When Grievances Arise

In John 17, Jesus tells his disciples that offences will come. These offences can come in many forms. The word offence in this setting refers to a snare. In my estimation, this snare can be temptation, it can be stumbling blocks, and it can be hurts and grievances. Regardless of the form of offense, it will happen. While we hate to consider the idea that there could be grievances in our churches and schools against another, we are all aware that this is an unfortunate reality in our fallen world. The devil is hard at work seeking who he may devour.

My work in nursing home administration requires me to deal with grievances, allegations and investigations on almost a daily basis. Dealing with these situations can be extremely challenging and galvanizing. While we hope that we never face a grievance or allegation, it is very important to have procedures laid out before they ever happen so that there is clarity on how things will be handled. While our Anabaptist schools and churches pose different challenges then I face in healthcare, there are some principles that can apply regardless of what setting in which we work. (It must be said before going further, that these methods of conducting an investigation are not in any way a replacement for reporting crime to the proper authorities. These methods are strictly meant for grievances in which we are seeking to find redemptive restoration of relationships.)

Facing a Grievance

When working with a population of residents with advanced dementia and a largely ungodly workforce, there are often things that are said and done that require an investigation. Most of the time, these investigations are unsubstantiated. However, there have been times in which a person has been found to mistreat someone and we have to follow the disciplinary process up to immediate termination, reporting the individual to the police, and reporting them to the licensing board for their professional licensure.

The first time that I was faced with a situation in which I was required to investigate an allegation, I was very uncertain of what to do. I had a resident with advanced dementia in a skilled nursing facility accuse a male CNA of inappropriate actions toward her. This was very stressful because I had not really prepared myself for what must be done in an investigation. Now, after performing more investigations then I can count, I have learned that a consistent procedure makes working through these challenges much easier and nothing to fear. 

Start with the End in Mind

When we have to face a grievance, it is important that we understand our end goal. While the outcome must be open ended, the final direction should be stated from the beginning. The goal should be to find restoration and healing for all involved. When we can keep the end goal in focus, we can face the grievance with grace and love. When we understand that restoration is the end goal, we can carefully walk each step in a way that promotes these goals.

Confidentiality

Anytime that there are grievances, it is paramount that strict confidentiality is maintained. I had a staff person once that would just pop in and ask questions about situations of which they were aware. They would say things like, “Do you notice too how no one likes this person?” Or sometimes they would be more subtle and slowly try to work it into a conversation. I had one employee that was not subtle at all and would ask me for the dirt. When I smiled and walked away after being asked for the dirt, they said, “I knew you couldn’t say but I just wanted to see if you would.” 

There is a temptation to feel a certain sense of power and ego when we know information about a situation. This is a temptation of Satan to further cause destruction. When confidentially is broken, we are no longer keeping the end in mind. Breaking confidentiality directly mitigates against hope and healing. While our procedures should have complete transparency, personal information should never be shared with those outside of the investigation.

Take Every Grievance Seriously

In one memorable investigation, we had a resident that was prone to being very vocal about his concerns. One morning, the coffee was not made when he wanted a cup of coffee. He proceeded to share with the kitchen staff that were just arriving how he felt about this. Following the incident, he began telling anyone that was willing to listen that the two dietary staff told him that he was a stupid old man and that he was nothing. While this was not unusual behavior for this resident, we had to take this allegation seriously. If the staff persons would have said what he alleged, we would have had to terminate the employment of the kitchen staff. Even if this resident were no longer able to properly process information due to diseases like dementia, we would still have handled the situation the exact same way.

Act Immediately

One of the most important elements of investigating grievances is to begin the process immediately. Waiting days and weeks may lead to distorted facts and possibly a faulty outcome. This action will look different in various situations. But the most important thing is that we act.

We need to focus on safety in these situations. While we have a general procedure, the exact steps we take are determined by the actual situation. For example, we cannot report a caregiver if it is not an allegation against a person. We also have to investigate things like bruises of unknown origin. In these situations, we do not usually have a person to report and so we adjust our investigation accordingly. If our investigation includes staff members, they are placed on administrative leave until the investigation is concluded. This is not only to protect the individual that filed the report, but it is also to protect the alleged perpetrator from further escalating the situation. The goal in the initial steps of the investigation should be focused on deescalating any altercation and providing for safety of all involved.   

Focus on Fact Finding

Once all parties are safe and the proper authorities are notified, we start the actual investigation. Any internal investigations should not in any way jeopardize any legal investigations. Many people bring in third parties to assist which is appropriate depending on the severity of the grievance.

The goal is to interview all those involved as either the offended, offender, and those that may have witnessed the situation. These interviews should be conducted in a way that does not lead a person to a specific conclusion. There should always be a witness in these interviews that is also a note taker. Having a designated note taker allows the interviewer to give the person their full attention. We should ask open-ended questions, such as, “Tell me what happened this morning.” If a person has been involved in a stressful situation, that is specific enough that they will know exactly what you mean. This allows them to talk freely. They have the freedom to talk about anything leading up to the grievance as well as the details of the grievance.

The interviewer should be prepared to ask clarifying questions in order to better understand the perspective of the person that they are interviewing. There are times where people do not want to talk, and so more specific questions become necessary. The person should not be able to detect your personal thoughts or biases about what may have happened. They need to be given the opportunity to talk. Once the interview is over, the interviewee should be asked to write a statement recapping what was just discussed and any details that they would like to add. This is their way of expressing things that they may have not felt comfortable saying.

Synthesizing the Data

Once all parties have been interviewed and all statements gathered, it is time to synthesize the information. This is when the primary interviewer and their witness spend some time talking about the things that they’ve heard. This must be a place in which each person can share their thoughts and feelings openly. Each interviewer must be willing to be open about any relevant biases and acknowledge them when discussing the facts. The goal of this step is to attempt to determine the facts and timeline to truly understand each aspect of the grievance.

Once those that are investigating have determined to the best of their ability what was the actual offense, they are then able to make recommendations for steps forward. Steps forward should never be determined prior to having all the information. Further, there are times in this step that as the data is synthesized, the interviewers determine from the information that has been gathered that they will need to interview more people with information that is directly or indirectly related to the grievance.

Finding Healing

This final step could fill entire books. Our goal should always be to lead all people to Jesus, the Great Physician. In John 14 Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except through me.” True healing comes only through Jesus and his shed blood. While methods may vary, the end goal must always be to bring people to Christ. Anything outside of this will be futile and potentially harmful.

Conclusion

Transparency and consistency work against the chaos created by the devil. When we follow consistent practices, there can be peace that the final outcome is likely as equitable as is able in the situation. While we hope and pray to never have to conduct an investigation or face an allegation, it is important that we have procedures developed prior to an offence in order to maintain integrity. When our procedures are predetermined and we follow them, there is not an opportunity for onlookers to suggest any kind of wrongdoing or cover up. 1 John 1:7 says: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash