✔️ [Org] Employee Relations Flashcards
HR’s role in policies and procedures
- Supports the development of policies by the organization’s leaders. Some policies, such as discipline and discharge, are driven by the organization’s culture, and the role of HR may be to help leaders apply the organization’s values to employment issues and determine policy positions.
- Facilitates development of procedures by other departments. Some departments assume the responsibility for many of their own department-level policies and procedures, while others will request HR support to develop consistent and thorough policies and procedures.
- Supports communication of policies throughout the organization. HR needs to ensure that managers are clear about the intent and/or specific terms of the policies and how to communicate and enforce them. As warranted, HR should provide related training for managers.
- Managers and supervisors should receive training on the organization’s policies and procedures, especially regarding the handling of conflict and discipline and development opportunities—perhaps by being mentored by experienced managers and supervisors.
Various forms of collective employee concerted activities taken to protest work conditions or employer actions.
Collective employee actions intend to interfere with an employer’s ability to fulfill its commercial interests.
Lockouts happen when the employer shuts down it’s operations to prevent employees from working
Industrial Action
Process that provides an orderly way to resolve the inevitable differences of opinion in regard to the union contract that develop during the life of the agreement.
Orderly way to resolve differences of opinion.
Grievance Procedure
Group of workers who coordinate their activities to achieve common goals in their relationship with an employer or group of employers; also called labor union.
Members elect representatives to interact with management. In some countries, trade unions may include managers and professionals as well as skilled and unskilled workers.
Labor Union or Trade Union
Agreement that requires specific contractors to accept certain conditions in project contracts, such as paying a fair wage and contributing to health insurance, pension, and training funds.
Project Labor Agreement: (PLA)
violation of the employee rights as defined in a country’s labor statues
Unfair Labor Practice (ULP)
Employees desire for increased wages and better benefits and working conditions
Economic Grievances
Form of corrective discipline that implements increasingly severe penalties for employees. Focuses on positive punishment
Constructive discipline aka progressive discipline
negative punishment is removing something of value (no promo)
Situation in which workers slow processes by performing tasks exactly to specifications or according to job or task descriptions.
Work-to-rule
Refusal by workers to work; also refusal by workers to leave their workstations, making it impossible for the employer to use replacement workers.
Sit down strike
Method of nonbinding dispute resolution by which a neutral third party tries to help disputing parties reach a mutually agreeable decision; also called conciliation.
Mediation
Method of dispute resolution by which disputing parties agree to be bound by the decision of one or more impartial persons to whom they submit their dispute for final determination.
Arbitration
Method of dispute resolution by which disputing parties agree to be bound by the decision of one or more impartial persons to whom they submit their dispute for final determination.
Arbitration
X is the right of workers to join (or not join) an organization of their choosing without prior authorization by their employer.
an individual worker to unite with other workers to promote desired employment conditions as a group?
Freedom of association
refers to the collaboration of governments, employers, and unions in developing contracts and resolving disputes. This is a common feature in some countries and an occasional feature in others
Tripartism
Action taken in support of another union that is striking the employer.
Sympathy Strike
Action of an employer to shut down operations to prevent employees from working.
Lockout
Positioning of employees at a place of work targeted for the action for the purpose of protest.
Picketing
Attempt by a union to influence an employer by putting pressure on another employer, for example, a supplier.
Secondary action
Umbrella term for the various approaches and techniques, other than litigation, that can be used to resolve a dispute.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Broad statement that reflects an organization’s philosophy, objectives, or standards concerning a particular set of management or employee activities.
Policy
“Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize,” prohibiting interference from public authorities and the requirement of authorization by employers
“Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining,” protecting workers from retaliation and obligating employers to negotiate with unions
“Forced Labor,” prohibiting forced and compulsory labor, except for military service, prison, and emergencies (for example, war, natural disaster)
“Abolition of Forced Labor,” prohibiting forced labor as a means of political coercion or punishment, retaliation for strikes, workforce mobilization, labor discipline, and discrimination
“Minimum Age,” prohibiting the hiring of children too young to have completed compulsory schooling and limiting employment in hazardous work to those 18 and over
“Worst Forms of Child Labor,” prohibiting any work likely to be harmful to the health, safety, and morals of children
“Equal Remuneration,” requiring equal pay and benefits for men and women
“Discrimination,” prohibiting discrimination in hiring, training, and working conditions and requiring employers to promote equality of opportunity and treatment
ILO eight core labor standards:
trade union bb
🔐 A Labor Union or Trade Union is a group of workers who coordinate their activities to achieve common goals (for example, better wages, hours, or working conditions; job security; training) in their relationship with an employer or group of employers. Members elect representatives to interact with management. In some countries, trade unions may include managers and professionals as well as skilled and unskilled workers.
