Grievance and Discipline procedure – relate to Alton towers Essay Example

support to their members during strikes and legal assistance if they wish to pursue legal action. Additionally, trade unions can assist employees with various concerns, including pay, working conditions, pension matters, health and safety, training, vacation, redundancy, and working hours.

Employment Tribunals

An employment tribunal is a less formal court that resolves disputes between employees and employers. It is the next step if the trade union fails to resolve the issue. Comprised of employees from Alton Towers and their trade union, the tribunal hears both sides and determines the appropriate action. ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is an independent organization called upon when negotiations fail. They listen to both parties and assist in resolving the problem.

ACAS is an impartial organization that is not aligned with either the employee or employer. Its objective is to facilitate agreements that satisfy both parties. The European Court of Justice, on the other hand, is a higher court that hears and determines the facts of a case, ultimately deciding who is at fault and prescribing appropriate actions against the wrongdoer. The court's neutrality and expertise lie in resolving disputes.

Trade Union: Advantages and Disadvantages

If an employee at Alton Towers, such as a ride operator, experiences repeated racial abuse without any resolution, they may choose to involve their trade union. The advantage for the employee is that Alton Towers management will be more inclined to address the issue, as the employee will have additional support, making it harder to ignore the problem. However, involving a trade union comes with the disadvantage of requiring membership fees from employees.

However, this could be a disadvantage to the employer because fellow employees

who are part of the same trade union may not work as efficiently since they perceive Alton Towers to be unfair to their coworker. Moreover, when a Trade Union is involved, they might encourage their members to engage in sit-ins, strikes, and other disruptive actions that hinder the business's efficiency.

Employment Tribunal

An employment tribunal can benefit an employee because it compels the business to take their claim seriously as it escalates to a court setting. However, a disadvantage of an employment tribunal is that its members comprise employees from Alton Towers and trade unions. This creates a potential bias towards either party, as both sides can exert influence on the tribunal members. For instance, employees may have a tendency to support their employer, Alton Towers, while trade union representatives will likely favor their member since it is their duty.

Therefore, the potential outcomes of this situation could be unfair. Members of the tribunal may have biased judgement and support the person they are acquainted with rather than the person who is actually right.

ACAS

The advantage of involving ACAS is its independence, ensuring impartiality as they are not personally familiar with either party. This increases the likelihood of a fair decision being made as ACAS focuses on resolving issues equitably. However, there are disadvantages to consider. ACAS being an external organization means that others may become aware of the grievance, tarnishing Alton Towers' reputation and making future employee recruitment more challenging. Furthermore, it might disadvantage the employee if Alton Towers becomes upset that a third party had to be involved, potentially affecting their job reinstatement after the grievance is resolved. In my opinion, the most effective method for

resolving a dispute is to handle it internally by informing either the line manager or a higher-ranking manager. This approach enables early resolution of the grievance, preventing its escalation and the aggravation of additional problems.

By addressing problems promptly, managers can avoid involving external organizations, which can be costly for Alton Towers and its employees. Resolving conflicts internally also helps protect the company's reputation, ensuring customer loyalty and attracting new employees. Additionally, employees will feel motivated to work at Alton Towers knowing that their concerns will be promptly addressed.

Examples of Disputes at Alton Towers

One example of a dispute that may occur at Alton Towers is a wage disagreement between ride operators and their employers. Ride operators may argue for higher pay while employers hold a different opinion.

If this situation occurs, the employees have the potential to initiate action against the business and seek assistance from their trade union. The trade union will engage in negotiations with Alton Towers' employers regarding the salary increase. However, if the employers refuse to cooperate, the trade union may opt to take additional measures. For instance, the trade union might instruct its members (the ride operators at Alton Towers) to reduce their efficiency and work at a slower pace. In other words, rather than striving to accommodate as many customers as possible on the rides, they should deliberately work slowly and take their time, resulting in customer dissatisfaction and complaints.

This will demonstrate to employers the importance of ride operators in ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty to Alton Towers. In response, employers may consider increasing pay in order to motivate employees to provide exceptional customer service. Failure to motivate employees could

result in a decrease in profit for Alton Towers, as customer loyalty may wane. Furthermore, if employees believe that the business will still benefit to some extent by allowing some customers to ride, they may choose to take alternative actions such as organizing a sit-in.

If employees decide to visit Alton Towers without fulfilling their work responsibilities, it could have negative consequences for the theme park. This is because if customers are unable to enjoy the rides, which are the main attraction of the park, they may demand refunds and choose not to return. As a result, Alton Towers would suffer a loss of business. Moreover, if this conflict between employees and employers becomes public knowledge, the media may become involved and exaggerate the situation. This would further damage the reputation of the theme park. Consequently, people might lose trust in Alton Towers and prefer other theme parks instead.

