Employee Complaint Handling: Tested Techniques for Human Resource Managers

This book focuses on the issue of employee complaints, and has been designed for use as both a self-instruction manual and training device to teach supervisors and staff how to better manage employee complaints. It offers a variety of techniques and tools that can be used to reduce the number of complaints and to better manage those complaints that remain. To facilitate this, the authors have included a number of experiential learning exercises, role plays, and case studies, and provided training notes to help in the instruction.

The text in the book is divided into two separate sections: Human Relations and Communications, and Legal and Ethical Concerns. The first section, along with its related learning exercises, provide a wide array of human relations and communication tools to better resolve complaints. Topics covered include recognizing complaints, explaining work rules to employees, destructive actions that create complaints, and types of peer review systems. The second section, combined with exercises and case studies, focuses on legal and ethical considerations. Critical issues such as race and sex discrimination and employment-at-will are addressed, with specific discussions of pregnancy leave, age discrimination, and terminations. The book concludes with a selected bibliography and an index. This study will be an important reference for human resource and personnel managers, and for classes in business management and employee relations. It will also be a valuable addition to both college and public libraries.

D. KEITH DENTON is CEO of CIVID3, a management consulting and software company.

CHARLES BOYD is an Associate Professor of Management at Southwest Missouri State University.