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    1.Introduction

    The term employee relations refer to the competitive & cooperative relationships that arise out of the employment of labor by an enterprise. Each party tries to achieve several goals in the process

    of their interaction in a work situation. The employer wants to use each worker to maximize the

    efficiency, prestige, profitability of the organization, the worker attempts to achieve job security

    higher income, & self satisfaction from the job.

    An employee relations system includes all the individuals & institutions that interact at

    the workplace. It describes & explains how these individuals & institutions relate to one another,

    how the terms of employment are determined & how labor problems handled. Prof. John Dunlop

    first introduced the conceptual framework of an industrial relations system in late 50s. Since then

    it has been used extensively to analyze the similarities & differences that exist in industrial

    relations practice in particular firms, industries & countries & to focus on interrelations between

    components.

    Employee relations system exists at many different levels. Regardless of the level at which

    the system operates an industrial

    relations system can viewed as having

    three components

    A set of individual & institutionsthat interact.

    A context within which theinteraction takes place

    An output that serves to governthe future relations of the parties.

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    People in organizations interact with each other during work, formally and officially as well

    as socially and informally. During the course of interaction, relationships develop, which are

    invisible connecting links, colored by emotions of love, hate, repulsion, respect, fear, anxiety and

    so on. These are usually mutual but not necessarily reciprocal. If A hates B, it does not follow

    that B hates A. It is possible that B loves and sympathizes with thoughts of A.

    Relationships imply feelings for each other. They may be positive (friendly, wanting to be

    close) or negative (unfriendly, wanting to be distant). Relationships always exist between

    interacting persons. There is no neutral point. Indifference is not neutral. Indifference tends to be

    negative. Relationships influence behaviors at work. Expectations of each other, perceptions of

    the intentions of either, distributions of assignments, readiness to conform or to rebel, enthusiasm

    to contribute, etc., are to some extent outcomes of these relationships. Attitudes and motivations

    influence, and sare influenced by, the nature of these

    relationships.

    Employees are among an organi zation' s most important

    audi ences with the potential to be it s most effective

    ambassadors.

    Employee Relations are practices or initiatives for ensuring that Employees are happy

    and are productive. Employee Relations offers assistance in a variety of ways including

    employee recognition, policy development and interpretation, and all types of problem solving

    and dispute resolution. Once there was a time when "Employee Relations" meant labor relations

    everywhere around the world. HR professionals helped negotiate, Orchestrate and Dictate

    collective bargaining agreements. The provisions of that contract defined the relationship between management, unions, and workers.

    Today, Employee Relations is a much broader concept. It involves maintaining a work

    environment that satisfies the needs of individual employees and management. Improving

    employee morale, building company culture, conveying expectations etc. Employees in such

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    organizations develop attitudes very different from those in another organization that does not

    make any such distinction and is more secular in its policies. These different attitudes will be

    reflected in their behaviors outside the organization and will either strengthen or weaken the

    social fabric. An organization, in which authority is highly centralized and does not allow its

    people enough discretion, will develop among its people tendencies for dependency and inability

    to take responsibility.

    These tendencies are handicaps in their roles as parents or citizens. The extent of concern

    shown for the effect of working conditions on employees health has an impact on the society,

    not merely in terms of general health and costs on medical care, but also in terms of the kind of

    activities that the members of the society participate in.

    When an organization is sensitive to its impact on society, and responds to the soci etys

    concerns, it is said to be socially responsive. On the contrary, if it is concerned only with its own

    purposes and ignores the impact that it has on society, it is said to be socially not responsive.

    Relationships also contribute to stress and conflicts at work, which in turn, affect quality of work

    life of individuals as well as the quality of organizational outputs, measured in terms of customer

    satisfaction, competitive advantage, innovation, and so on.

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    1.2Classification of Employee Relations

    Employee Relations can be classified in 3 types, with HRM intervening:

    1. Downward communications flow from employer to the employees,

    2. Upward Communications flow from employees to employer, and

    3. Horizontal communication flow amongst the employees.

    Downward communication :-

    Training and Induction:-

    Every new employee needs a company orientation, but most supervisors forget that

    employees also need to be orientated to the company's VISION in addition to learning their coworkers' names, company policies, history, philosophy, procedure and rules. The company's

    vision statement tells the employee where the company is going, what their role will be, and how

    success and achievement will be measured.

    Achieving great performance in the company is a journey, not a destination. For any

    business to succeed one must first recognize that the people are the greatest asset, and service is

    the most valuable product. Continuous improvement by training and developing employees iscritical for business survival.

    Recent U.S. workforce demographics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

    make a compelling case for businesses of all sizes to begin planning for ongoing training of

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    employees. Experts project that 60% of new jobs in the early 21st century will require

    skills poss essed by only 20% of todays workforce.

    Technology is raising the skill level requirements for the best and fastest growing jobs,

    but schools and adult learning programs are not keeping pace. The likely result is that demandfor highly skilled workers will outstrip the supply of qualified workers in the coming years.

    These statistics would seem to move training and employee development to the list of services in

    high demand.

    Benefits

    Benefits often have a higher impact on employee recruitment and retention than

    compensation. Employees who know their needs are met are also more likely to contribute to a

    positive morale.

    Besides the customary Allowance,

    For Workers:- Attendance bonus, Over Time Allowance which is double the Basic,

    House Rent Allowance, Education Allowance, Conveyance Allowance which is fixed as

    per 6 scales of the workers, and Leave Travel Allowance amongst others.

    For Staff:- Basic, Attendance Bonus, Production Incentive, House Rent Allowance,

    Education, Leave Travel Allowance, and Annual Bonus amongst others.

    Companies also provide Monetary Benefits to the workforce like Sodexho Meal Vouchers,

    medical reimbursement

    Safety:-

    Health and safety risks may arise from physically dangerous work, such as work with

    hazardous machinery or relate to less immediately visible factors such as exposure to pollution.

    Accidents and ill health may ruin or seriously impair the lives of employees and their

    dependents. Precautions should be taken by the organization and training should be provided for

    the same to the employee. Also, policies against sexual harassment or misbehavior form a part of

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    safety. An employee free from worries about health and safety will work productively and

    efficiently.

    Career Development and job opportunities:-

    Career Paths determine the optimum movement and utilization of people in the

    organization. Therefore, due care should be given to various elements of the position including

    job analysis and the competency requirements at each stage.

    Stress management and Recreation facilities:-

    Working Hours and Holidays need to reflect an adequate balance of the quality of work

    life of all employees. It is recognized that for certain categories of employees business related

    work may transcend the routine office timings; whilst for other categories business may be

    purely confined to the work hours and timings. The quotation all work and no play can make

    jack a dull boy is apt for the company to understand the importance of recreation facilities.

    Collective problem solving:-

    It is the duty of the HR to find ways of resolving issues between employees on one hand

    and employees and Management on the other. As long as there are human beings at the work

    place there would always be need for arbitration amongst them.

    It is at this time that HR should use the "grape vine channel" to its advantage and call

    officers to a round table for reconciliation and if it is between workers and Management shouldways of brokering peace. Although the trade unions are expected to only deal with matters

    concerning workers, it can be argued that everything that happens within a company, including

    product development and business strategies, affects workers one way or other and trade unions

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    Employees may also reduce turnover and absences when they begin to feel that working

    conditions are satisfactory and that they are becoming more successful in their jobs. They

    identify themselves with the work and this leads to an improved performance.

