Justice on the Job

After years of relinquishing their civil rights at the office or plant door, nonunion workers in America are now looking for a form of due process at work-or failing that, in the courts. Justice on the Job heralds a small but growing trend toward effective in-house procedures designed to handle employee complaints & head off litigation. It is more than just a coincidence that some of the companies enjoying the greatest measure of employee commitment are companies that also maintain successful nonunion grievance procedures. Such a system-whether it takes the form of the investigators at CIGNA in Philadelphia, Federal Express's dual system in Los Angeles-represents a net gain for the organization seeking to reduce Litigation costs, avoid unions, reinforce personnel policy, and, in general, do the right thing by employees. Justice on the Job shows "how to tell due process when you see it," outlines the benefits & pitfalls of different systems, explores why due process works, examines what can go wrong, & recommends what kinds of systems to establish. Ewing provides detailed case studies of corporate justice systems such as "Let's Talk" at Bank of America, "The Open Door" at IBM, Control Data's "Review Board," & SmithKline Beckman's grievance procedure. Without a doubt, due process always makes a difference, contributing distinctly & positively to employee relations-a difference that may mean getting & keeping the best employees in the years ahead.