8+ Sample Staff Complaint Policy

What Is a Staff Complaint Policy?

A staff complaint policy is a set of rules that are implemented in the workplace to protect the rights of employees. The policy lets the employees file a complaint if they experience any grievances within the company. There are a lot of grievances that employees can have. They can complain if there is favoritism at work. This will not be good for the workplace because you are not giving fair treatment to your employees. They can also complain if they have something against their co-workers. If their co-workers are not treating them right, they can file a complaint that can resolve everything.

The complaints and grievances policy aims to protect the rights of the employees. Many things can happen in the workplace. Some may be found guilty of harassment so the employees should find a way how they can reveal this thing. The employees may even have a complaint about the pay that they are receiving. If they think that they are not compensated justly, they can speak out about what they want through the staff complaint policy. Or the employees are always forced to work overtime. They can complain about this if they think that the management has been overstepping their rights.

Through the staff complaint policy, the rights of the employees are secured. They can complain if there is something that they will not like at work. The policy will prevent any maltreatment at work. Through the policy, employees will be scared to do things like harassment because they know that they can get some punishment. The complaints policy is a great way how you can keep harmony in the workplace. It can also keep the confidence of employees knowing that they will never be wronged while they are working. If ever something bad will happen in the workplace, they are sure that they can do something.

When a complaint is filed against an employee by a co-worker, he or she will be given disciplinary action according to the employee disciplinary action policy. With the staff complaint policy, no one is going to get away with their faults. The company will deal with every wrongdoing that can happen on its premises. You can be sure that all your employees will behave rightfully because if they do something wrong, their co-workers can file a complaint against them. Through the staff complaint policy, you can pursue peace in your workplace. You can be reassured that all will do their duties well.

Benefits of a Staff Complaint Policy

Are you aware of the staff complaint policy and procedure of your company? You must be informed of everything so that you can fight for your rights. You must know what the staff complaint policy can do for you. Knowing its benefits can help you to follow this policy and cooperate with your company. Read and consider the following benefits of a staff complaint policy:

Harmony in the Workplace: You can have harmony in the workplace if you will implement a staff complaint policy. No one will dare to do something wrong to their co-workers because they know that they will be complained about and that they can lose their job in the end. Thus, all can work for harmony in the workplace. Your employees will know that they have to follow the staff complaint policy or else they will deserve some punishment. Everyone will behave justly and rightfully for the fear of getting into trouble. This will be very good for your company because you can maintain peace in the workplace.Respect in the Workplace: You can make every employee respect their co-workers through the help of the staff complaint policy. They will know that if they do not do so, their co-workers can file a complaint against them. So, your whole team will respect one another. It will prevent any misunderstandings with the employees because they know that if that will happen, they can get into trouble because of the staff complaint policy. Thus, they will end up respecting each other to avoid any misunderstandings that can lead to something worse like bullying. What a good thing it will be if all your employees will respect each other! You can have it by having a staff complaint policy.Protection of Rights: The rights of your employees can be protected through the staff complaint policy. If your employees have something against the pay that they are receiving, they can have their complaint through the policy. If they think that they are being wronged for always working overtime, they have the right to complain. If they think that their duties are beginning to be against their work expectations, they can speak out and say what they have to say. Their rights can be protected by the policy. They can do something when they witness that something is not right anymore. They can tell their grievances anytime just as long as they are included in the staff complaint policy. How good it is to have your rights all the time! So, create a staff complaint policy for your company to ascertain that the rights of your employees will be protected. If you do so, your employees will stay at your company for a long time.No Harassment: Notorious workers can fear committing harassment if they will know that you have a staff complaint policy. They know that they cannot get away with what they can do so they will think twice about doing something bad. The management will take care of every employee. No one will be harassed at work. No one will exercise wrongdoing with their authorities. If they do so, they can be complained about and it will not be good for their reputation. Harassment is common if the culprit knows that he or she will not get caught. To avoid them in doing harassment of employees, the staff complaint policy is the answer.No Maltreatment: Everyone in the workplace will have the right treatment with their co-workers. You will not find favoritism because it can be prohibited. No one will bully his or her workmate because they can get caught. Your management will treat you right because you have a policy against it. If you ever experience maltreatment at work, you know that you can complain about it. You can do something for it to change. You do not have to suffer from maltreatment. The staff complaint policy will protect you.

Tips on Staff Complaint Policy

When handling staff complaints, it is important that you go back to your policy and manuals before making any decisions with regard to the issue. With that said, as the HR manager or the supervisor in charge, you should learn essential tips on staff complaints. Lucky for you, we have some useful tips concerning staff complaint policies listed below.