    Rewards and Recognition:-

    The purpose of an employee recognition and reward program is to express the employers

    appreciation for a job well done. Employee recognition and rewards can take many forms, from a

    simple thank you note to cash to an extravagant awards ceremony, just to name a few.

    Generally, recognition and rewards can be distinguished in two categories . At all these

    companies, recognition is distinguished as a pat on the back or a word of praise, growth

    prospects and competent supervision amongst others. Alternative monetary rewards include

    incentives, bonuses, and commissions. In addition, employees put a great value on benefits such

    as life insurance, disability insurance, health and/or retirement benefits, and perks.

    Top performing companies have begun documenting "best practices" which show a

    direct relationship between employee morale and productivity, profitability, turnover and

    retention, thus measuring the value of human resources.

    Upward Communi cation: -

    Feedback:-

    It is the job of the supervisor to guide the employee into understanding which of their

    ideas for change will be helpful in meeting the company's goals. A good supervisor also guides

    each of their employees differently because similar to Pokmon, each employee offers unique

    talents and will evolve into different forms of advanced employees

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    Performance appraisal:-

    Most managers say they want to pay for performance, but few sit down and conduct a

    performance review with an employee. Raises, Career paths, training plans, and departmental

    productivity are impacted by an employees performance.

    In addition, a well-designed, effectively implemented appraisal system can provide solid

    documentation of performance accomplishments or problems that the supervisor can use to

    justify or defend a wide range of personnel actions or decisions.

    H orizontal Relation Communication: -

    Annual events and magazines:-

    Annual events are a way of getting to know the employee on a personal level. It is also a

    team building exercise and is common in all companies

    In-house magazines too are common. They tell the employee about the company and

    articles encourage employee participation.

    Welfare activities:-

    The objective of providing welfare facilities is to ensure that employee attention is notdiverted from work to maintenance activities. It also aims to provide a caring environment that

    enhances the satisfaction of the employee with working conditions

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    1.3Status of Employer Employee relationship Paradigm

    Employees promise to: Employers promise to provid

    Work hard Pay commensurate with performance

    Uphold company reputation Opportunities for training and development

    Maintain high levels of attendance and

    Punctuality

    Opportunities for promotion

    Show loyalty to the organization Recognition for innovation or new idea

    Work extra hours when required Feedback on performance

    Develop new skills and update old ones Interesting tasks

    Be flexible An attractive benefits package

    Be courteous to clients and colleagues Respectful treatment

    Be honest Reasonable job security

    Come up with new ideas A pleasant and safe working environment

    Table 1 - Empl oyer Employee relati onship Paradigm

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    1.4 Benefits of Good Employee Relations

    The Gallup Or ganization publ ished research proved that a more engaged employee is

    also a more productive employee . The research also proved, that a more engaged employee isalso a more profitable employee, a more customer-focused employee, a safer employee, and an

    employee who is more likely to withstand temptations to jump ship and in turn it is also true that

    the longer employees stay with an organization, the less engaged they become.

    1. Reduced Absenteeism:-

    One reason, outside of illness, that employees are absent is stress, and the number one

    reason employees are stressed has to do with their relationship with their manager/supervisor.

    Management styles that are too authoritarian tend to promote high levels of absenteeism among

    employees also increase turnover, job burnout, and employee health problems such as backaches

    and headaches. Employees may also reduce turnover and absences when they begin to feel that

    working conditions are satisfactory and that they are becoming more successful in their jobs.

    In addition, these programs help reduce turnover thereby reducing your training,

    recruiting, and administrative human resource expenses.

    2. Improved Morale & Motivation.:-

    The secret of creating a motivating employee review lies in the relationship between

    expectations of the employee & the actual. The right combination provides with a highly

    motivated employee. Maintaining good Employee Relations creates an environment of trust and

    increases morale. This improves the motivation of the employee. A motivated employees

    behavior is contagiou s and beneficial for the growth of the company

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    3. Harmony in the organization :-

    Increase in the level of job satisfaction has a direct relation with the smooth workflow.

    There will be lesser arguments and more discussions. Employees will be ready to share

    information and help each other out. A good relation with the employee also inculcatesdiscipline. Thus harmony is maintained.

    4. Lesser attrition - reduced cost on training, less cost of retention :-

    A reduced attrition rate will reduce the cost of training and induction. No new employees

    will need to start afresh. The company can save on getting to know new employees.

    GPI spends around Rs.5 Lakhs on training every year with the attrition rate being less

    than 2 %. For TAJ, There is a bloodbath in Mumbai today, with seven hotels cheek-by-jowl near

    the airport. Retention of talent is the chief challenge. Staff is routinely poached by not just

    industry competitors but also banks, call centers & others. On the upside, they are the biggest &

    the most profitable chain and apparently enjoy an attrition rate which is lowest in the industry.

    5. Attract good talent :-

    Attracting the most qualified employees and matching them to the jobs for which they are

    best suited is important for the success of any organization. A good company with good

    Employee Relations will be talked about. For example, there are companies like TATA, HLL,

    Birlas, or Infosys where people would be glad to work. TAJ wants to create an image where, if

    10 employees are interviewed and 1 gets selected, then th e rest shoul d feel sorry, not for being

    unemployed but for losing a wonderf ul opportuni ty to work for TAJ .

    Knowledge about satisfying work places with comfortable working conditions and

    friendly work culture and transparency in the organization are always passed through the

    grapevine and thus attract employees. Later its the job of the recruitment cell to hire employees

    as per the requirements.

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    6. Responsible for increase in productivity.-

    As the saying goes, a happy worker is a productive worker . Thus a satisfied worker will

    take lesser breaks, spend lesser time in the canteen gossiping and more time working for thecompany. There will be Greater commitment which means quality output.

    There will be loyalty and less wastage of company resources. The employee will seek for

    opportunities for intensifying the business and look out for new chances of expanding the

    company. They identify themselves with the work and this leads to an improved performance.

    Finally, the act of participation in itself establishes better communication, as people mutually

    discuss work problems.

    7. Open to organizational / hierarchical changes (flexibility)

    The workers self -esteem, job satisfaction, and cooperative with the

    management are improved. The results often are reduced conflict

    and stress, more commitment to goals, and better acceptance of a

    change.

    8. Shared learning and Continuous improvement.

    A satisfied employee will look for ways of continuous improvement. They will

    participate in programs such as kaizen and try for the better of the company. Employees in a

    good employee relation management will share their new learnings and wisdom with his

    colleagues.

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    1.5 Why Employee Relationship Management?

    Human Resource vendors as well as Customer Relationship Management Vendors are

    trying to offer solutions for Employee Relationship Management. Employee Relationship

    Management is a science as old as business itself. One of the first technologies to improve

    employee relationship was the telephone and later the fax. So what is Employee relationship

    management all about?

