EMPLOYEES’ GRIEVANCES

Dr.C.S. RANGARAJAN

1. A complaint became a grievance when thea) Worker remains dissatisfied b) Employer is dissatisfied c) Worker’s dissatisfaction is intimated to the management in writing d) Worker expresses his dissatisfaction by word of mouth (orally)2. The dissatisfaction of an employee, when orally conveyed, it becomes

a) Grievance b) Complaint c) Charge-sheet

b) d) Violation3. “A written complaint filed by an employee and claiming unfair treatment” is defined as definition for grievance bya) Dale Yoder b) Michael Jucius c) Michael Jackson d) Kornhauser4. Which one may ‘test the meaning of an agreement clause or raise a question of equity’ in writing?a) A complaint b) Grievance c) Negotiation d) Closed-shop

1

5. ……........ Operates in an atmosphere in which tensions are more personal then institutionala) Grievance b) Foreman c) Supervisor d) Employer6. Though the stakes are not critical, the ultimate sanction is not the use of force in a) Complaint b) Grievance c) Enforcement of agreements

d)grey areas in agreement

7. Which one of the following is the ‘bitter fruit’ when grievance remains as the ‘root’? a) Over-time work b) Transfer c) Turnover d) Low productivity.

8. Adverse allocation of rewards for employee services and conditions under which services are rendered give rise to

a) Disciplinary action b) Grievance c) Work to rule d) Desertion9. Which one is not a factor responsible for grievances to emerge?a) Working conditions and rewardsb) Management policies and practices including supervisionc) Maladjustment of employeesd) Customer’s dissatisfaction

2

10. Proactive approach to grievance management does NOT involvea) Identification and grievancesb) Nature of grievancesc) Nurturing factorsd) Quick-fix for grievances11. Which one is NOT a method for identifying grievances?a) Exit interview b) Gripe box system c) Open-door policy d) Re-poll12. Exit interview, grip box system, opinion surveys and open door policy help generate a) Workers antipathy b) Contact c) Communicationd) Information13. Exit interview help obtain relevant information about worker’s dissatisfaction froma) Rank and file within the organizationb) Informantsc) Employees who have the resigned or leftd) Supervisors14. The management taking measures to modify factors leading to grievance is the (a) Proactive approach b) Reactive approach

c)Retrospective approach d) Prospective approach

3

15. In spite of redressal of grievances, the underlying causes continue to exist in (a) Reactive approach (b) Proactive approach c) Retrospective approach (d) retrodictory approach16. Reactive approach to grievancesa) Partial in redressal of grievances b) Totally removes underlying causes c) redressal is half-hearted d) Underlying causes continue to exist.17. As regards grievances, an excellent management follows the principle of………..a) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushb) Something is better than nothingc) Better late than neverd) Prevention is better than cure18. Which one of the following is similar?a) Exit interview and gripe box system b) Gripe box system and opinion surveys c) Opinion surveys and open door policy d) Gripe box system and suggestion box system19. Exit interview is free from……a) Information b) Inhibitions c) Exploitation d) Dissatisfaction

4

20. Exit interview suffers from…………on the part of employees currently in service.a) Inhibitions (b) Exhibition c) Ambition d) Benevolence21. Which method helps to obtain valuable information from sources other than current employees?a) Gripe box b) Exit interview c) Opinion survey d) Open-door policy.22. Which method encourages animosity being maintained in making complaints? (a) Gripe Box (b) Open-door (c) Exit interview (d) Opinion SurveyCorrect Answers:1) C (2) B (3) A (4) B5) A (6) B (7) D (8) B9) D (10) D (11) D (12) D13) C (14) A (15) A (16) D17) D (18) D (19) B (20) A21) B (22) A.===============================

23. Mutual distrust between employees and employers makes this method more appropriate? (a) Gripe Box system (b) Opinion survey (c) Open-door policy (d) Exit interview.

5

24. In the collection of relevant informantion, opinion survey involvesa) Other than supervisors (b)Workers themselves (c) Co-workers (d) Supervisors.

25. Who are involves in the collection of relevant information under opinion surveys? (a) Non-supervisors (b) Workers themselves (c) Co-workers (d) Supervisors.

26. Open-door policy's basic objective is (a) Upward communication b) Downward communication (c)Lateral communication (d) Communication through another channel.

27. Open-door policy in identifying grievances will succeed when managers develop (a) Positive attitudes (b) Generous attitude (c) Hostile attitude d) Indifferent attitude.

28. Free and frank expression of problem by the employees is encouraged under (a) Open-door policy (b) Exit interview (c) Gripe box (d) Opinion surveys.

6

29. Open-door policy should be adopted in which organisations?(a) Large (b) Small (c) Medium (d)

Private.

30. grievance procedure is required to (a) Prevent explosive situations in the future (b) Make employees happy (c) Silence trade unions d) Make managers cautious.

31. Grievance procedures give the employees

a)Greater faith (b) Bargaining power (c) Room for susoicion (d) Benefits.

b)32. According to .............Grievance procedures act as a 'pressure value on a steam boiler'. (a) Keith Davis (b) Deming (c) Jucius (d) Calhoon.

33. In the third step in Grievance Procedure, the Grievance is referred to

a)Grievance committee (b) Supervisor (c) Personnel Manager (d)Arbitrator.

34. At the fifth stage in grievance procedure, the decision of the arbitrator is

7

a)Final and binding (c) Not final (c) Not to be taken seriously (d) Likely to be accepted.