Be Swift in Handling Problems: As HR, when you receive a complaint from an employee, make sure that you can resolve the matter quickly. Be swift in handling any problems. If justice will be delayed, then what is the use of your staff complaint policy? So, you have to make sure that you can resolve the issue easily.Give Appropriate Punishments: You should know how to give appropriate punishments for every complaint that you will receive. For example, if a staff breaks the dress code, then you should know that it is not fair to give a dismissal. But if an employee breaks the NDA (non-disclosure agreement), then you should know that it is a serious problem. Every fault deserves a particular punishment. You should know how you will handle everything. You cannot give a big punishment for a small fault. And you cannot give a small punishment for a big fault. You should know the specifics when it comes to giving punishments.Have a Proper Procedure: You should have a proper procedure when it comes to the staff complaint policy. After receiving the complaint, you should know how you will handle the investigation. There should be a procedure for how you will face all the employees that are involved in the matter. You need some guidelines so that you can keep up with the policy. Make the employees understand the procedure. You need to have a process of how you can resolve the issue. Having a process will make the employees understand that you have a strict policy at work. After that, everyone will follow your policy because they can see that it is a serious thing.Do Not Ignore a Complaint: You must not ignore any complaint that you get. Though you think the matter is a small thing, you should not ignore it. You have to pay attention to everything that your employees can complain about. It may be a small thing in the present, but if you do not pay attention to it, it can get worse. So, when one of your employees is complaining about something, you must be swift to hear the grievances. Sometimes, it can lead to something serious. So, have an ear for every grievance that your employees have.Be Transparent with the Process: Transparency is important when dealing with issues of employees. You need to show them the progress of their complaint. You have to show the employees how you are going to resolve the issue. You can show them the procedures that are necessary for the complaint to be resolved. Make the process transparent to them. Let them know that they can trust your company. You are there to protect their rights and they will surely get the justice that they deserve. Explain to them everything that they have to know. Do not just let them wait for the result. Be nice enough to show them the process for their complaint.Resolve the Issue on Time: As HR of the company, be sure that you can resolve every issue on time. Do not let the employees wait for a long time. They can be disheartened if they will not get the justice that they deserve. So, you have to know how you can handle the issues quickly. Be eager to finish the issue early. You have to remember that justice delayed is also justice denied. You have to act immediately when there is a grievance in your company. Do not wait for the employees to resign before hearing their complaints.Communicate with the Employees: You need to have open communication with the employees while you are having the complaint. This is to let them know that their complaints are being handled properly. You can also have the chance to ask them more questions about their complaints. This will help a lot especially if the issue is big. Communication is important between HR and the employee until the issue is resolved.

How to Write a Staff Complaint Policy

Now that you have a broader view of handling staff complaints, it’s time for you to learn how staff complaint policies are made. Should the case require you to create your policy from scratch or revise your staff complaint policy, the following steps listed below will guide you all the way.

Step 1: Reasons for the Policy

The first thing that you need to write about is the reasons why you are going to create a policy. The employees should understand your purpose so that they will know what the policy is all about. You can include your short and long-term goals in your policy, as well as your company’s mission and vision statements to further back-up your reasons for creating the document.

Step 2: Consult a Lawyer

The next thing that you need to do is to consult a lawyer. You must ensure that your staff complaint policy will be according to the laws of your state. So, you must hire a lawyer that can tell you what you can write in your policy. Make your rules according to the law of your state.

Step 3: Make Policy Steps

Make certain procedures for the policy. The employees have to know the steps that they have to take when they have a complaint. They need to undergo a process that will be implemented by your company. This process can make your work in the policy easier.

Step 4: Resolve Complaints

After you have written your policy, you can include it in the employee handbook. Then implement the policy. If an employee will file a complaint, be swift to hear the complaint. Resolve the complaint as quickly as possible.

FAQs

How can you handle a complaint against you at work?

When there is a complaint against you, you must first stay calm. Listen to the complaint. Be ready to justify yourself according to the staff complaint policy. If you have nothing to fear, you just have to follow the rules and you have nothing to worry about.

How can you handle a complaint against a manager or supervisor?

You have to know that you should not sympathize with the manager or supervisor when there is a complaint against them. You have to make HR handle the investigation and not be biased toward the employee.

The staff complaint policy can be the answer to any injustices that can happen in the company. You can protect your rights through the policy. So, as an employee or as an HR manager, you have to follow this policy because this can also help you someday. Well, do you need a template for a staff complaint policy? This post has 8+ SAMPLE Staff Complaint Policy in PDF | MS Word. You can use any of these templates to create a great policy for your company. Download now!