    Defining employee relationship management is more difficult than defining something

    like Customer Relationship management. The nature of the relationship between a company and

    employee is far more complex than the relationship with customers. Customers simply go off to

    competitors when the relationship is not working while unhappy employees can remain for long

    periods in the company. Customers only experience the company at some key points of truth

    while employees are daily experiencing a relationship with their employer. The employee

    experience the relationship with the employer from the moment the employee enters into a

    workspace. Their moments of truth are overshadowed by a total experience over a period of

    time.

    The question is however: "Why do we need Employee Relationship Management?

    Before answering this question we need to reflect on what constitutes a relationship.

    We have a relationship between two parties when;

    - They feel close to each other,

    - They have report with each other,

    - They communicate,

    - They are sympathetic to each other

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    - They are responsive,

    - They feel empathy with each other.

    A good relationship is a relationship where there is a reciprocal exchange of value

    between two parties. Both parties must want to be part of that relationship and contribute to the

    relationship to work. We believe that Employee Relationship Management will improve

    productivity by improving:

    - Employee morale

    - Employee loyalty

    - Employee turnaround

    - Employee communication

    - Employee change readiness

    The problem with a relationship is that it is much like an iceberg. The visible part of therelationship is only the tip of the iceberg that is visible above the water level. Most of the factors

    that determine the quality of a relationship is beneath the water. All these are done with the aim

    of improving productivity rather than interacting with employees.

    The question is: Can Technology help improve employee relationships especially if

    such a large part of the relationship is based on hidden element?

    Technology has already contributed to improving employee relationships: -

    - Companies already employ HR systems to ensure that employees get paid out the correct

    salaries on time

    - HR system allows employees to manage training as well as their leave.

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    - Advance companies have performance measurement systems that assist with the monitoring

    and feedback of performance by linking it to bonus schemes.

    - Work flow systems help to manage and coordinate the flow of work to and from employees.

    - Organizational structure diagramming helped to make reporting lines and responsibilities clear.

    - Business information management technologies provide employees with up to date

    information.

    - Knowledge management technologies help employees to share knowledge of what is happening

    in the company.

    - Email, company portals and electronic calendars are already tools in use in most companies.

    - Chief Executives have use blogging as a means to directly communicate with employees.

    - Online self training courses help employees to stay up to date with the latest developments in

    the industry

    These technologies improved efficiencies rather than relationships. The question is: "Can

    these technologies really help to improve employee relationships?" I think they can if these

    technologies are integrated and shaped around the needs of each employee.

    A company will benefit only from Employee Relationship Management technologies if

    there are clear guidelines and rules of how these technologies should be used. A culture that

    values the employee must pervade the organization before these technologies can begin to make

    a positive contribution.

    Without a clear management adoption of employee centered values these technologies

    can become a destructive force which spread a negative morale rather than a positive one.

    Employee relationship management tools breaks down the dependency on hierarchical command

    and control systems and introduces more and more a self organizing culture of employees that

    are networked to collaborate on points of need. Technology can definitely assist but old style

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    interpersonal skills and conflict resolution techniques are still forming the baseline requirements

    for effective Employee Relationship Management

    1.6 Problems of Employee Relations

    Stress at WORK:-

    Stress at work is a relatively new phenomenon of modern lifestyles. The nature of work

    has gone through drastic changes over the last century and it is still changing at whirlwind speed.

    They have touched almost all professions, starting from an artist to a surgeon, or a commercial

    pilot to a sales executive. With change comes stress, inevitably. Professional stress or job stress

    poses a threat to physical health. Work related stress in the life of organized workers,

    consequently, affects the health of organizations.

    WHAT'S IT?

    Job stress is a chronic disease caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively

    affect an individual's performance and/or overall well-being of his body and mind. One or more

    of a host of physical and mental illnesses manifests job stress. In some cases, job stress can be

    disabling. In chronic cases a psychiatric consultation is usually

    required to validate the reason and degree of work related stress.

    Working on a project on stress at work, Andy Ellis, Ruskin College,

    Oxford, UK, has shown in a chart how stress can adversely affect an

    employee's performance. In the early stages job stress can 'rev up'

    the body and enhance performance in the workplace, thus the term 'I

    perform better under pressure'.

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    However, if this condition is allowed to go unchecked and the body is revved up further,

    the performance ultimately declines and the person's health degenerates.

    SYMPTOMS:-

    The signs of job stress vary from person to person, depending on the particular situation,

    how long the individual has been subjected to the stressors, and the intensity of the stress itself.

    Typical symptoms of job stress can be:

    Insomnia

    Loss of mental concentration

    Conflict

    Anxiety, stress

    Absenteeism

    Depression,

    Substance abuse,

    Extreme anger and frustration,

    Family

    Physical illness

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    Workers working with heavy machinery are under constant stress to remain alert. In this case

    both the worker and their family members live under constant mental stress. There is also the

    constant pressure to keep up with technological breakthroughs and improvisations, forcing

    employees to learn new software all the times.

    4. WORKPLACE CULTURE

    Adjusting to the workplace culture, whether in a new company or not, can be intensely

    stressful. Making oneself adapt to the various aspects of workplace culture such as

    communication patterns, hierarchy, dress code if any, workspace and most importantly working

    and behavioral patterns of the boss as well as the co-workers, can be a lesson of life.

    Maladjustment to workplace cultures may lead to subtle conflicts with colleagues or even with

    superiors. In many cases office politics or gossips can be major stress inducers.

    5.PERSONAL OR FAMILY PROBLEMS:-

    Employees going through personal or family problems tend to carry their worries and

    anxieties to the workplace. When one is in a depressed mood, his unfocused attention or lack of

    motivation affects his ability to carry out job responsibilities.

    5. JOB STRESS AND WOMEN

    Women may suffer from mental and physical harassment at workplaces, apart from the

    common job stress. Sexual harassment in workplace has been a major source of worry for

    women, since long. Women may suffer from tremendous stress such as 'hostile work

    environment harassment', which is defined in legal terms as 'offensive or intimidating behavior

    in the workplace'. This can consist of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct. These can be a

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    constant source of tension for women in job sectors. Also, subtle discriminations at workplaces,

    family pressure and societal demands add to these stress factors.

    6. THE SURVIVAL SUTRAS:-

    Because change is constant in life, stress is an integral part of it. Since we don't want to perish

    under it, we have to adhere to the bottom line for

    survival adapt.

    FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE LONG-TERM

    TIPS TO SURVIVE STRESS:-

    Even if we feel secured in a habituated life, the truth

    remains that changing with the times makes one's position

    more secure. In today's business climate, you must continually be prepared for changes to avoid

    stress and survive in the competitive world.

    Find and protect whatever time you get to refresh, re-energize and re-motivate

    yourself. Spend quality time with your family. This can be an excellent source of

    emotional and moral support.

    Avoid giving in to alcohol, smoking and other substance abuses while under constant stress.

    Develop positive attitudes towards stressful situations in life. Give up negative mental traits

    such as fear, anger and revengeful attitudes, which actually germinate stress. Try to revert toholistic relaxation and personal growth techniques such as meditation, breathing and exercises, to

    remodel your lifestyles.

    In case of chronic stress consult a health professional .

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    Reduce workplace stress by celebrating yours or your colleagues' accomplishments.

    Adapting to demands of stress also means changing your personality. Improve your line of

    communication, efficiency and learn from other's experiences.

    Don't be complacent. Be prepared for any change physically, emotionally and financially.