35. In the final stage, grievance is referred to (a) Arbitrator (c) Junior representative (c) Personnel Manager (d) Grievance committee.36. The grievance, when not redressed, is referred to the Senior or Personnel Manager at which step (a) Fourth (b) Third (c) Second (d) First.

37. The aggrieved employee explains his grievance to his immediate supervisor at which step (a) First (b) Second (c) Third (d) Fourth.

38. In the second step, who handles the employees' grievances?a)Departmental head/personnel department (b) Immediate supervisor

c) Senior personal manager (d) Grievance committee.

39. A good grievance procedure for its completion takes/involves

a) least time and cost (b) Very long time (c) Lot of expenditure (d) Lot of effort.

8

40. Grievance procedure needs to be (a) able to satisfy emotional needs of employees (b) Long forceful (d) within legal framework.

41) Promptness, being one of the features of good grievance procedure insists that (a) justice delayed is justice denied (b) Justice is impersonalc) Justice is neutral (d) Justice hurried, justice buried.42. Definition of Grievance by National Commission of Labour does not include (a) Work environment (b) Promotion (c) Merit (d) Wage payment.

43. Which one of the items does not constitute grievance, according to Calhoon? (a) Settled by court (b) that which exists in the minds of the individual (c) fostered by pressure group. (d) made worse by supervisors.

44. Poor relationship with the employer, poor superintending, vague job infrastructure can be brought under which factor for Grievance?

9

a) Supervision (b) Maladjustment of employee (c) management policies (d) working conditions.

45.According to Walter E.Bear, Grievance Procedure is a Machinery whicha) Settles disputes (b) Suggests remedies (c) Makes cosmetic changesd) Looks into legal aspects.======================================= NOTE: All (a)s are the correct answers to questions from 23 to 45

46. Grievance procedure acts as a check on

a) Arbitrary action of management (b) Personnel department (c) Lawful complaints of workers (d) Trade Unions.

47. Grievance procedure provides (a) Outlet for the aggrived woker

10

(b)Scope for litigation (c) Opportunity for the management (d) For supervisors to get work done.

48. Which of the following norms need not to be considered for constructing grievance procedure?a)Detailed process (b) Conformity with legal provisions (c) Promptness d) Acceptability.

49. Which Act requires employers in Industrial Establishments to define conditions of employment? (a) Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act (b) Industrial Disputes Act (c) Factories Act (d) Workmen's Compensation Act.

50. 'Promoting measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations between employer and employee' is the purpose of

a)Works Committee (b) Welfare Officer (c) Canteen Committee (d) Code of discipline.

51. The essential objective of grievance procedure is to

11

a) Sustain good relations between employer and employees and promote efficiency (b) Redress employees grievances (c) Promote unionism(d) Be a manager of discontent.

52. Constitution of Works Committee is a requirement under(a) Industrial Disputes Act (b) Factories Act (c) Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act (d) Indian Trade Unions Act.

53. Which piece of legislation provides for investigation and settlement of differences between employer and employees?a) Industrial Disputes Act (b) Workers' Compensation Act (c) Indian Trade Union Act (d) Employees' State Insurance Act.

54. Mediating in and promoting settlement of Industrial Disputes is the duty of (a) Conciliation Officer (b) Welfare Officer (c) Production Manager (d) Personnel Manager.

55. Which one of the following is not a cause of employees grievances?

12

a) Policies of the State (b) Management practices (c) Union practices d) Individual personal traits.56. Which style of management is conducive to minimising grievances in the present day context? (a) Participative (c) Missionary (c) Bureaucraticd) Autocratic.57. The Grievance Machinery serves as an important vehicle for .............

a) General Unions b) Business unions (c) Craft Unions (d) Ideological Unions.

b)58. Statutorily required, but Company appointed...........................looks after favourable working conditions and amenities (a) Welfare Officer (b) Personnel Officer (c) Canteen Manager (d) Rest-shed in charge.

59. In the absence of formal grievance procedure, which one plays the role of discussing and settling workers' grievances? (a) Works Committes

c)Welfare Officer (c) Personnel Manager (d) HR Department.

60. Grievance processing and settlement becomes complicated in the context of

13

(a) Politically affiliated and extramurally drawn leadershipb) Intramurally drawn leadership (c) Self-centred leadership (d) Ideological unions.

61. Which one of the legislations does not deal with workers' grievances?

a)Employees' State Insurance Act (b) Factories Act (c) Industrial Disputes Act (d) Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act.

62. The Factories Act provides for (a) Welfare Officer (b) Works Committee (c) Grievance procedure (d) Personnel Officer.

63. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act provides for a) Grievance procedure (b) Welfare Officer (c) Conciliation Officer d) Works Committee.

64. The Industrial Disputes Act provides fora) Works Committee (b) WelfareOfficer (c) Personnel manager d) Grievance procedure.

65. According to Schuler, if 'discharge' is the most common grievanace issue, which

14

one is the other? (a) Discipline (b) Rewards (c) Wages (d) Incentives.

66. Schuler calls that important grievances requiring speedy redressal result in such uncommon expression as

a) Wildcat strike (b) Pearl strike (c) Bumper strike (d) Cacanny practices.

b)67. A strike forbidden by an employee-employer contract is illegal, uncommon, but still takes place as (a) Wildcat strike (b) Running sore strike (c) Irritation strike (d) Wide-mouthed strike.68. "One cannot successfully agitate without widespread"...............a) Grievances (b) Management's approval (c) Government's non-interefernced) Unionised setting.=================================Note: All (a)s are the correct answers to questions numbers from 46 to 68.

15