Three Scenarios of Hr Interest

Labor Relations, Employee Relations, and Global HR

Three Scenarios of HR Interest

James Layton

September 24, 2005

Abstract

Human Resource embraces the spirit of mission of teaching, research and training (NJIT Website). Human Resource core purpose is to facilitate the transformation of work life at any organization to a standard that surpasses the organizational planning objective (NJIT Website). Human Resource Departments has several goals to include attracting, developing and retaining a premier and diverse workforce; anticipating trends and consequently providing strategic solutions; fostering creativity, innovation, and learning as a whole to foster and facilitate change; ensure compliance with all federal, state and local regulations, as well as overseas labor laws where applicable; and to promote fair and equitable treatment for everyone in the workplace (NJIT Website). In this paper we will discuss three scenarios that require assistance from the Human Resource Department (NJIT Website).

Labor Relations, Employee Relations & Global Resources:

Three Scenarios of HR Interest

Scenario One

You are a supervisor in a small manufacturing plant. The union contract covering most of your employees is about to expire. How do you prepare for union contract negotiations?

According to "Impact Factory" it is best to start with training your staff to have negotiation skills.

Union Negotiations for Management personnel. It all starts with making sure that your managers are trained to handle the negotiations. You have to start with negotiating skills. (Impact Factory website)

Managers should prepare carefully for negotiations; they should not just react to union proposals (Maytree Foundation Website). Managers should assess how much change they can make in one round of negotiations and should also work carefully on the language of your proposals (Maytree Foundation Website). Managers should use several techniques to prepare for bargaining during the negotiation meeting (Dessler, pg. 579).

The negotiation of a new agreement means that you prepare, prepare, and prepare! An employer's negotiating team is in a tough position: it represents management but it must respond to and balance employee interests (Maytree Foundation Website). Preparation should start early and data should be compiled from a variety of angles to include pay and benefits that include comparisons with local pay rates and to rates paid for similar jobs within the industry (Dessler, pg. 579). Data on the distribution of the workforce (in terms of age, sex, and seniority, for instance) are also important, because these factors determine what the company will actually pay out in benefits (Dessler, pg. 579). Internal economic data regarding cost of benefits, overall earnings levels, and the amount and cost of overtime are important as well (Dessler, pg. 579).

The manager needs to understand in detail what is currently happening in the organization and what challenges are anticipated in the future (Maytree Foundation Website). Management priorities need to be sorted out and then converted into proposals, which are organizationally sound (Maytree Foundation Website). Managers should remember that bargaining involves more than simply reacting to union demands (Maytree Foundation Website). An absence of employer proposals reflects an absence of management preparation and consultation (Maytree Foundation Website). It is a loss of opportunity and credibility and the cost to an organization can be high (Maytree Foundation Website).

Union contract negotiations are very sensitive, because the negotiation affects the lives of many, the employer and the employee. You need to bring this information to the attention of the management team during the planning and preparation stages of negotiations. These negotiations have to have the correct setting and atmosphere that encourages the employer and the union and the employees to come to a workable and productive agreement that suit all. The negotiating process is designed to promote the balancing of the rights and interests of employees and the union with those of management, and to foster a two-way flow of communication. (faa.gov website)

Scenario Two

As the supervisor of a small manufacturing firm, you need to construct a plan for reducing both accidents and stress on the plant floor. How would you proceed and why?

As a supervisor who was tasked to construct a plan for reducing both accidents and stress in the workplace my first step would be to get top management's involvement. I would be sure to get top management personally involved all the safety activities (Dessler, pg. 611). Safety in the workplace would always be on the agenda for weekly meetings.

The next step would be to implement a safety policy and to make sure that all employees are familiar with the new policy. Once the policy was in place informing people that safety would become a priority, I would then look into re-designing jobs so as to remove or reduce physical hazards where possible (Dessler, pg. 615). Then I would make the physical workplace as accident free as possible by probably slip-reducing floors, better lighting, and a system in place where spills could be quickly blocked-off (Dessler, pg. 615).

Job rotations would also be considered in other to help reduce employees stress by one in one location at all times (Dessler, pg. 617). Rotation provides variety in workers' movements or positions and, in the process, decreases the likelihood of strains and sprains from prolonged repetitious movements (Ini.Wa.gov Website). Another way to reduce stress is exercising which is also good to help stay awake which in itself reduces accidents (Ini.Wa.gov Website). Employees would be introduced to the benefits of proper body mechanics along with a stretching-exercise program (Ini.Wa.gov Website). Employees would be encouraged to exercise intermittently, for example, while they wait for the next unit on the