    BUT, WHEN YOU ARE UNDER STRESS AT WORK, SOME SIMPLE PRACTICES

    CAN HELP:

    Sit straight and comfortably on your seat, and try breathing exercises. It will relax your nerves

    and muscles.

    Relax and count backwards (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15.)

    Try creative visualization

    GRIEVANCEGrievance procedure is a formal communication between an employee and the management

    designed for the settlement of a grievance. The grievance procedures differ from organization toorganization.

    1. Open door policy

    2. Step-ladder policy

    Open door policy: Under this policy, the aggrieved employee is free to meet the top executives

    of the organization and get his grievances redressed. Such a policy works well only in small

    organizations. However, in bigger organizations, top management executives are usually busywith other concerned matters of the company. Moreover, it is believed that open door policy is

    suitable for executives; operational employees may feel shy to go to top management.

    Step ladder policy: Under this policy, the aggrieved employee has to follow a step by step

    procedure for getting his grievance redressed. In this procedure, whenever an employee is

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    confronted with a grievance, he presents his problem to his immediate supervisor. If the

    employee is not satisfied with superiors decision, then he discusses his grievance with the

    departmental head.

    The departmental head discusses the problem with joint grievance committees to find a solution.However, if the committee also fails to redress the grievance, then it may be referred to chief

    executive. If the chief executive also fails to redress the grievance, then such a grievance is

    referred to voluntary arbitration where the award of arbitrator is binding on both the parties.

    2.1 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE IN INDIAN INDUSTRY

    The 15th session of Indian Labor Conference held in 1957 emphasized the need of an

    established grievance procedure for the country which would be acceptable to unions as well as

    to management.

    In the 16th session of Indian Labor Conference, a model for grievance procedure was drawn

    up.

    This model helps in creation of grievance machinery. According to it, workers representatives

    are to be elected for a department or their union is to nominate them.

    Management has to specify the persons in each department who are to be approached first and

    the departmental heads who are supposed to be approached in the second step.

    The Model Grievance Procedure specifies the details of all the steps that are to be followed

    while redressing grievances.

    STEPS:-

    STEP 1: In the first step the grievance is to be submitted to departmental representative, who is

    a representative of management. He has to give his answer within 48 hours.

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    STEP 2: If the departmental representative fails to provide a solution, the aggrieved employee

    can take his grievance to head of the department, who has to give his decision within 3 days.

    STEP 3: If the aggrieved employee is not satisfied with the decision of departmental head, hecan take the grievance to Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee makes its

    recommendations to the manager within 7 days in the form of a report. The final decision of the

    management on the report of Grievance Committee must be communicated to the aggrieved

    employee within three days of the receipt of report. An appeal for revision of final decision can

    be made by the worker if he is not satisfied with it. The management must communicate its

    decision to the worker within 7 days.

    TRADE UNION Influence

    HRM has been accused of being an individualist and anti-union philosophy Guest (1989)outlines three different strategies which have been associated with the development of HRM:

    i. Aggressively anti-union companies have been withdrawal recognition from existingunions.

    ii. Some companies have offered generous pay increases through individual pay deals,making unions appears unnecessary.

    iii. Others have neutralized or controlled union power by means of single-union agreementsand no-strike clauses.

    OBJECTIVES OF TRADE UNIONS

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    Trade unions are formed to protect and promote the interests of their members. Their primary

    function is to protect the interests of workers against discrimination and unfair labor practices.

    Trade unions are formed to achieve the following objectives:

    i. Representation:-

    Trade unions represent individual workers when they have a problem at work. If an

    employee feels he is being unfairly treated, he can ask the union representative to help sort out

    the difficulty with the manager or employer. Unions also offer their members legal

    representation. Normally this is to help people get financial compensation for work-related

    injuries or to assist people who have to take their employer to court.

    ii. Negotiation:-

    Negotiation is where union representatives, discuss with management, the issues which

    affect people working in an organization. There may be a difference of opinion between

    management and union members. Trade unions negotiate with the employers to find out a

    solution to these differences. Pay, working hours, holidays and changes to working practices

    are the sorts of issues that are negotiated. In many workplaces there is a formal agreement

    between the union and the company which states that the union has the right to negotiate with

    the employer. In these organizations, unions are said to be recognized for collective

    bargaining purposes.

    iii. Voice in decisions affecting workers:-

    The economic security of employees is determined not only by the level of wages and

    duration of their employment, but also by the managements personal policies which include

    selection of employees for layoffs, retrenchment, promotion and transfer. These policies directly

    affect workers. The evaluation criteria for such decisions may not be fair. So, the intervention of

    unions in such decision making is a way through which workers can have their say in the

    decision making to safeguard their interests.

    iv. Member services:-

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    During the last few years, trade unions have increased the range of services they offer

    their members. These include:

    o Education and training - Most unions run training courses for their members onemployment rights, health and safety and other issues. Some unions also help

    members who have left school with little education by offering courses on basic

    skills and courses leading to professional qualifications.

    o Legal assistance - As well as offering legal advice on employment issues, someunions give help with personal matters, like housing, wills and debt.

    o Financial discounts - People can get discounts on mortgages, insurance and loansfrom unions.

    o Welfare benefits - One of the earliest functions of trade unions was to look after members who hit hard times. Some of the older unions offer financial help to their

    members when they are sick or unemployed.

    CONFLICTS

    Conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values andinterests. A conflict can be internal (within oneself) or external (between two or more

    individuals). Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social

    disagreement, conflicts of interests, and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations. In

    political terms, "conflict" can refer to wars, revolutions or other struggles, which may involve the

    use of force as in the term armed conflict. Without proper social arrangement or resolution,

    conflicts in social settings can result in stress or tensions among stakeholders.

    Conflict as taught for graduate and professional work in conflict resolution (which can be win-win, where both parties get what they want, win-lose where one

    party gets what they want, or lose-lose where both parties don't

    get what they want) commonly has the definition: "when two or

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    more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking

    capability".

    One should not confuse the distinction between the presence and absence of conflict with the

    difference between competition and co-operation. In competitive situations, the two or moreindividuals or parties each have mutually inconsistent goals; either party tries to reach their goal

    it will undermine the attempts of the other to reach theirs. Therefore, competitive situations will,

    by their nature, cause conflict. However, conflict can also occur in cooperative situations, in

    which two or more individuals or parties have consistent goals, because the manner in which one

    party tries to reach their goal can still undermine the other individual or party.

    A clash of interests, values, actions or directions often sparks a conflict. Conflicts refer to the

    existence of that clash. Psychologically, a conflict exists when the reduction of one motivating

    stimulus involves an increase in another, so that a new adjustment is demanded. The word is

    applicable from the instant that the clash occurs. Even when we say that there is a potential

    conflict we are implying that there is already a conflict of direction even though a clash may not

    yet have occurred.

    TYPES AND MODES

    A conceptual conflict can escalate into a verbal exchange and/or result in fighting.

