (PGs). These are referred to in our employment agreements. If you become aware an employee is formally raising a personal grievance or ’employment relationship problem’ you should immediately advise your manager who will assist you in handling the matter. Until advice has been received do not make any comments or response to the employee concerned or their representatives. We have a process for resolving employment relationship problems – refer the Problem Resolution Process.  Click the Flow-chart link opposite.

If the problem becomes a formal personal grievance the flowchart explains how personal grievances are raised and dealt with including the use of mediation and reference to the Employment Authority or Court. In essence employees have 90 days to raise a personal grievance. From then on the employer must show they had both good cause for the action they took against the employee and that they conducted themselves in a procedurally fair manner.