HR’s role is not necessarily to develop workplace policies or procedures. In some instances, HR ….
- Supports the development of policies by the organization’s leaders. Some policies, such as discipline and discharge, are driven by the organization’s culture, and the role of HR may be to help leaders apply the organization’s values to employment issues and determine policy positions.
- Facilitates development of procedures by other departments. Some departments assume the responsibility for many of their own department-level policies and procedures, while others will request HR support to develop consistent and thorough policies and procedures.
- Supports communication of policies throughout the organization. HR needs to ensure that managers are clear about the intent and/or specific terms of the policies and how to communicate and enforce them. As warranted, HR should provide related training for managers.
- Managers and supervisors should receive training on the organization’s policies and procedures, especially regarding the handling of conflict and discipline and development opportunities—perhaps by being mentored by experienced managers and supervisors.
Info on handbooks
Key to the employment relationship is the employer’s clear communication of policies, often through an employee handbook or manual. Employee performance management, discipline, and termination should involve the employee’s understanding of the employer’s promises (for example, work terms, complaint procedures) and expectations of employee conduct (for example, ethics, compliance with policies such as antiharassment or substance use).
- In a workplace regulated by union contracts, the contract supersedes the employee handbook, but handbooks are still often used to clarify expectations
What does HR do if a strike occurs?
When a strike occurs, HR must implement contingency plans, deliver training, and arrange payment to replacement workers. If and when employees return to work, HR monitors the atmosphere in the workplace and intervenes to help resolve lingering conflicts associated with the strike
when considering a termination, what you need to do firstt
”- Never terminate on the spot. Always investiage first
- Make sure your investigation is thorough, complete, and well documented. The employee’s supervisor and department manager and/or human resources staff are normally involved. Collect evidence on both sides.
- Conduct employee interviews
- Always conduct a “final filter” review. Review the investigator’s findings and recommendations to determine if they are complete, accurate, etc., before making a final decision. Make sure that recommendations are consistent with previous similar situations.”
- HR professionals can take steps to ensure that employees understand work rules and expectations and that managers and supervisors are properly trained to deliver discipline in a manner that is organizationally and individually effective
- Ensure that the organization’s code of conduct reflects the organization’s values and complies with applicable laws and that the code is publicized adequately throughout the organization.
- Involve local HR in identifying local issues to be addressed in the code because of local laws or customs.
- Ensure training of all managers and supervisors—the key players in ensuring effective, appropriate, fair, and consistent discipline.
- Monitor compliance with policy and local practices.”
HR’s Role in Disciplinary Process
- First: informal mtg of the employee/s with their immediate manager. (Manager needs to fully understand the issue) (no hr)
- If it’s not resolved there, meet w a higher level of mgmt confidentially.
- Finally, communicate the results to the employee what mgmt decided. if stilll not happy, this can keep being escalated”
Dispute Resolution
- Adopt and disseminate a strong antiretaliation policy
- Inform employees about the process for reporting retaliation
- Train managers on it
- Remind supervisors of the orgs policy
- Monitor the treatment of employees
- Investigate allegations and take corrective action if necessary”
Workplace Retaliation Prevention
- Best-practice organizations encourage open-door/person-to-person meetings. If the meeting involves complaints or grievances, the issues are carefully documented. For these meetings to be effective, there has to be top management commitment. Neither formal steps nor equal opportunity describe a specific ADR process. Ideas from a suggestion box do not necessarily lead to discussions with management.
- The most important information to include in the employment contract involves the protection of the organization’s intellectual property (IP). The employee will have access to confidential information and research that would be of value to competitive firms. The organization must safeguard this information. The protection of IP is of particular importance when hiring scientists.
- ULPs are generally heard by labor boards, commissions, or tribunals. It would be unreasonable to allow a labor union to investigate its own alleged ULP. Unless stated in the collective bargaining agreement, a labor association would have no authority to act if a ULP is found to have occurred. A labor council serves in an advisory role and would have no authority to act if the alleged ULP was indeed committed.