    Conflict can exist at a variety of levels of analysis:

    community conflict diplomatic conflict economic conflict emotional conflict environmental resources conflict group conflict ideological conflict international conflict interpersonal conflict

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    intersocietal conflict intra-state conflict (for example: civil wars, election campaigns) intrapersonal conflict (though this usually just gets delegated out to psychology) organizational conflict intra-societal conflict military conflict

    Religious-based conflict (for example: Center For Reduction of Religious-Based Conflict

    WORKPLACE CONFLICT

    Conflicts in these levels may appear "nested" in conflicts residing at larger levels of analysis.For example, conflict within a work team may play out the dynamics of a broader conflict in the

    organization as a whole. (See Marie Dugan' s article on Nested Conflict. John Paul Lederach has

    also written on this.) Theorists have claimed that parties can conceptualize responses to conflict

    according to a two-dimensional scheme; concern for one's own outcomes and concern for the

    outcomes of the other party. This scheme leads to the following hypotheses:

    High concern for both one's own and the other party's outcomes leads to attempts to find

    mutually beneficial solutions. High concern for one's own outcomes only leads to attempts to "win" the conflict. High concern for the other party's outcomes only leads to allowing the other to "win" the

    conflict.

    No concern for either side's outcomes leads to attempts to avoid the conflict.

    In Western society, practitioners usually suggest that attempts to find mutually beneficial

    solutions lead to the most satisfactory outcomes, but this may not hold true for many Asian

    societies. Several theorists detect successive phases in the development of conflicts.

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    Personalities Skills and abilities Values and Ethics

    The assertion that "conflict is emotionally defined and driven," and "does not exist in the

    absence of emotion" is challenged by Economics, for example, "the science which studies human

    behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means wh ich have alternative uses. In this

    context, scarcity means that available resources are insufficient to satisfy all wants and needs.

    The subject of conflict as a purely rational, strategic decision is specifically addressed by Game

    Theory, a branch of Economics.

    Where applicable, there are many components to the emotions that are intertwined with

    conflict. There is a behavioral, physiological, cognitive component.

    Behavioral- The way emotional experience gets expressed which can be verbal or non-

    verbal and intentional or un-intentional.

    Physiological- The bodily experience of emotion. The way emotions make us feel in

    comparison to our identity.

    Cognitive- The idea that we assess or appraise an event to reveal its relevancy to

    ourselves.

    These three components collectively advise that the meanings of emotional experience and

    expression are determined by cultural values, beliefs, and practices.

    THERE ARE SEVERAL PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT AND EMOTION:

    1. Conflict is emotionally defined- conflict involves emotion because something triggers

    it. The conflict is with the parties involved and how they decide to resolve it events

    that trigger conflict are events that elicit emotion.

    2. Conflict is emotionally valence emotion levels during conflict can be intense or less

    intense. The intensity levels may be indicative of the importance and meaning of the

    conflict issues for eac h party.

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    3. Conflict Invokes a moral stance when an event occurs it can be interpreted as moral or

    immoral. The judging of this morality influences ones orientation to the conflict,

    relationship to the parties involved, and the conflict issues .

    4. Conflict is identity based Emotions and Identity are a part of conflict. When a person

    knows their values, beliefs, and morals they are able to determine whether the conflict is

    personal, relevant, and moral. Identity related conflicts are potentially more destructive.

    5. Conflict is relational conflict is relational in the sense that emotional communication

    conveys relational definitions that impact conflict. Key relational elements are power

    and social status.

    Emotions are acceptable in the workplace as long as they can be controlled and utilized for

    productive organizational outcomes.

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    WAYS OF ADDRESSING CONFLICT

    Five basic ways of addressing conflict were identified by Thomas and Kilman in 1976:

    o Accommodation surrender one's own needs and wishes to accommodate the other

    party.

    o Avoidance avoid or postpone conflict by ignoring it, changing the subject, etc.

    Avoidance can be useful as a temporary measure to buy time or as an expedient means of

    dealing with very minor, non-recurring conflicts. In more severe cases, conflict avoidance

    can involve severing a relationship or leaving a group.

    o Collaboration work together to find a mutually beneficial solution. While the Thomas

    Kilman grid views collaboration as the only win-win solution to conflict, collaborationcan also be time-intensive and inappropriate when there is not enough trust, respect or

    communication among participants for collaboration to occur.

    o Compromise find a middle ground in which each party is partially satisfied.o Competition assert one's viewpoint at the potential expense of another. It can be useful

    when achieving one's objectives outweighs one's concern for the relationship.

    The Thomas Kilman Instrument can be used to assess one's dominant style for addressing

    conflict.

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    2.2Elucidation of Employee Relations

    1. Managing Your Boss:-An Important but most disregarded aspect of leadership is your

    relationship with the boss, as she/he would determine your

    success/failure as a leader. Effective managers take time & effort to

    manage not only their relationships with their subordinates but also

    those with their bosses. Managing your team as a leader is as important as managing your boss.

    MISREADING THE BOSS SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIP

    Some people behave as if their bosses are not very dependent on them. They fail to see

    how much the boss needs their help and cooperation to do his/her job effectively. These people

    refuse to acknowledge that the boss can be severely hurt by their actions and needs cooperation,

    dependability and honestly from them. A managers immediate boss can play a critical role in

    linking the manager to the rest of the organization, making sure that the managers priorities are

    consistent with organizational needs and in securing the resources the managers needs to perform

    well.

    Yet some managers see themselves as self sufficient, not needing the critical information

    and resources the boss can supply. It seems that managing a situation of mutual dependence

    among fallible human beings requires the following:

    That you have a good understanding of the other person and yourself especially regarding

    strengths, weaknesses, work styles and needs.

    This information is used to develop and manage a healthy working relationship one that is

    compatible with both peoples work styles and assets, is characterized by mutual expectations

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    and meets the most critical needs of the person. This combination is essentially what highly

    effective managers are found doing.

    UNDERSTANDING THE BOSS:-

    Managing the boss requires that you gain an understanding of the boss and his/ her own

    context, as well as your own situation. At a minimum you need to appreciate your boss's goals

    and pressures as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses. Such as what are the boss's

    organizational and personal goals and objectives? What are the pressures? What are your boss's

    long suits and blind spots? What is his preferred style of working? Does s/he like to get

    information through memos, formal meetings or phone calls? Does s/he thrive on conflict or try

    to minimize it?

    Without this information, a manager is flying blind when dealing with the boss and

    unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings and problems are inevitable.

    UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF:-

    The boss is only one half of the relationship. You are the other half, as well as the part

    you have more direct control over. Developing an effective working relationship requires that

    you know your own strengths, weaknesses and personal style. One cannot change the basic

    personality of oneself or one's boss. But one can become more aware of what it is about you that

    impedes or facilitates working with your boss and take actions to be more effective. Gaining self-

    awareness about oneself and acting on it are difficult but not impossible, but this could be

    managed by reflecting on past experiences.

    Although a superior subordinate relationship is one of mutual dependence, it is also one

    in which the subordinate is typically more dependent on the boss than the other way round.

    Counter-dependence (when the subordinate acts on his or her negative feelings, in subtle or

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    nonverbal ways, the boss sometimes does become the enemy) & over-dependence (managers

    who swallow their own anger and behave in a very compliant fashion when the boss makes what

    they know is a poor decision) lead managers to hold unrealistic views of what a boss is.

