Staff Complaints

Receiving a complaint from a staff member against another member of staff or against a member of management is difficult, especially in a small team. It is important that you follow the correct process and do so in a timely fashion.  In an employment setting the process to undertake is similar to a patient complaint.

One key point that you must remember, unless there are certain serious circumstances, when a complaint has been received, the information contained in the complaint may only be disclosed with the complainant’s agreement.

This can make acting on the complaint and finding a solution difficult, however breaching the complainant’s privacy could potentially create further issues.

Examples of when you may share the information in a complaint would be if someone is in danger and may be physically, emotionally, or mentally harmed if action is not taken immediately.

If you have any questions before taking any action, call the Healthy Practice team on 0800 800 627 or email business@mas.co.nz

Who the complaint is against will also impact on how the issue is dealt with. If the complaint is against a manager or a director, they will not be able to have any involvement in any investigation that is undertaken.

• Complaint is against manager - Director/owner must investigate
• Complaint is against staff member - Manager investigates
• Complaint is against director/owner- Handled at ownership level as per practice agreement. If there is only one owner, then a third party would be engaged.

If the complaint made is formal and an investigation is required, an example of an appropriate process to follow is outlined below.

1. Interview the complainant, take notes, and confirm with the complainant that they are happy for their name and complaint to be shared with the person the complaint is against.
2. Interview any other people who are involved. Again, take thorough notes.
3. Once all the information gained has been reviewed you can decide if the complaint has substance and if so, what action is required.
4. Advise the employee that a complaint has been made against them and invite them to a meeting in writing. Include a copy of the complaint along with all other relevant information you have and advise the possible outcomes if the allegations are substantiated. The meeting is held for the employee to provide feedback on the allegations, prior to you making any decision.
5. If there is a potential disciplinary outcome i.e., warning or dismissal, then follow the process detailed on our Disciplinary Process page. If disciplinary action is going to be taken provide them with a proposed decision and allow the employee time to consider the proposed decision and to provide further information and feedback.
6. After considering any feedback and further information hold a final meeting where the employee is informed of your final decision.

You can read our content here Staff Complaints (healthypractice.co.nz)