Case Study - The Grievance

Louise runs a small family jewellers in Central Scotland. She employees 8 staff, most of whom work part-time.

The Issue

Louise hired a new member of staff recently, Gillian. Sue (the Shop Manager) hadn’t been involved in Gillian’s recruitment.

During the first month of employment Gillian and Sue didn’t get on well. Sue closely monitored all aspects of Gillian’s work. Gillian undermined Sue in front of customers and made derogatory statements about her to the other staff.

Before Louise had a chance to deal with the situation Gillian resigned. As part of her resignation letter she raised a number of complaints about Sue’s management syle. She also posted some derogatory statements about Sue and the shop on social media, and threatened to go to the local press with some of her allegations.

Louise wanted advice on how best to manage the situation. She wanted to support Sue but at the same time she felt there were probably some aspects of her management style that could be improved.

Most of all Louise was very concerned about the impact that negative publicity could have on the shop.

On top of this she was now one employee short and nervous about getting it right when hiring Gillian’s replacement

The Solution

I recommended that Louise hold a grievance meeting with Gillian, even though she was no longer an employee. This small investment of time would give Gillian an opportunity to put forward her complaints face to face. This would have 2 benefits:

• If Gillian felt that the business had listened to her then she would be less likely to vent on social media.

• Louise could better understand what training she’d need to provide Sue to help her become a better manager in future

I helped Louise set out a clear structure for the grievance meeting. After the hearing I provided advice on how to follow up Gillian’s complaints. I also helped draft the grievance outcome letter.

We discussed the training that would help Sue become a more effective People Manager. This will be delivered in the coming months.

Finally I worked with Louise to produce an interview structure (complete with key questions) to help her find a replacement for Gillian who was best suited to their small team. We agreed that Sue should be involved in the recruitment process from the beginning.

The Outcome

Gillian appreciated the opportunity to give Louise feedback on her experience as an employee. Most importantly she stopped posting negative comments on social media.

Louise had a conversation with Sue about her management style and agreed to provide training in this area.

Louise worked with Sue to find a replacement for Gillian.

Result – a relieved business owner, a manager who now had a plan to improve her management style and a more harmonious working environment for everyone.