Legal Definitions - grievance procedure

A grievance procedure is a process that is used to resolve an employee's complaint. It consists of several steps that are designed to help the employee and the employer come to a resolution. The first step usually occurs at the shop level and is handled by a supervisor. If the grievance is not resolved at the first step, the grievance is appealed in successive steps that vary among collective-bargaining agreements. The final step of the procedure is grievance arbitration.

Let's say that an employee feels that they were unfairly passed over for a promotion. They would file a grievance with their supervisor, who would investigate the matter. If the supervisor is unable to resolve the issue, the employee can appeal to higher levels of management. If the issue still cannot be resolved, the final step would be to take the matter to grievance arbitration, where an impartial third party would make a decision.

Another example could be an employee who feels that they were unfairly disciplined for something they did not do. They would file a grievance with their supervisor, who would investigate the matter. If the supervisor is unable to resolve the issue, the employee can appeal to higher levels of management. If the issue still cannot be resolved, the final step would be to take the matter to grievance arbitration, where an impartial third party would make a decision.

These examples illustrate how a grievance procedure works and how it can be used to resolve disputes between employees and employers.