Common Causes of Workplace Grievances and What You Can Do to Prevent Them

Workplace grievances are more than just complaints. They are early warning signs of deeper problems that, if left unchecked, can harm employee engagement, morale, and organisational productivity. Fortunately, many workplace grievances can be avoided through proactive management and targeted interventions. In this article, we will explore common causes of workplace grievances and provide practical strategies to prevent them from escalating.

What Are the Main Causes of Workplace Grievances? Examples and Insights

Workplace grievances often stem from three key areas: People behaviour, Pay and performance, and Policies and processes. These three areas, referred to as the 3Ps, are crucial to understanding and addressing grievances before they escalate into larger issues.

People Behaviour and Actions: Fostering a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

In a diverse workplace, differences in communication styles, values, and work approaches, shaped by factors like age, background, or experience, can lead to conflict if not addressed constructively.

Such differences can cause interpersonal conflict, which can be further compounded by unconscious bias, that subtly influences our attitudes and behaviours toward others. Left unchecked, such biases can affect key workplace decisions and lead to perceptions of unfairness.

To prevent grievances from arising from this, it is important to establish and reinforce core values that guide everyday interactions, such as:

• Mutual respect: appreciating diverse perspectives, values, and work styles
• Empathy: standing up against harassment and offering support to colleagues
• Cultural understanding: being sensitive to cultural norms and promoting inclusive communication

Additionally, foster a culture of open communication and encourage honest conversations to surface tension early.

A respectful and inclusive culture discourages unproductive behaviours like gossip or exclusion and encourages employees to voice concerns through proper grievance channels. This contributes to a healthier, more harmonious work environment for all.

Pay and Performance: Having Clear Policies and Consistent Processes

A key cause of grievances is any negative impact on an employee’s wages such as salary, bonus, overtime pay that affects employee morale, productivity and livelihood. These concerns are often exacerbated if the process of reaching the decision is inconsistent or unclear.

Have clear policies and consistent processes in determining pay adjustments, promotions or changes to employment contract, which are sensitive in nature. This includes a:

• Fair and competitive wage system that will remunerate employees fairly, taking into consideration factors such as ability, performance, contribution, skills, knowledge and experience
• Fair performance management system by:
  • Training managers to fairly evaluate performance and conduct performance conversations
  • Having measurable standards for evaluating job performance and non-discriminatory performance criteria
  • Implementing an internal appeal process for employee concerns

Above all, communicate any impact on pay, promotion or employment changes promptly and sensitively to allow staff sufficient time for adjustment and acceptance.

Policies and Processes: The Importance of Communication

Policies and processes guide how work is carried out in an organisation. Grievances may arise when these policies and processes are implemented or changed, especially if they affect individual productivity or unintentionally disadvantage certain groups. For example, inefficient or rigid workflows, and unsafe or poor working conditions — such as inadequate hygiene, safety and health measures, or faulty equipment.

Before any implementation or change, it is important to consider:

The needs of the organisation

• Is this meeting our business objectives?
• Are these policies in compliance with regulatory standards?

Employee feedback, to:

• Understand any implications on their work processes; and
• mitigate concerns in instances where certain employee groups may be unintentionally discriminated against

Communication on any changes to policies and processes is critical in preventing grievances as it provides clarity and helps address concerns proactively. Communication should cover:

• What adverse events in the past/present/future that require certain actions to be taken that will affect employees
• Why the difficult actions (e.g. wage cut) have to be taken, and how this is the best solution
• Who will be affected and the personal impact of the decision
• When the decided action or actions would be made effective
• How the decided action or actions would be carried out

Building a Workplace Where Grievances Don’t Take Root

Proactively preventing grievances at work isn't just good HR practice, it’s a key driver of employee retention, productivity, and organisational resilience. By focusing on the 3Ps, employers can address the root causes of complaints before they escalate.

A workplace committed to addressing grievances before they escalate doesn’t mean a conflict-free one, but rather an environment where issues are addressed constructively, policies are fair, and people feel respected and heard.

The upcoming Workplace Fairness Act will require employers to put in place a proper grievance handling process. In the event a grievance is raised, ensure that your organisation has a proper grievance handling process in place to handle any grievances effectively.