Should I speak to HR about ignored dept problems?

I am unhappy about the way things are running in my department. I have shared my grievances with the department head but nothing has been done. Is it right to speak to our HR? Milton

Dear Milton,
Your lauded for acting professionally to share your grievances, whether individual or collective, in your workplace with your head of department instead of fueling the rumour mill and/or gripping quietly with colleagues and sometimes with other stakeholders like customers, suppliers, etc, which is common in many enterprises. Organisations ordinarily have collective grievance handling mechanisms written in their HR (human resource) policy manuals, detailing how an aggrieved party can proceed to air their individual or collective concerns and get audience with senior management up to the CEO.
The grievance handling mechanisms include forums such as general departmental meetings where staff are encouraged to air out their concerns and demand explanations from their managers. Others have staff consultative councils consisting of elected employee representatives while others have recognised trade unions and elected shop stewards highlight staff grievances to management. In case of unavailability of grievance handling mechanism, the aggrieved, after informing the head of department and does not see any action, can take the next step of bringing the grievances to the HR manager of the company. He/she is then expected to take them up with your head of department whilst protecting the interests of the aggrieved party.
If the HR manager fails to find traction on the issues, then he can expressly take them up with the CEO of the company.

Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
Monitor Publications Limited
[email protected]