In every work place, conflict may arise. Being a school head, administering and supervising a learning institution is not always a bed of roses. As the “captain of the ship”, one must be prepared in sailing across troubled waters. Thus understanding the mechanics of the grievance machinery is a must for a school manager and leader.
Grievance refers to a work related discontentment or dissatisfaction which had been expressed verbally or in writing and which, in the aggrieved employee’s opinion, has been ignored or dropped without due consideration while grievance machinery is a system or method of determining and finding the best way to address the specific cause or causes of grievance.
Being the school head, it is our duty to ensure equal opportunities for men and women to be represented in the grievance committee. Always remember that grievance machinery is established to determine or provide the best way to remedy the specific cause or causes of the grievance. It is put in place to help promote wholesome and desirable employee relations in the Department and to prevent employee discontent and dissatisfaction.
Among the legal bases in the establishment of a grievance machinery in schools are the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 02, s. 2001 or the Revised Policies on the Settlement of Grievance in the Public Sector and the DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2004 or the Revision of the Grievance Machinery of Department of Education.
The Grievance Machinery is applicable to all levels of officials and employees in the Department of Education (DepEd), including non-career employees whenever applicable. A grievance shall be resolved expeditiously at the lowest level possible. However, if not settled at the lowest level possible, an aggrieved party shall present his grievance step by step following the hierarchy of positions. The aggrieved party shall be assured freedom from coercion, discrimination, reprisal and biased action on grievance. Grievance proceedings shall not be bound by legal rules and technicalities. Even verbal grievance must be acted upon expeditiously. Services of legal counsel shall not be allowed.
Creating a working atmosphere that is conducive to supervisor and employee relations and improve the morale of the employees can be achieved if the objectives and functions of the grievance machinery is present in every work place. Grievance machinery provides venue in resolving conflicts in the lowest possible level. At the school level it develops the capabilities of the personnel to resolve conflicts.
Among the instances where Grievance Machinery can act on is the non-implementation of policies, practices, procedures on economic and financial issues and other terms and conditions of employment fixed by law such as salaries and allowance, incentives, overtime pay, leave benefits, and unreasonable withholding of salaries and the non-implementation of policies, practices, procedures which affect employees from recruitment to promotion, detail, transfer, retirement, termination and lay-offs. Included also is the inadequate physical working conditions such as lack of proper ventilation in the workplace, insufficient facilities and equipment necessary for the safety and protection of employees whose nature and place of work are classified as high risk or hazardous, poor interpersonal relationships and linkages and all other matters giving rise to employee dissatisfaction and discontentment outside of those cases enumerated above.
The school grievance committee is composed of the principal or Head Teacher, president of the faculty club and a teacher who is acceptable to both the aggrieved party and the object of the grievance to be appointed by the Principal or Head Teacher.
Having a mechanism such as the grievance machinery, makes every school a conducive workplace for the school head and his co-workers. Remember that, as the head of the school, you are also the trouble shooter and conflict solver. Let’s make our workplace, our second home, conflict may arise and as a family we can collectively resolve it.
By: JOHN R. QUIROZ Assistant Principal II, Limay National High School