    DEVELOPING AND MANAGING A RELATIONSHIP:-

    With a clear understanding of your boss and yourself, you can usually establish a way of

    working together that fits both of you that is characterized by unambiguous mutual expectations.

    COMPATIBLE WORK STYLES:-

    A good working relationship with a boss accommodates differences in work style.

    Subordinates can adjust their styles in response to their bosses' preferred method of receiving

    information. Peter Drucker divides bosses into "listeners" and "readers". Some bosses like to get

    information in a report so that they can study it others like it better when information is presented

    to them so they can ask questions. So the implications are obvious (says Drucker) if your boss is

    a listener you brief him/ her in person then follow up with a memo. If your boss is a reader you

    convert important items in a memo and then discuss them.

    Other adjustments can be made according to a boss's decision-making style. Some bosses

    prefer to be involved in decisions and problems as they arise; these are high involvement

    managers who like to keep their hands on the pulse of the operations. Usually their needs are best

    satisfied if you touch base with them on an ongoing basis. Other bosses prefer to delegate - they

    do not want to be involved. They expect you to come to them with major problems and inform

    them about any important changes.

    Creating a compatible relationship also involves drawing on each other's strengths and

    making up for each other's weaknesses.

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    MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS:-

    The subordinate who passively assumes that s/he knows what the boss expects is in for

    trouble. Some superiors spell out their expectations very explicitly but most do not. And though

    many organizations have systems that provide a basis for communicating expectations these

    systems never work perfectly. Also between these formal reviews expectations invariably

    change.

    Ultimately the burden falls on the subordinate to find out what the boss's expectations

    are. They can be both broad (what problems the boss wishes to be briefed about and when) as

    well as very specific when a particular project should be completed and what kind of information

    the boss needs in the interim).

    If a boss is vague and not explicit it may be difficult to get information out of him but

    effective managers find ways to do that. Some managers will draft a detailed memo and follow

    up with a face-to-face discussion. Others will deal with an inexplicit boss by initiating an

    ongoing series of informal discussions about "good management" and "our objectives". Still

    others find useful information more 6indirectly through those who used to work for the boss and

    through formal planning systems in which the boss makes commitments to his or own superior.

    Which approach you choose would depend on your understanding of your boss's style?

    Developing a workable set of mutual expectations also requires you to communicate your

    own expectations to the boss, find out if they are realistic and influence the boss to accept the

    ones that are important to you. Being able to influence the boss to value your expectations can be

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    particularly important if the boss is an over achiever. Such a boss will often set unrealistically

    high standards that need to be brought into line with reality.

    FLOW OF INFORMATION:-

    How much information a boss needs about what a subordinate is doing will varysignificantly depending on the boss's style, the situation he or she is in and the confidence the

    boss has in the subordinate. But it is not uncommon for a boss to need more information than the

    subordinate would naturally supply. Effective managers recognize that they probably

    underestimate what their bosses need to know and make sure they find ways to keep them

    informed through processes that fit their styles.

    Managing the flow of information upward is particularly difficult if the boss does not like

    to hear about problems. Nevertheless for the good of the organization the boss and the

    subordinate, a superior needs to hear about failures as well as successes. Some subordinates deal

    with the good-news-only boss by finding indirect ways such as a management information

    system. Others see to it that potential problems are communicated immediately.

    DEPENDABILITY AND HONESTY :-

    Few things are more disabling to a boss than a subordinate on whom he cannot depend,

    whose work he cannot trust. No one is intentionally undependable. A commitment to an

    optimistic delivery date may please a superior in the short term but become a source of

    displeasure if not honored. It's difficult for a boss to rely on a subordinate who frequently misses

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    deadlines. Dishonestly is another issue. It's almost impossible for bosses to work effectively if

    they cannot rely on a fairly accurate reading from their subordinates. Because it undermines

    credibility, dishonestly is perhaps the most troubling trait a subordinate can have. Without a

    basic level of trust a boss feels compelled to check all of subordinates decisions, which makes it

    difficult to delegate.

    Collective Bargaining:-

    Collective bargaining is a formalized process by which employers and independent trade

    unions negotiate terms and conditions of employment and the ways in which certain

    employment-related issues are to be regulated at national, organizational and workplace levels.

    Collective bargaining is a process in the sense that it consists of a number of steps. It begins

    with the presentation of the charter of demands and ends with reaching an agreement, which

    would serve as the basic law governing labor management relationsover a period of time in an enterprise. Moreover, it is flexible

    process and not fixed or static. Mutual trust and understanding serve

    as the byproducts of harmonious relations between the two parties.

    It is a group process, wherein one group, representing the

    employers, and the other, representing the employees, sit together to negotiate terms of

    employment.

    Negotiations form an important aspect of the process of collective bargaining i.e., there is

    considerable scope for discussion, compromise or mutual give and take in collective bargaining.

    It a bipartite process. This means there are always two parties involved in the process of

    collective bargaining. The negotiations generally take place between the employees and the

    management. It is a form of participation.

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    Collective bargaining is a complementary process i.e. each party needs something that the

    other party has; labor can increase productivity and management can pay better for their efforts.

    Collective bargaining tends to improve the relations between workers and the union on the one

    hand and the employer on the other. Collective Bargaining is continuous process. It enables

    industrial democracy to be effective. It uses cooperation and consensus for settling disputes

    rather than conflict and confrontation. Collective bargaining takes into account day to day

    changes, policies, potentialities, capacities and interests. It is a political activity frequently

    undertaken by professional negotiators.

    IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

    Collective bargaining includes not only negotiations between the employers and unions but also

    includes the process of resolving labor-management conflicts. Thus, collective bargaining is,

    essentially, a recognized way of creating a system of industrial jurisprudence. It acts as a method

    of introducing civil rights in the industry, that is, the management should be conducted by rules

    rather than arbitrary decision making. It establishes rules which define and restrict the traditional

    authority exercised by the management.

    Importance to employees:-

    Collective bargaining develops a sense of self respect and responsibility among theemployees.

    It increases the strength of the workforce, thereby, increasing their bargaining capacity asa group.

    Collective bargaining increases the morale and productivity of employees.

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    It restricts manag ements freedom for arbitrary action against the employees. Moreover,unilateral actions by the employer are also discouraged.

    Effective collective bargaining machinery strengthens the trade unions movement.

    The workers feel motivated as they can approach the management on various matters and bargain for higher benefits.

    It helps in securing a prompt and fair settlement of grievances. It provides a flexiblemeans for the adjustment of wages and employment conditions to economic and

    technological changes in the industry, as a result of which the chances for conflicts are

    reduced.

    Importance to employers:-

    i. It becomes easier for the management to resolve issues at the bargaining level rather

    than taking up complaints of individual workers.

    ii. Collective bargaining tends to promote a sense of job security among employees and

    thereby tends to reduce the cost of labor turnover to management.

    iii. Collective bargaining opens up the channel of communication between the workers

    and the management and increases worker participation in decision making.

    iv. Collective bargaining plays a vital role in settling and preventing industrial disputes.

    Importance to society:-

    i. Collective bargaining leads to industrial peace in the country

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    ii. It results in establishment of a harmonious industrial climate which supports which

    helps the pace of a nations effo rts towards economic and social development since

    the obstacles to such a development can be reduced considerably.

    iii. The discrimination and exploitation of workers is constantly being checked.

    iv. It provides a method or the regulation of the conditions of employment of those who

    are directly concerned about them.

