EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Managing employer-employee relationships Company's efforts to prevent and resolve problems

arising from situations at work A human resources strategy designed to ensure

the most effective use of people to accomplish the organization's mission

Goals

To increase employee satisfaction and maintain good morale among workers

To provide fair and consistent treatment to all employees so they will be committed to their jobs and loyal to the company

Teamwork “Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and

collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek

Stages in Team Development

1. Forming team members share personal information, start to get to know and accept one another, and begin turning their attention toward the group’s task

2. Storming team members compete for status, aims for positions of relative control, and argue about appropriate directions for the group; tensions may arise

3. Norming team begins to move together in a cooperative fashion and a balance emerges; group norms evolve to guide individual behavior and a cooperative spirit blooms

4. Performing team matures and learns how to handle complex challenges; roles are performed and tasks are efficiently accomplished

Ingredients for Team Success

Supportive environment Necessary Skills Clarification of expected roles Knowledge of overall goal Team rewards

Forming Storming Norming Performi

ng

F.A.C.T.S Model of Effective Team Member Behaviors

Follow-through – everything an employee does or does not do, impacts someone else

Accuracy – commitment to uphold the standards of the team

Creativity – innovation flourishes in a team when individuals feel supported by colleagues

Timeliness – cooperate by respecting the time of others and making team priorities their personal priorities

Spirit – being in a team is like being a part of a family. To add value, you must develop generous spirit towards colleagues

Conflict ManagementInstitutional Values: Every employee should expect a workplace where they are treated with dignity, respect, and freedom from harassment

Conflict arises from: Scheduling Communication breakdowns Staffing Priorities Cost Pressure Personal problems Administrative Procedures Inadequate Interpersonal Skills Differing expectations Personality conflicts

Communication is key. Misunderstandings are mostly responsible for employer-employee and employee-employee conflicts.

Impact and Intent Diagram

AWARE UNAWAREYOUR INTENTIONS OTHER PEOPLE’S

INTENTIONSOTHER PEOPLE’S IMPACT

ON YOUYOUR IMPACT ON OTHER

PEOPLE

** Those that are under the things an employee is unaware of are considered blind spots in employee’s relations with co-workers

Conflict has both verbal and non-verbal indicators.

Considerations for Detecting Conflict

Conflict is normal. Causes are diverse and multifaceted. Not all conflict is out in the open. An open and honest environment encourages a sense

of support

Dispute Resolution

Types of Dispute Resolution:

1. Grievance Procedure formal type of dispute resolution covers a wide range of issues, for example terms and conditions of employment; health and safety issues affecting the employee; bullying and harassment; discrimination; their working environment, etc.

2. Alternative Dispute Resolution internal method of conflict resolution has two types:

Facilitation: Employee Relations staff are available to work with employees, supervisors and departments to facilitate formal or informal discussions designed to clarify issues, improve communication, repair misunderstandings and restore productivity.

Mediation: more focused and formal kind of facilitation; parties in conflict agree to meet with a trained mediator; guides the process so the principal parties can explore issues, express feelings, discuss interests and identify possible solutions

3 Techniques That Help Members Shift Obstructing Mindsets

1. Reframing – seeing a situation from a different perspective

2. Shifting shoes – putting yourself in the position of a co-worker and understanding how he or she reacts to a certain situation

3. Affirmations – learn to acknowledge other people’s strengths and reinforce positive and effective behaviors in the workplace

UNIONSWhy Do Workers Organize?

Solidarity - To get their fair share of the pie. - Improved wages, hours, working conditions, and

benefits - To protect themselves from management

whims.

Conditions favoring employee organization- Low morale - Fear of job loss - Arbitrary management actions

Union Security

1. Closed shop – The company can hire only union members. Congress outlawed this in 1947, but it still exists in some industries (such as printing).

2. Union shop

– The company can hire nonunion people, but they must join the union after a prescribed period of time and pay dues. (If not, they can be fired.)

3. Agency shop – Employees who do not belong to the union still must pay union dues on the assumption that the union’s efforts benefit all the workers.

4. Open shop – It is up to the workers whether or not they join the union—those who do not, do not pay dues.

5. Maintenance of membership arrangement –Employees do not have to belong to the union. However, union members employed by the firm must maintain membership in the union for the contract period.

The Collective Bargaining Process

What Is collective bargaining? –Both management and labor are required by law to negotiate wage, hours, and terms and conditions of employment ― in good faith.

What Is good faith bargaining? - Both parties communicate and negotiate. - They match proposals with counterproposals in a reasonable effort to arrive at an agreement. - It does not mean that one party compels another to agree to a proposal or make any specific concessions.

Classes of Bargaining Items

Voluntary (permissible) bargaining items - Items in collective bargaining over which bargaining is neither illegal nor mandatory—neither party can be compelled against its wishes to negotiate over those items.

Illegal bargaining items –Items in collective bargaining that are forbidden by law; for example, a clause agreeing to hire ―union members exclusively would be illegal in a right-to-work state.

Mandatory bargaining items –Items in collective bargaining that a party must bargain over if they are introduced by the other party—for example, pay.

Bargaining Stages

1. Presentation of initial demands –Both parties are usually quite far apart on some issues.

2. Reduction of demands

–Each side trades off some of its demands to gain others.

3. Subcommittee studies –The parties form joint subcommittees to try to work out reasonable alternatives.

4. An informal settlement –Each group goes back to its sponsor. Union seeks to have members vote to ratify the agreement.

5. Signing the formal agreement

ETHICS The principles of conduct governing an individual or a

group, specifically, the standards you use to decide what your conduct should be.“For many managers, recruitment and placement,

training and development, and compensation are the heart of human resource management. But employees

expect something more. They expect their employers to treat them fairly, and to have a safe work environment.”

Ethics and the Law

–A behavior may be legal but unethical. –A behavior may be illegal but ethical. –A behavior may be both legal and ethical. –A behavior may be both illegal and unethical.

Determinants of Ethics

Unalienable Rights-Rights that cannot be surrendered and transferred

Public Policy- consists of political decisions for implementing programs to achieve societal goals

Employment RightsWhat Shapes Ethical Behavior at Work?

Individual factors Organizational factors The boss’s influence Ethics policies and codes The organization’s culture

HR Ethics Activities

Staffing and selection - Fostering the perception of fairness in the processes of recruitment and hiring of people.

Training- How to recognize ethical dilemmas- How to use ethical frameworks (such as codes of conduct) to resolve problems- How to use HR functions (such as interviews and disciplinary practices) in ethical ways

Performance appraisal- Appraisals that make it clear the company adheres to high ethical standards by measuring and rewarding employees who follow those standards.

Reward and disciplinary systems- The organization swiftly and harshly punishes unethical conduct

Workplace aggression and violence- Taking care that HR actions do not foster perceptions of inequities that translate into dysfunctional behaviors by employees

MANAGING DISMISSALSDismissal – Involuntary termination of an employee’s employment with the firm.

Terminate-at-will rule – Without a contract, the employee can resign for any reason, at will, and the employer can similarly dismiss the employee for any reason (or no reason), at will.

Grounds for Dismissal

Unsatisfactory performance Misconduct in the workplace Lack of qualifications for the Changed requirements or elimination of the job

Layoffs - Temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of employees

EMPLOYEE RETENTION“You can’t expect people to be committed, to be loyal to an organization, to be engaged in an organization, [or] to

want to stay in an organization if the company doesn’t care about them.”

– David Sirota

Function of the HR department tasked with reducing the number of employees leaving the company by improving key processes and conditions

Goal

The ultimate aim is happier, loyal employees that actively want to remain with the company.

Top Reasons Why Employees Leave

Fail to connect with their bosses as leaders and people Work environment is not particularly friendly Do not feel appreciated

Managers will not listen to employees

Other Reasons Why Employees Leave

Limited career growth or opportunity Lack of respect for supervisor Higher compensation Felt their job duties were unchallenging Felt their supervisor lacked leadership skills For better work hours

Employee demography of those who do not stay on the job

Employees who have worked with an organization for six or fewer months are the ones most likely to leave the company.

Those with one to two years’ experience are the next most likely to leave.

Importance of Employee Retention

Employees are the heart and soul of an organization Employee turnover is costly for an organization Finding suitable replacements for key employees is

difficult Low employee turnover leads to outstanding

performance of an organization

Why Do Employees Stay?

Have a good connection with their boss Workplace is a team oriented environment Want to contribute, feel wanted Workplace is a “climate for learning characterized by

trust and openness”

Feel supported Can balance work and life Offered programs like childcare

What Do Employees Want? [Secrets to Employee Retention]

Equity and job security Communication Pride and teamwork Fun Recognition

Assessing Employee Satisfaction

Assure subordinates that they are free to express their opinions without fear of negative repercussions.

Consider seeking the services of a third party to survey staff.

Share the survey findings and a plan of action with the team.