Managing the Employee Relationship - Review Notes

Human Resource Management Revision Article Series

Issues related to Organizational Justice

Justice, or fairness is thought to exist when people receive those things they believe they deserve to receive based upon their contribution. (Bernardin)

Distributive justice deals with perceptions of equity in the allocation of rewards and penalties given by the organization.

Procedural justice is a perception of fair rules, laws, or policies that allocate rewards and penalties.

Companies promote ethics programs to ensure honest, fair and responsible actions on the part of employees both managerial and supervisory and others. Ethics programs emphasize

1. Welfare of others as much as feasible.
2. careful evaluation of a situation for decision making to understand the anticipated and unintended consequences of possible alternative actions.
3. Spiritual or social thinking - think of yourself and the organization as a part of the larger society.
4. Respect to the norms of the society.

Human resource professionals as they take various decisions relating to employees have to keep in mind the issue of organizational justice.

Employee Relations - Organizational Entry

Employee relations activities formally start with the time of selection interview and continue till the time payment of last pension to an employee or his or her representatives.

Organizational socialization is the process by which members of the organization transmit their expectations and routines to the new comers. It is also the process through a new comers comes to appreciate the values, abilities, expected behaviors, and other social knowledge essential to be an accepted member of the community of the organization.

Orientation is a term used for the formalized set of activities designed by the organization to socialize a person or induct a person into the organization. Orientation programs include informational training sessions, site tours, interaction with various organization members and mentorships.

Organizations and HR professionals have to give a realistic job preview to potential recruits in the advertisement process, information process and interview process. Employee handbook is a good device to explain the organizations policies and procedures and make employee know various facilities.

Ongoing Employee Relations

Employee handbooks periodically updated inform the policies and procedures of the companies and help in making things clear employees about their role, rights, and responsibilities. Thepurpose of the policies and procedures is to establish the guidelines by which the organization and employee contribute to the mutual relationship.

Employee surveys or feedback programs indication of issues that are troubling the employees and also brings out issues which are causing them delight and satisfaction.  Employee surveys facilitate planned organization change and team building. This will improve employee relationship.

Grievances and Grievance Handling Mechanisms

The simplest way to define grievance may be to say that it is a formal, written complaint about the way in which the employment relationship is being carried out.

In unionized organizations, the grievance procedure is involves stewards and other union leaders representing the worker having grievance. Peer review systems are used by companies to review the decision involved in the grievance.

Employement Relationship at the Time of Exit

Organizational exists can be through retirement, resignation, termination or layoff.

For retirement, private organizations are providing flexible options like part time work for some period and then involving retired employees in social activities of the organization. Retirement training programs are being organized for employees.

Companies want to reduce employee turnover. Exit interviews are recommended to find out the reasons for an employee leaving the company.

Terminations must be done on consistent basis so that they have to support of the employees in general.

Layoff is large scale termination of employment. HR managers have to act in a way to maintain goodwill with those affected by layoffs and also the people retained. The behavior of the management during the troubled period affects the feelings of both layoff victims and survivors.


Source:
Textbook
Human Resource Management by H. John Bernardin

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