Complaint handling in the modern workplace: doing it better

Everyone has a complaint, grievance or whinge about something at work.  Sometimes complaints are genuine and present opportunities for improvement.  Sometimes they are a litmus test of culture and workplace satisfaction.  Other times, the complaint is strategic and designed to deflect attention from misconduct or underperformance.  In all situations, how an employer responds sets the level of ‘customer satisfaction’, determines legal exposure and influences broader workplace culture.

New Federal whistleblower laws will soon commence imposing onerous obligations on business.  There is a continued (over) use of adverse action and victimisation provisions in workplace legislation.  If the response to a complaint is poor, employers may be exposing the business to significant civil penalties and damages.  It is time to develop a modern, sophisticated approach to dealing with workplace complaints without crippling business and decision-making.

In this webcast we examine:

• the new whistleblower laws;

• the development of the workplace right to complain;

• the importance of triaging and planning the management of the complaint, including any risk assessment, to get on the right track; and

• the policies and systems needed for effective complaint handling.