STAFF GRIEVANCE POLICY
Rationale
Good relationships amongst staff members within a professional environment give students a greater chance of success. Within the school environment, we support the right of any member of the school community to have issues and concerns addressed. When this happens, we need to know the procedure to have concerns heard and acted upon.
Aim
To promote good relationships amongst staff members and to enable complainants to raise concerns about workplace issues without fear of victimisation or repercussion, and to ensure all grievances are dealt with fairly and objectively.
General principles
All parties concerned must act respectfully, honestly and with compassion throughout the process.
AIES reserves the right to suspend or terminate any meeting where these principles are not upheld.
Procedure
Definition: A grievance is a concern, problem or complaint raised with the school by a complainant. It can be caused by issues such as working conditions, health and safety concerns, bullying or discrimination or work relations.
Informal stage
In the first instance, we will aim to resolve a complainant’s grievance informally with their immediate senior. If the member of staff’s concerns relates to their immediate senior, they should discuss the issue with the next person in seniority.
It may be necessary for the member of staff who has raised a grievance, to attend a meeting to discuss the concerns in more detail. However, this will be determined on a case-by case basis.
If it is not possible to resolve the matter informally, complainants should set out their grievances in writing to the appropriate senior member of staff. (An organisational structure chart will be provided to staff members.)
Formal stage
The School will determine the most appropriate method of dealing with the grievance. This could include (among other things):
- requesting further information from the complainant
- requesting information from other co-workers or third parties
- meeting with the complainant or others involved in the grievance
- reviewing and responding to the grievance or arranging for an appropriate person to review and respond to the grievance; or
- facilitating a meeting between the complainant and the person(s) that the grievance is about.
On receipt of a grievance Management will generally take the following steps:
- determine the best method of handling the grievance
- advise the complainant of the likely steps that will be undertaken in relation to the grievance
- advise the person(s) about whom the complaint is, of the nature of the grievance and seek their response
- collect any additional information considered necessary to properly review the grievance; and
- formally advise both the complainant and the person(s) that the grievance is about, of the response to the grievance and if appropriate, any proposed action to be taken.
However, there may be circumstances in which some of the steps outlined above are not appropriate, and Management will determine, at its absolute discretion, on a case by case basis, the most appropriate method of handling the grievance.
A staff member who raises a grievance and the person(s) that the grievance is about, may elect to have an appropriate support person present at any meeting with representatives of the management about the grievance. However, depending on the nature of the grievance it may not be appropriate for the support person to be a colleague.
AIES will take every reasonable step to ensure that grievances are dealt with and finalised within a 20 day period.
Appeals
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the grievance, they have the right to appeal the decision.
The complainant should set out their grounds of appeal in writing as soon as possible and submit this to the appropriate staff member. A grievance appeal panel will be appointed. This will be a group of people independent from any previous stage of the grievance procedure.
Appeals will be heard without unreasonable delay. Complainants will be told the time and place of the appeal meeting in advance.
Complainants have the right to be accompanied to the appeal meeting by an independent support person, competent to attend such meetings.
The outcome of the appeal will be confirmed in writing to the complainant within five working days.
Record keeping
Minutes will be kept of all meetings. Where possible, these will be confirmed as an accurate reflection of what was discussed during the meeting.
Records of all materials relating to the grievance process will be filed and kept securely.
Monitoring Arrangements
This policy will usually be reviewed annually but may be revised slot gacor gampang menang as needed. It will be reviewed by the Management Team.
