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An employee complaint is when an employee shares a concern or problem about their job. This can include issues with their:

  • pay and conditions
  • job duties
  • work environment
  • company policies
  • interactions with other employees, supervisors or managers.

An employee can make a formal or informal complaint.

A good complaint process is fair, confidential, transparent and accessible. Use these steps to help you develop your own process.

1. Understand the complaint

It’s important to fully understand the employee’s complaint. This lets you identify the facts and start to think about possible solutions.

To understand the complaint, you can:

  • schedule a meeting with the employee
  • ask questions about the specifics of the complaint
  • monitor their work area (if relevant).

Employees trust you to keep what they say private. If you plan to talk to their supervisor or anyone else, make sure you tell them that you intend to do this.

2. Check the law

Make sure you know your rights and responsibilities under any laws that apply to the complaint. This will inform what solution you can use to fix the problem. For example, you’ll need to comply with the Fair Work Act, an award or a registered agreement for a complaint about pay or conditions.

3. Find a solution

Work with the employee to find a solution. Ask them what outcome they want. Consider this against other solutions, including any laws you need to comply with.

Try to find a solution that maintains a healthy working relationship. Aim to resolve the complaint in the workplace before you involve any external bodies like the Fair Work Commission.

4. Agree on a solution

Agree on a solution and next steps with the employee. This could include further investigation or a review of company policies, records and contracts.

Write to the employee to confirm what you talked about and what you’ll do to fix the problem. If it’s an issue that affects other employees, fix it for them too and tell them about it.

If you can’t agree on a solution, get a third party to help you. Who it is will depend on the type of complaint you’re trying to resolve. For example, the Fair Work Ombudsman gives advice on pay rates, workplace rights and obligations.

5. Review the solution and process

Follow up with the employee soon after applying the solution to see if you have resolved their issue. 

It’s also important to review your complaint process to see what worked well and what didn’t. Ask all parties involved for feedback. 

Things to consider asking:

  • Did they find the process effective, clear and easy to find?
  • Did the solution and outcome meet their expectations?
  • Did they think the process was fair and impartial?
  • Are they satisfied with the outcome?
  • Can they suggest any areas for improvement?