    LEVELS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

    Collective bargaining operates at three levels:

    1. National level

    2. Sector or industry level

    3. Company/enterprise level

    Economy-wide (national) bargaining is a bipartite or tripartite form of negotiation between

    union confederations, central employer associations and government agencies. It aims at

    providing a floor for lower-level bargaining on the terms of employment, often taking into

    account macroeconomic goals.

    Sectoral bargaining, which aims at the standardization of the terms of employment in one

    industry, includes a range of bargaining patterns. Bargaining may be either broadly or narrowly

    defined in terms of the industrial activities covered and may be either split up according to

    territorial subunits or conducted nationally.

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    The third bargaining level involves the company and/or establishment. As a supplementary type

    of bargaining, it emphasizes the point that bargaining levels need not be mutually exclusive

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    COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS:-

    Collective bargaining generally includes negotiations between the two parties

    (employees representatives and employers representatives). Collective bargaining consists of

    negotiations between an employer and a group of employees that determine the conditions of

    employment. Often employees are represented in the bargaining by a union or other labor

    organization. The result of collective bargaining procedure is called the collective bargaining

    agreement (CBA). Collective agreements may be in the form of procedural agreements or

    substantive agreements. Procedural agreements deal with the relationship between workers and

    management and the procedures to be adopted for resolving individual or group disputes.

    This will normally include procedures in respect of individual grievances, disputes anddiscipline. Frequently, procedural agreements are put into the company rule book which provides

    information on the overall terms and conditions of employment and codes of behavior. A

    substantive agreement deals with specific issues, such as basic pay, overtime premiums, bonus

    arrangements, holiday entitlements, hours of work, etc. In many companies, agreements have a

    fixed time scale and a collective bargaining process will review the procedural agreement when

    negotiations take place on pay and conditions of employment.

    The collective bargaining process comprises of five core steps:

    1. Prepare: This phase involves composition of a negotiation team. The negotiation teamshould consist of representatives of both the parties with adequate knowledge and skills

    for negotiation. In this phase both the employers representatives and the union examine

    their own situation in order to develop the issues that they believe will be most important.The first thing to be done is to determine whether there is actually any reason to negotiate

    at all. A correct understanding of the main issues to be covered and intimate knowledge

    of operations, working conditions, production norms and other relevant conditions is

    required.

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    2. Discuss : Here, the parties decide the ground rules that will guide the negotiations. A process well begun is half done and this is no less true in case of collective bargaining.

    An environment of mutual trust and understanding is also created so that the collective

    bargaining agreement would be reached.

    3. Propose : This phase involves the initial opening statements and the possible optionsthat exist to resolve them. In a word, this phase could be described as brainstorming.

    The exchange of messages takes place and opinion of both the parties is sought.

    4. Bargain : negotiations are easy if a problem solving attitude is adopted. This stagecompri ses the time when what ifs and supposals are set forth and the drafting of

    agreements take place.

    5. Settlement: Once the parties are through with the bargaining process, a consensualagreement is reached upon wherein both the parties agree to a common decision

    regarding the problem or the issue. This stage is described as consisting of effective joint

    implementation of the agreement through shared visions, strategic planning and

    negotiateSd change.

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    3. COUNSELLINGCounseling is a recent concept in the field of employee welfare

    which progressive managements are increasingly accepting. Counseling

    services for employee originate from the basic acceptance of the idea

    that an employee is not just an 8-hour responsibility of the management.

    His mental and physical well being has an important role to play in his

    working life. His social and family life has a strong influence on his

    level of productivity, attendance, his behavior at work and accident too.

    If there is a problem, experience bears out that is better to solve it rather than ignore it hoping

    it will solve itself, or pretend that it does not exist. Problem faced by individual employees or

    their families can be solved by well meaning friends, union and management personnel, but a

    specialist touch works better in combination with their.

    If every management takes the responsibility of looking after the welfare of the employee

    and their families, this will make for closer interpersonal relationship and a stronger feeling of

    belonging. Such initiative place less strain of the social institutions in society which the

    industrial community supports eventually. The professionally trained counselor helps in various

    concerts problematic areas like absenteeism, mental disorder, alcoholism, medical problem,

    indebtedness, interpersonal problems faced by people at the work place.

    The counselor can also work in the wider field of family planning, social education,

    employee development, hold social and educational programmes for the families of the

    employees enriching the life of both.

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    4 . Rehabilitation of alcoholics

    Although alcoholism is an age old problem in the industry, its

    conception as a disease, rather than a moral problem, is of

    recent origin. It is roughly estimated that any industry has

    about 4% to 6% alcoholics in its pay-rolls. Alcoholism has

    been found to be a primary cause to several other problems

    faced by industry, such as absenteeism, poor performance on

    the job, low productivity, proneness to accidents and low morale.

    With the increasing realization that alcoholism is an illness and not moral problem. Managers are

    realizing their special role and responsibility towards alcoholism. Whereas the traditional

    approach has been either dismiss the alcoholic or to tolerate him. Professionals and forward

    looking managements today are emphasizing the rehabilitation of alcoholics on the job itself.

    This approach serves various purposes. An employee is hired with a view to establish a

    long term relationship in the company. The management invests in the employee by way of

    money, time and training. Dismiss of the alcoholic employee involves considerable personnel

    cost, as once again procedure of recruiting and training goes on for a new recruit.

    Further there is no guarantee that the new comer may not develop the same problem.

    Secondly, the rehabilitation of the alcoholics without dismiss saves the society and additional

    burden of unemployment. The rehabilitation programmes can be a mutually enriching experience

    for management and the employee.

    The employees would appreciate the management approach of maintaining the dignity of the

    individual and his job. This would enhance employer employee relations. Before commencing a

    program or rehabilitation, the management has to adopt certain attitudes towards alcoholism.

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    Buying a life insurance policy:-

    New customer

    If you dont have an existing policy from ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, you can find out

    detailed information in this section about:

    The Company profile

    The ICICI Prudential Life edge

    Various product options available to suit your needs

    Our Fund performance

    Range of convenient premium payment options offered

    Awards & Accolades received by us Customer Service touch-points

    And much, much more!

    Existing customer :-

    If you already have an existing policy, you can find out detailed information in this section

    about:

    The ICICI Prudential Life edge

    Tax benefits & their explanations

    Asset Allocation

    Your Fund performance

    Policy features like ATS

    Awards & Accolades received by us

    Customer Service touch-points

    And much, much more!

    http://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Choosing-right-provider.htmhttp://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Choosing-right-provider.htmhttp://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Earlier-policy-bought-from-us.htmhttp://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Earlier-policy-bought-from-us.htmhttp://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Earlier-policy-bought-from-us.htmhttp://www.iciciprulife.com/public/Why-Us/Choosing-right-provider.htm
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    The ICICI Prudential Edge:-

    The ICICI Prudential edge comes from our commitment to our customers, in all that we do - be it

    product development, distribution, the sales process or servicing. Here's a peek into what makes

    us leaders.

