Employee Grievance Letter

To, [addressee] [company_name] Date: [letter_date] Subject: Formal grievance Dear Sir/Madam, 1. I, [employee_name] (Employee ID [employee_id]), working as [designation], submit this formal grievance and request that it be taken on record. 2. THE GRIEVANCE [grievance_details] 3. ATTEMPTS ALREADY MADE TO RESOLVE THIS [attempts_made] 4. EFFECT ON ME [impact] 5. WHAT I AM ASKING FOR [relief_sought] 6. I request a written acknowledgment of this grievance, and that I be informed of the outcome within a reasonable time. I am willing to attend any meeting or enquiry required. 7. This letter is submitted in good faith and with a view to resolving the matter internally. Yours faithfully, [employee_name] Employee ID: [employee_id] [designation] ACKNOWLEDGMENT Received on ______________ Signature: ______________________ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── IF THE COMPANY DOES NOT RESPOND Submitting this letter matters even if it is ignored, because it creates the record. Keep a copy, and get an acknowledgment — a signature on a duplicate, or send it by email so the sending is timestamped. WHERE THE GRIEVANCE IS UNPAID SALARY OR DUES, you have statutory remedies that do not depend on the employer's goodwill: 1. PAYMENT OF WAGES ACT, 1936 — an application for unpaid or unlawfully deducted wages lies to the authority appointed under the Act, which can direct payment together with compensation. 2. SECTION 33C, INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT, 1947 — where money is due to a workman from the employer, an application may be made to the Labour Court for recovery. This is a recovery mechanism, not a full trial, and is generally quicker. 3. THE LABOUR COMMISSIONER of your State, who can call the employer for conciliation. This is free and is often effective simply because the employer has to attend. 4. THE SHOPS AND ESTABLISHMENTS AUTHORITY, where the establishment is registered under State shops legislation. WHERE THE GRIEVANCE IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT, this is not the right document. A complaint lies to the Internal Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, within three months of the incident. Use the POSH complaint template instead. LIMITATION: do not let it drift. Claims for wages and dues are subject to limitation, and evidence and witnesses become harder to secure with time. If internal escalation produces nothing within a reasonable period, take the statutory route. RETALIATION for raising a legitimate grievance is itself actionable. Record it in writing if it happens.