Grievance Redressal Cell

The Staff Grievance Resolution Policy is to guide, and steer all concerned for the fair and equitable resolution of concerns related to terms or conditions of employment that are not resolved to the staff member’s satisfaction within the administrative unit.

Definition

A staff grievance is defined as an unresolved issue concerning the application of Institute policy, practice, or procedure affecting employee’s official terms and conditions as perceived by him/her

Scope

This policy will be applicable for all staff members of the Institute currently employed.

State of Rights:

• All grievances are treated confidentially by Grievance Resolution Cell (GRC)’s Office.
• In case it becomes necessary to consult other individuals to obtain further information pertinent to the grievance, the grievant and respondent may be notified based on the assessment of GRC.
• In cases where the information contains confidential material and/or data that is not relevant to the grievance, GRC will provide the parties involved with a written statement of the relevant information in order to maintain confidentiality.
• In the event a grievant has concerns as to whether all relevant material has been provided, the grievant may request in writing that one of the Institute’s designated Resource Offices review the materials to ensure that all relevant materials have been made available to the panel.
• No staff member will be reprimanded, harassed, retaliated against, discriminated against, or adversely treated for using Staff Grievance Procedure. Any such behaviour will be treated as a serious offence and will invite penal action.

Administration Staff Grievance Redressal Committee Shall Consist of:

The GRC has primary responsibility for administering and coordinating the Staff Grievance Procedure. The Office of GRC will:

• Discuss concerns with the staff member and/or supervisor (Senior officer).
• Assist the staff member and/or supervisor in clarifying, facts, issues and concerns.
• Inform the staff member and/or supervisor of Institute policy and procedures relevant to the situation.
• Inform the staff member and/or supervisor of their rights, responsibilities, and relevant time frames.
• Serve as facilitators in discussions between the staff member and supervisor or other departmental/division representative.
• Make suggestions for possible resolutions to the situation.
• Investigate or coordinate the investigation of all issues relating to the grievance.
• Monitor implementation of agreed resolutions and/or Managing Director’s decision.

Time Frames

• All time frames indicated in the procedure are computed in working days.
• All parties involved in the grievance must adhere to the time frames specified in the procedure unless the GRC has granted a waiver of that time frame.
• Requests for extensions should be submitted, in writing, to the Chairperson of the GRC panel (MD/AMD) prior to the scheduled date of the hearing.
• The panel hearing will normally be held within thirty (30) working days of the initiation the request for a panel hearing.
• Staff members must initiate action within the following time frames in order to reserve the right to request a panel hearing under the Staff Grievance Procedure:

  Every effort will be made to hold the hearing within thirty (30) working days of receipt of the request.

  • The hearing is a non-adversarial process that will review the facts and provide an opportunity for the grievant to present his/her position fully and thoroughly. The grievant and respondent will each have an opportunity to present evidence and invite witnesses to appear at the hearing.
  • All panelists review and sign the form indicating their agreement or disagreement with the decision.
  • The Managing Director of the Institute will then have ten (10) working days to accept or modify the Panel’s recommendation(s). The Managing Director or his designee will notify the grievant and respondent of the final decision in writing within that time frame. This decision will be final and binding on all parties.

Panel Hearing Guidelines

• A set of rules and regulations for the management of the resolution meeting shall be disseminated to all parties and panelists prior to the hearing.
• The counselling will not be open to the public. Only those persons directly involved with the grievance or who can provide relevant information for reviewing the grievance will be permitted at the hearing.
• The meeting may /may not be audio or video recorded as per discretion of the GRC.
• Copies of all records and documentation relevant to the grievance will be made available to the panelists for review at least five (5) working days before the scheduled hearing. Copies will also be made available to each party.
• It is the responsibility of the Chairperson of GRC to schedule the resolution meeting at a time that is convenient for all parties involved, and to review any requests for time extensions.
• The resolution meeting will be conducted in a manner that will provide all parties ample opportunity to present all relevant data, facts, evidence, and witnesses.
• The grievant will present his or her case first, including the presentation of evidence and if necessary, the witnesses with permission of the panel.
• Witnesses presented by either party can be questioned only by the person calling the witness and the members of the panel. However, the respondent or grievant will be permitted to alert the Chairperson to relevant issues and may request that the panel explore an issue in more detail.
• The resolution meeting is not to be conducted as an adversarial proceeding, instead that will allow all parties to present their positions completely and in a non-threatening environment. Therefore, it the responsibility of the Chairperson of the resolution meeting to determine and/or establish rules of appropriate conduct.
• The panel must be guided by Institute policy and procedures in reviewing the facts of the grievance, presenting its findings, and recommending an appropriate resolution including consideration for policy amendment, if any.
• The grievant and the respondent should normally seek the permission to present witnesses at least 5 days prior to the resolution meeting date.
• Witness lists are not shared between the parties.
• Within five (5) working days, the panel will make a recommendation and submit it to the Managing Director or designee.
• Each panel member will sign the written findings prior to its submission to the Managing Director.
• The grievant and respondent will have access to read the panel recommendations and/or findings submitted to the Managing Director.
• Once the panel has made a recommendation and it has been reviewed by the Managing Director, the Managing Director or designee will forward copies of the final decision and resolution in writing to all parties involved within ten (10) working days following the receipt of the recommendation(s) from the panel.

Issue Closure

• Observation and recommendations of GRC will be submitted to the MD in a sealed envelope.
• Post MD’s consent appropriate action will be initiated with information to the complainant.

a) Faculty Grievance Redressal Committee