When I'm at work: Solving complaints - Trainer's guide
Chapters
Topic 3
- What are the steps to take in a formal complaint?
- What will I have to do if I make a complaint?
- What can I do if my complaint is not taken seriously?
What you will need
You will need:
- this trainer's guide
- the workplace's complaints policies and procedures
- Disability Services Standards in Easy English
- computer/data projector to play the CD-ROM
- whiteboard or butcher's paper to record responses
- whiteboard markers or felt-tipped markers.
It is vital that everyone's viewpoints are valued and comments are allowed to be made in an open discussion. You will need to focus on issues relating to the learning objectives of the topic.
Your preparation should include knowing your organisation's policies and procedures in relation to complaints. You should also be familiar with the Disability Services Standards (particularly Standard 7 that concerns complaints).
What learners will need
Learners will need:
- their learner's workbook
- something to write with.
Learning objectives
After taking part in this topic, learners should be able to describe:
- the steps involved in making a formal complaint and their role in that process
- their rights if their complaints are not taken seriously.
Delivering the session
- Welcome the learners and explain what the session is about.
- Show the slides 'When I'm at work: Solving complaints', Topic 3', and 'Points for Topic 3'.
- Ask learners to give you some examples of what they consider a serious work complaint to be. Record their answers on a whiteboard or butcher's paper, and discuss.
- Explain to learners that they can make a formal complaint if they have a work problem that is serious.
- Explain that the workplace has to take certain steps to resolve formal complaints involving serious problems.
- Show the slide 'What happens when you make a formal complaint?'.
- Discuss with learners what they think 'respect' means in terms of respecting what other people say. Record their responses.
- How do you know if someone is not taking you seriously, for example not making eye contact, being distracted while you are talking, not listening carefully, not asking questions about what you are saying, telling you to stop being silly, telling other people about what you say, etc? Discuss this with learners, and record their answers.
- Explain to learners that they have a right to have their concerns taken seriously, and the workplace has to make sure their complaints are taken seriously. If the workplace does not do this, there are other people who will listen and help.
- Show the slide 'What happens if people do not take your complaint seriously?'.
- Show the slide 'Focus questions'.
Focus questions
Summarise the previous discussion by asking learners the following questions.
- Is a formal complaint different from other complaints? How is it different?
- Will you have to tell the whole story if you make a formal complaint?
- Will other people have to tell their whole stories about the problem too?
- Will someone write down everything that you and other people say about the problem?
- Will you have to sign what was written down?
- If you make a formal complaint about someone, does that person have the right to know what you said about them?
- Can other people help you if you make a complaint and your workplace does not take your complaint seriously?
Lisa's story
Show the slide 'Lisa's story'. Ask learners to watch and listen to Lisa's story. Replay the story if you need to.
Show the slide 'Discussion questions'.
Discussion questions
Discuss the following questions with learners.
- What is the main problem leading to Lisa's complaint?
- Does Lisa have a right to talk to Sue about Dawn's problem?
- Does the workplace have to help Lisa with her problem?
- Does the workplace have to help Dawn?
Show the slide 'Workbook activities'.
Debrief questions and workbook activities
Debrief Lisa's story by discussing these questions with learners. They highlight the issues that this particular story has raised in relation to complaints. They also reinforce the focus questions of this topic.
After you have discussed each debrief question with learners, ask learners to write their responses in their workbooks, in the spaces provided. Responses can be made in any format, for example in writing or in pictorial form. Learners are free to express themselves in whatever ways they want to.
Explain to learners that the workbooks are their own records of the information that they need in relation to complaints in the workplace. There is no compulsion for learners to provide their own responses if it is not appropriate to do so.
Here are the debrief questions for discussion.
- What are some of the things that you will need to do if you make a formal complaint about someone or something at work?
- Did Lisa do the right thing to tell Sue about Dawn's problem?
- Is there anything that you can do if nobody at work will take your complaint seriously? What?
- What did you learn from Lisa's story?
- What would you do if this happened to you?