Everyone Wisconsin worker experiences problems at work at some point. When the situation escalates, you may wonder if it is time to lodge a complaint with your human resources department.
Before making a complaint to human resources, it is important to know how to do it properly. Generally, your complaint must address a specific issue, such as wages, hours or problems with your working conditions.
Additionally, you may be worried that you will be fired if you complain to human resources. You can often protect yourself from being terminated by showing that the problem affects someone else besides just you.
This requires evidence. Before you make your complaint, document everything you can about the situation. Compile a log of each incident and include details such as the date, time place and who was involved. Write down exactly what happened and who witnessed the incident.
Collect any documentation that supports your claims. This includes emails, letters or messages.
Filing a formal complaint
When you have your evidence ready, you may want to consider drafting a formal complaint. This could be more effective than simply requesting a meeting with your human resources department.
Your letter should sound professional and courteous. Do not use overly emotional language or make accusations that you cannot prove. Additionally, avoid general badmouthing of your employer.
Provide a summary of the specific incidents which you can back up with your detailed evidence. State the problem you experienced and how it impacted you and others.
Propose a solution to the problem. This can potentially show your human resources department that you have carefully considered the problem and how it could be solved.
Protected characteristics
If your complaint involves a characteristic protected under federal law, such as race or gender, state the characteristic in the complaint to trigger certain protections under federal law.
Before submitting your complaint, review your company’s procedures for complaints. Ensure you correctly follow the procedure.
After you submit your complaint, follow up with your human resources department to confirm they received it. Ask about any next steps in the process and when you can expect these steps to occur. Keep copies of all communications.
What if my employer retaliates?
You may be worried about retaliation from your employer after submitting your complaint. This is understandable.
Retaliating against an employee for filing a human resources complaint is illegal. However, retaliation is often challenging to prove. Document anything that happens after you file your complaint that you believe could be retaliation.
Human resource departments are required to take complaints from employees seriously. Although they have a duty to protect the employer’s best interests, they also have a duty to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees.
When human resources receive a complaint, they are expected to act. This can be by interviewing employees, gathering information and performing a thorough investigation of the situation to determine the appropriate action to take.
What if my complaint is ignored?
If your complaint is ignored or your allegations are dismissed or downplayed, communicate with a higher authority. This could be a manager or your employer’s legal department. Depending on the situation, your complaints could be taken more seriously by managers or executives than by human resources.
When your attempt to handle the issue internally fails or you feel you are experiencing retaliation, consider filing a complaint with a government agency. It helps to receive advice and guidance before moving on to this step.