Muscat: In a significant development, the Ministry of Labour has implemented a novel complaints and grievances mechanism, as stipulated in Ministerial Decision No. 617/2024. This directive mandates that organizations employing 50 or more individuals establish a formal framework to address concerns raised by their workforce.
This regulatory framework offers employees a structured avenue for lodging complaints or grievances concerning decisions made by their employers. Although employees retain the right to directly lodge grievances with the Ministry, the new system is designed to foster resolution at the organizational level prior to escalating the matter externally.
The process unfolds as follows:
1. Employees are initially required to submit their complaint or grievance directly to their immediate supervisor, who is obligated to provide a response within a working day.
2. Should the supervisor fail to respond or dismiss the grievance, the employee is empowered to escalate the matter to either the employer or their representative, who is then mandated to respond within five working days.
3. In the event of no response or a dismissal of the grievance at this juncture, the employee may proceed to seek resolution by submitting the grievance to the administrative division of the Ministry of Labour.
It is incumbent upon employers to furnish their employees with an approved copy of the newly established complaints and grievances system, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability within the workplace environment.
