Complaints Handling

Complaints Reporting and Management

Workplace complaints are challenging to deal with – they can be complicated, emotional, and very unpleasant.  More often though, many employees simply stay silent when they witness wrongdoing in the workplace.

It has been reported that a leading cause of employee silence is a fear of repercussion.  Whether that is a perception that raising a complaint or making a report will jeopardise job security or career prospects, that the individual might suffer harassment or threat, or simple wilful blindness, it appears that the traditional methods of code of conduct training, speak up lines and culture surveys do little to encourage reporting, or to even illuminate the occurrence of misconduct. 

At Red Wagon, we recommend an integrated approach to complaints handling.

1. Make reporting easy

Reporting lines should be externally managed, accessible and have the ability to be anonymous if necessary.  The independence of an external reporting tool provides employees with greater confidence that they won’t be persecuted as the messenger, or pre-judged by a fellow employee documenting their concerns.

2. Create psychological safety

An integrity-based culture is vital for employees to feel as though they can have confidential conversations, admit mistakes, and be treated fairly.  If an employee feels unsupported, that bias is at play, or that management never takes action, toxic behaviours can grow unchecked and unremarked, resulting in a range of workplace problems.

3. Deliver meaningful training and communications

Ticking the compliance box of training is neither defensible nor acceptable practice for an organisation in the face of serious complaints.  Impactful training, transparent discussions and showing genuine appreciation for the courage of those who do report will go a long way to reducing bystander silence.

Preliminary Assessments

We triage the reports, so you don’t have to…

The legislation that surrounds the many types of workplace complaints that can be raised is extensive and complex. Understanding what legislative provisions apply, and how that impacts the management of the complaint is crucial to effective complaint management.

Experienced in disputes, complaints handling, workplace investigations and negotiations, the consultants at Red Wagon has the knowledge and expertise to know what information is crucial to obtain when documenting a report to determine which frameworks must apply to meet compliance obligations, best support the parties involved and mitigate the risk to the organisation.

Mediation Services

Mediation is a confidential, voluntary process with the purpose of assisting people to resolve workplace conflicts.  The process is managed by an independent mediator, which enables parties to have productive conversations, navigate issues, understand options, and explore solutions.  The discussion gives the participants an opportunity to be heard, and to hear what each other has to say. 

Not all workplace conflicts are suitable for mediation, and our experienced consultants will discuss with you your options for managing the conflict.

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