A couple of years ago, the process of writing a formal grievance complaint was not only stressful but also time-consuming. Today, AI has made the process easier and ever.
In the past year alone, Google searches for “work grievance” have increased by 15%, with searches for “grievance procedure” up by 50% this past quarter. 40% of UK adults say they use generative AI daily, and it’s easy to see why more and more employees are using AI to write their grievance complaints.
On the surface, AI-assisted grievance letters seem like a great way for employees to quickly and easily put together formal complaints. But they could be causing more harm than good in the workplace, especially for HR professionals.
What are the Problems with AI-Assisted Grievance Letters?
Understandably, writing grievance letters with AI can be helpful for employees, especially if they feel emotionally unable to sit and write them themselves. It’s quicker, requires just a few prompts, and can organise their thoughts into formal points. But despite the benefits, using AI may actually lead to further tension, and employees may fail to get their point across effectively. There are a few key issues that decrease the success of the grievance process.
Volume of Complaints
AI makes it much easier for employees to submit grievances, leading to increased complaints for HR to address. On one hand, this is a good thing, as employees who would otherwise struggle to properly communicate their grievances and therefore avoid submitting a complaint are more likely to speak up, helping employers address underlying issues and improve workplace culture. However, it also means that HR will have less time and resources to address complaints within a reasonable time frame, especially if they become inundated with grievances that could’ve been informal discussions, rather than official complaints.
Poorly Written Grievances
Where the complaining employee would ideally present factual allegations and structure their argument succinctly for the best resolution, an AI tool programmed to agree with the user will use exaggerated language, inflate claims, and have no clear structure. An important thing to note is that the quality of the letter depends on the quality of the prompts provided to the AI. For someone unfamiliar with using AI, the prompts they share may not create the well-detailed, fully researched letter they hope for, missing key details and exaggerating others.
Inaccurate Claims
Language-learning models are notorious for misinformation and regularly misinterpret case law, which would only weaken any grievance made and add complexity to the letter, making it difficult for HR to understand. If the complaint requires legal expertise, to avoid confusion and inaccuracies, it would not be wise to replace a trained and experienced lawyer with any form of AI.
Lack of Privacy
An employee may, unknowingly, disclose sensitive company information on a public AI platform, leading to data protection or confidentiality risks. Sensitive personal data, especially about other colleagues, should not be shared on a generative AI platform. If the setting is not turned off, conversations on platforms like ChatGPT are used to train the model, a form of data collection.
What is the Impact on Businesses?
An increased number of official grievances, specifically those that are complex, lengthy, or written by AI, puts pressure on HR. It’s nearly impossible for HR to handle each complaint with the same attention. In some cases, this may mean that more staff are needed to keep up with the grievances, increasing the company's costs.
How You Can Manage the Risks
The problems and impacts of AI-assisted grievances may seem overwhelming for HR, but tackling them doesn't have to be daunting. There are many ways to mitigate their effects and strike a balance between fully listening to each complaint and relieving the stress put on HR.
Emphasis on Informal Resolution
The most important way to mitigate the risks of complaints written by AI is to improve workplace culture so that employees feel comfortable and confident in informally raising their grievances, before they become too much to handle. This avoids employees feeling they cannot talk to HR about any concerns and having to go through the official grievance process. There needs to be a greater focus on creating a work environment that encourages conversations about issues, and employees will be less likely to go through formal channels, alleviating HR’s already busy workload.
Prioritise Face-to-Face Meetings
Written correspondence, especially when produced by AI, can be distorted. It can be difficult to understand an employee’s exact issues when you receive an AI-written complaint. Even the most experienced HR professional may find it hard to decipher which points are genuine concerns and which are inflated. Having face-to-face conversations with employees will help you understand their key issues.
Provide Training
Understandably, managers and HR may be overwhelmed by the rise of AI in the workplace. So, training the appropriate people to spot signs that a complaint has been written by AI can ease the process and make it easier to respond to lengthy or complex complaints. Though it’s worth noting that even if you suspect a grievance is AI-generated, it should still be treated as a valid complaint.
Create AI Guidelines
There may be benefits, not just for HR, in imposing AI guidelines for employees and limiting the use of generative AI in the workplace. This varies company to company, and it is important to discover what works best for your business, especially as AI becomes more commonplace and acceptable. The key thing to add is a statement that sensitive personal or company data should not be fed into AI tools.
Remember the Basics
It’s always smart to follow protocol and treat each complaint the same, whether it was made using AI or not. Follow the ACAS code, meet with the employee face to face to better understand their concerns, and remember that behind the AI complexities and legal jargon, an employee is trying to raise their voice about something that matters to them.
Where Do We Go From Here?
AI-assisted grievance letters raise wider issues about employee satisfaction and the use of generative AI in the workplace. HR professionals need to be well aware of the challenges they pose for businesses and the simple ways to manage them. Navigating AI’s impacts on an ever-changing workplace may not always seem straightforward, but there are always ways to prioritise the employee while ensuring nobody in HR feels overwhelmed. If you’re struggling to investigate and resolve your employees’ grievances, get in touch with us today on 0300 303 2071 or send us an email for more information.
