Industrial Relations and Labour Laws

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS♣

Refers to a company’s efforts to manage relationships between employers and employees. An organization with a good employee relations program provides fair and consistent treatment to all employees so they will be committed to their jobs and loyal to the company.

Common Employee Relations Issues♣

Common employee relations issues crop up again and again for small and large businesses. Employee relations involves all aspects of an employee’s relationship with an employer. Human resources personnel, managers and supervisors maintain this relationship by implementing employee policies that establish rules regarding performance, conduct, conflict of interest and discipline. Managing employee relations issues help employers correct inappropriate behavior, as well as promote a structured and productive workplace.

1. Legal Issues

Legal issues such as workplace harassment, discrimination and equal opportunity are among the employee relations issues employers must face. https://www.learnafrica.co.ke/management-consultants-kenya/#1529481997926-452f3985-5d56Employers are obligated to investigate harassment and discrimination allegations in the workplace and provide a possible remedy to the situation. Employers also must reasonably accommodate workers who require modification of job duties because of disability or pregnancy.

2. Hour and Wage Issues

When an employee has a problem about their pay or hours the smart business owner will jump on it immediately to get it resolved. Do you or your HR time find that you have to go over time sheets or attendance records to check details? This is because there is nothing more upsetting in the long run than an unresolved employee money issue. If they feel they are being put off, their resentment grows exponentially. A simple payroll glitch can turn into a screaming match if it is left to simmer too long.

To reduce the possibility that employees will dispute their paychecks, consider self-service timekeeping software that allows them to clock in and out from their smart devices. This encourages employees to keep track of and manage their own schedules by providing an efficient way to do so. It can also help with scheduling to prevent unnecessary overtime or to make sure the employees in the right pay grade perform the correct jobs.

3. Annual Leave Disputes

Do your employees know that the company’s leave policy is?

Are you sure your policy is in accordance annual leavewith state laws? Consider leave management software that helps you create a legal and transparent leave policy that leaves no room for dispute. Provide every employee with easy access to this policy. This type of software can also help your employees talk with HR managers about leave requests and adjustments.

4. Adequate Safety in the Workplace

It’s every business owner’s worst nightmare to have an injury or accident happen to one of their employees while they are on the job. A good policy should include making sure all proper safety equipment is used and that the right security measures are put in place.  Ensure employees are not overly fatigued due to too many overtime shifts.

workplace safety Have software to track schedules and help HR managers ensure that employees have plenty of rest time. This helps reduce over-scheduling to the point of creating an unsafe work environment. Owners and managers need to take the time to listen to their employees about safety concerns. They also need to keep their eyes and ears open at all times to look for potential accident hot spots and activities. Employee downtime can cost even a small company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

5. Conflict Management

Conflicts often arise in the workplace between co-workers, as well as between employees and managers. When disputes arise, managers must implement specific procedures for resolution while maintaining optimal working relationships. These procedures allow employees to voice their concerns and have the issues resolved internally. Conflict management also helps employers document the circumstances surrounding a particular incident and how the matter was resolved.

Everyone wakes up on the wrong side of the bed occasionally. Temper, frustration or simple disagreements about procedure and policy can eat up company time that is much better spent staying on task and completing projects. Competent conflict management saves time and money, and keeps supervisors in the driver’s seat.

6.Timekeeping and Attendance Issues

A strong attendance record and adherence to their schedule is the responsibility of all employees and essential to the employer’s bottom line. If an employee is tardy, misses work or does not adhere to his schedule, it affects his co-workers and supervisors. Employers regulate attendance through defined attendance policies. An attendance policy defines absence and tardiness and outlines the consequences for unexcused time away from work.

attendanceDo you require your employees to come into the home office and clock in or out every day? Do you find that many of them become lax on the issue, or that they have their co-workers ‘buddy punch’ them in when they’re running late? Timekeeping and attendance issues are common, and you can eliminate many of them by utilizing employee self-service software. Allowing employees to keep track of their time and communicate about attendance issues right from their smart devices reduces the chances for conflict and provides them a handy benefit.

7. Disciplinary Action

DisciplinaryWhen an employee engages in undesirable behavior, employers must act to correct that behavior. Disciplinary action is designed to prevent or improve poor performance or deal with inappropriate behavior. Employers typically implement discipline gradually based on the type and frequency of a policy violation. For example, a manager may give a worker a verbal warning for coming in late without a valid excuse. The next time the worker has an unexcused lateness, the manager may give the worker a written warning. After the next instance, the employer might issue a final written warning before terminating the employee. The employer, through this procedure, documents the policy violation and discourages the employee from engaging in similar behavior again.



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