Ask Shaye
Initial review of complaint
Question: I work in a public hospital as an Enrolled Nurse. Recently I was put through a fact-finding process that involved an issue that seemed pretty trivial. Shouldn’t these be weeded out first and dealt with differently?
Answer: Yes, under PD2014_042 (Managing Misconduct), an initial review must be undertaken to determine if a disciplinary pathway should in fact occur. For example, if the issue raised is a workplace matter by a staff member which is causing them concern or distress (e.g. interpersonal conflict, the way work is allocated or managed, a perceived unfairness in the workplace), this should be dealt with as a grievance, rather than a disciplinary matter.
Information Sheet 5 to PD2014_042 sets out the variety of policy options and processes available other than a disciplinary approach, which if utilised unnecessarily only causes greater harm to the workplace and distress to all concerned.