What is Grievance

In the HR world, a grievance is a staff member’s claims that the employer has violated the terms of their contract or workplace policies. It is a type of formal complaint from an employee about their organization. This often occurs when a staff member feels that the employer has impacted on them by not adhering to the rules outlined in the employment agreement.
A grievance may be from an individual employee, or it can come from a group. For example, if the employer has not upheld the terms of a collective employment agreement. Grievances often occur in unionized workplaces, as it may be the union that picks up on employment issues.