AI is fueling grievance sophistication in workplaces, as employees harness tech for crafting their claims.
A grievance tool for employers and employees: Companies have evolved significantly from the days of handwritten complaint forms dropped into a suggestion box. Today’s employee grievance processes are supported by intricate workflows and are increasingly utilizing AI to assist HR practitioners in managing employee relations and cases.
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It’s no surprise then that employees are also leveraging AI to craft more sophisticated and detailed complaints. In a recent case in Ireland, the Workplace Relations Commission warned a Ryanair employee against the use of AI in generating a written submission which contained various ‘AI hallucinations’ with respect to citing unrelated legal cases.
The team at Lewis Silken have identified 5 key areas in which AI generated complaints are impacting the work of the HR team:
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AI created complaints tend to be longer and less well structured
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There is a tendency to introduce legal interpretations and cases which may or may not be relevant
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The complaints tend to include issues beyond the employee’s real intent and core concerns
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Employees may unintentionally put confidential information onto public AI platforms
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AI often provides quasi-legal advice, which is out of context to the specific situation, and potentially more optimistic than the reality
The outcome for HR practitioners is undoubtedly more work and longer time frames to address employee concerns. Complaints which introduce legal cases require additional expertise to review and potentially additional costs through engagement with counsel.
AI assisted complaints are here to stay: There are generally no rules to prevent the use of AI in crafting a submission. And in some cases, AI can assist employees to articulate their issues in plain language. So how do HR Practitioners navigate this new approach?