    1. Our products have been developed after a clear and thorough understanding of customers'

    needs. It is this research that helps us develop Education plans that offer the ideal way to truly

    guarantee your child's education, Retirement solutions that are a hedge against inflation and yet

    promise a fixed income after you retire, or Health insurance that arms you with the funds you

    might need to recover from a dreaded disease.

    2. Having the right products is the first step, but it's equally important to ensure that our

    customers can access them easily and quickly. To this end, ICICI Prudential has an advisor base

    across the length and breadth of the country, and also partners with leading banks, corporate

    agents and brokers to distribute our products .

    3. Robust risk management and underwriting practices form the core of our business. With clear

    guidelines in place, we ensure equitable costing of risks, and thereby ensure a smooth and hassle-

    free claims process.

    4. Entrusted with helping our customers meet their long-term goals, we adopt an investment

    philosophy that aims to achieve risk adjusted returns over the long-term.

    5. Last but definitely not the least, our team is given the opportunity to learn and grow, every day

    in a multitude of ways. We believe this keeps them engaged and enthusiastic, so that they can

    deliver on our promise to cover you, at every step in life.

    Vision & Values:-

    Our vision:

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    To be the dominant Life, Health and Pensions player built on trust by world-class people and

    service.

    This we hope to achieve by:

    Understanding the needs of customers and offering them superior products and service

    Leveraging technology to service customers quickly, efficiently and conveniently

    Developing and implementing superior risk management and investment strategies to offer

    sustainable and stable returns to our policyholders

    Providing an enabling environment to foster growth and learning for our employees

    And above all, building transparency in all our dealings

    The success of the company will be founded in its unflinching commitment to 5 core values --

    Integrity, Customer First, Boundaryless, Ownership and Passion. Each of the values describe what

    the company stands for, the qualities of our people and the way we work.

    We do believe that we are on the threshold of an exciting new opportunity, where we can play a

    significant role in redefining and reshaping the sector. Given the quality of our parentage and the

    commitment of our team, there are no limits to our growth.

    Our values :

    Every member of the ICICI Prudential team is committed to 5 core values: Integrity, Customer

    First, Boundaryless, Ownership, and Passion. These values shine forth in all we do, and have

    become the keystones of our success.

    Promoters

    ICICI Bank

    ICICI Bank Limited (NYSE:IBN) is India's largest private sector bank and the second largest

    bank in the country with consolidated total assets of about US$ 95 billion as of March 31, 2009.

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    of Rs 2,128 crores and has underwritten over 10 million policies since inception. The company

    has assets held over Rs. 53,000 crores as on December 31, 2009.

    For the past nine years, ICICI Prudential Life has retained its leadership position in the life

    insurance industry with a wide range of flexible products that meet the needs of the Indian

    customer at every step in life.

    Distribution:-

    ICICI Prudential Life has one of the largest distribution networks amongst private life insurers

    in India. It has a strong presence across India with 1,960 branches (including 1,096 micro-

    offices) and an advisor base of over 230,000 (as on December 31, 2009).

    The company has 6 bancassurance partners having tie-ups with ICICI Bank, Jalgaon Peoples

    Co-op Bank, Ratanagiri District Central Co-op Bank, Ballia Kshetriya Co-operative Bank,

    Renuka Nagrik Sahakari Bank, Bhandara Urban Co-operative Bank.

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    Employee Relationship Management At

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL has a well organized structure to deal with employee management. It has

    developed few models to manage these processes, which include, EPM, BPO, SaaS, Employee

    Contact Centre, etc.

    Talent Management

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL typically offers flexible Employee Performance Management (EPM)

    solutions delivered in either a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) or Software as Service

    (SaaS) model that makes assessment and development easy, more accurate and economical for

    our clients HR function. The EPM proce ss includes goal management, performance appraisals,

    multi-rater/360 feedback, workforce & succession planning, development planning and training,

    etc.

    Talent Management service spectrum covers the following aspects:

    Learning Technology Solutions

    Technology Consulting

    Product Implementation and Development

    Architecture

    Integration, Maintenance and Production support services

    Content Development

    Product, Process, Domain and Technology Training Solutions

    Behavioral, Soft Skills, Sales, Safety, Compliance

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    ERP and Non ERP Application Training Rollout

    Rapid Content Development Solutions

    Assessment and Certification

    Consulting

    Performance Consulting

    Learning Interventions

    Training Needs Analysis

    Training Strategy Definition

    Curriculum Design

    Change Management

    Documentation Services

    Technical Writing

    Technical Editing

    Production

    Publishing

    End user documentation

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL s Internal Talent Transformation Team

    The Training & Learning arm of ICICI PRUDENTIAL Technologies catering to

    learning needs of over 63,000 employees

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    Winner of American Society for Training and Development BEST award for four

    consecutive years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007

    Dale Carnegie Leadership Award in the year 2007

    Golden Partnership

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL is a Global Partner of SABA

    Global Service Level Agreement on integration and support of SABA LMS

    Access to SABA knowledge base and technical support team for troubleshooting

    Access to SABA authorized training for faster ramp up of technical support team

    Employee Helpdesk

    The Employee Contact Centre for ICICI PRUDENTIAL HR has extended hours, and takes

    care of all kinds of input channels, phone, fax, e-mail, white-mail and external 3rd party agency

    mails etc. ICICI PRUDENTIAL provides integrated case management, voice recording for

    quality, call measurements, knowledge base maintenance and language support. ICICI

    PRUDENTIAL HRO team has vast experience in setting up a tiered HR service delivery model

    which includes:

    Tier 0: Self-Service

    Tier-1: Voice and E-mail based Help Desk

    Tier-2: Advanced query handling Help Desk, Back-office transaction processing

    Tier-3: Client HR staff

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    Conclusion Employee Relations is necessary in an organization as salt to food. As one cant

    imagine eating food without salt, a company cannot run without maintaining Employee Relations.

    I noticed that internal recruitment plays a very important role in employee relations.

    Internal recruitment is when the company recruits someone from within the organization to fill

    the vacancies, as opposed to external recruiting i.e. recruiting from the open market. Internal

    recruitment helps with the industrial relations since external recruitment can be seen as depriving

    the workforce of opportunity.

    ICICI PRUDENTIAL is strong follower of Natural succession. It strongly believes

    in internal recruitment. If the company is looking at improving Employee Relations, then

    internal resources should be the first considerations when planning for recruitment.

    Also Organization Citizenship Behavior is known for promoting employee relations.

    OCB is individual helping behaviors and gestures that are organizationally beneficial, but are not

    formally required. A recent focus of organization behavior and management theory explains thatthis behavior is called organization citizenship, or the "good soldier syndrome" and, although the

    definition of organization citizenship is debated, most definitions of being a "good soldier"

    include pro-social behaviors, helping others, innovating, volunteering and the lack of undesirable

    behavior.

    Also, assisting newcomers to the organization, not abusing the rights of co-workers, not

    taking extra breaks, attending elective company meetings, and enduring minor impositions that

    occur when working with others are examples of OCB that help in coping with various

    organizational uncertainties.

    Traditionally Employee Relations programs were centered around labor union relations.

    Today, Employee Relations does not necessarily involve unions. However, it does involve

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    cultivating the leadership style and workplace practices that help make union organizing

    activities a less attractive option for employees. Effective Employee Relation