However, employees may also want to avoid making their dispute with Alton Towers known to the public as it could lead to them being dismissed for damaging the park's reputation. To prevent this outcome, they might opt for an alternative course of action such as refusing to work overtime. This would make it difficult for Alton Towers to find coverage for shifts when needed.

Employers should pay attention to ride operators because if they don't work overtime, Alton Towers won't run efficiently. The trade union may also encourage employees to strictly follow their schedules for breaks, instead of waiting for convenient times for Alton Towers, like during busy periods at certain rides (e.g., 1pm).

During work to rule, if Rita is back from lunch and many employees are needed, some

of them may have their lunch breaks at that time. Normally, they would take their breaks later when the queues are less busy. However, during work to rule, they will still take their breaks regardless of how busy it is. Additionally, if the needs of the ride operators are ignored and the dispute remains unresolved, they might decide to go on strike as a last resort. In this case, employees will not go to Alton Towers and perform their duties. Consequently, this will demonstrate to employees how indispensable they are because without ride operators operating the rides, Alton Towers will lose profit since thousands of people will not visit the park while employees are on strike.

Disputes can have various negative effects on Alton Towers, such as impacting their reputation and business operations. If a large-scale strike occurs, the media will become involved and Alton Towers may acquire a negative image. This would lead to a loss of potential visitors and profits. Additionally, if employees go on strike or have a sit-in, there will be no staff to manage Alton Towers, resulting in a halt in business activity and a decline in customer numbers. Furthermore, if employees decide to leave the company, Alton Towers will face staff shortages and may struggle to operate efficiently. The lack of immediate replacements for these employees can cause longer queues, dissatisfying customers who may choose not to return in the future. The reasons for employee departures can also spread and further harm Alton Towers' reputation.

Through media coverage or former employees, Alton Towers may face difficulties in recruiting new employees. Potential recruits may be hesitant to work there due to a

perception that Alton Towers disregards employee input and does not prioritize favorable working conditions. Additionally, disputes between employees and the employer can create tension, leading to decreased motivation and productivity.

Three Instances of Employee-employer Dispute

Instances of grievance may arise at Alton Towers when the employer fails to adhere to specific laws.

If Alton Towers violates 'The Equal Pay Act' by paying one employee more than another, it can lead to issues. For instance, if there are two supervisors at Alton Towers' restaurant who work the same hours and perform the same tasks but have different genders, and the female supervisor receives a lower salary compared to the male supervisor. In such a scenario, the female supervisor will take legal action against Alton Towers as both supervisors should be treated equally under the law. Breaching 'The Equal Pay Act' can result in legal consequences for Alton Towers. Upon encountering this situation, the female supervisor will report her complaint to her line manager; however, the department manager may not have authority over salaries or their alteration. Consequently, the grievance will be escalated to senior managers for resolution.

These managers possess the authority to enhance the salary of the female supervisor and settle the dispute. Nevertheless, if they opt not to grant her the same pay as the male supervisor, it will escalate into a highly significant matter. This is because Alton Towers will be viewed as engaging in discrimination against women, prompting the grievance to be escalated further (to an external party) like ACAS. ACAS will examine the matter and reach a consensus. Another grievance might arise during opportunities for promotion within a company.

The text discusses a potential conflict at

Alton Towers regarding a job position for a ride supervisor. The conflict arises because despite a black employee being more qualified and experienced, a white employee was chosen instead. This situation can lead the black employee to feel discriminated against based on their skin color. If proven, this would violate 'The Race Relations Act 1976', which states that all employees should receive equal opportunities regardless of race or color. The ride operator may escalate the matter by first approaching their line manager, who, if unable to address the concerns, may result in the supervisor complaining to a higher-level manager. If the manager fails to provide justifiable reasons for not promoting the black employee, the matter could be taken to an external organization. In this case, a trade union would support the employee if they decide to take legal action against Alton Towers. Ultimately, The European Court of Justice would determine whether or not discrimination occurred.

In addition, an employee may file a grievance if they are unfairly terminated. For example, if a shop assistant is fired solely because the manager holds a personal grudge or dislikes them based on a previous incident, this would be considered a violation of 'The Employment Act 1975.' If the shop assistant lodges a complaint explaining their dismissal, it will reveal that the manager has breached The Employment Act. However, as the employee cannot escalate the issue to their immediate superior due to conflicts of interest, they will bring their grievance to a higher-level manager.

If the higher-level manager determines that the employee should not have been fired, they will reinstate them. Nevertheless, if this manager has a personal relationship with the

shop manager and disregards the allegations against them, then the grievance will progress to an external organization such as The European Court of Justice.

Throughout this process, the authorities will attentively listen to the employee's assertions and evaluate whether there are legitimate grounds for their termination. If it is established that no valid reasons exist, Alton Towers will face suitable consequences.