• Emplyee Relations: refers to the working relationship between an employer and EE during the time the individual is associated with the organization
• ER, covers all HR functional areas, and deals with how to protect the rights of both the EE and the employer, and how to make fair and consistent decisions
  
  

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• Engaged EEs go above and beyond to perform "organizational citizenship behaviors" or "extra-role behaviors"
• Engaged, not engaged, actively disengaged EEs
• EE engagement consists on cognitive (beliefs), emotional (feelings), and behavioral components (effort)

• Job satisfaction is an important aspect of EE engagement
• Positive job attitudes are generally viewed as an important indication of how well things are going
• Individuals differ in how they respond to work conditions
• Job satisfaction can be determined by qualitative aspects of the job, values, expectations, and what happens at work

• Fullfillment Theory: is a function of need satisfaction and the degree of correspondence between needs and how well they're satisfied
• Reward Theory: is a function of the rewards individuals receive (amount and timing). Consider the role of values
• Discrepancy Theory: job satisfaction results from a comparaison between what ought to be and what is (expectations)
• Equity Theory: describes how individuals compare their I/O to the I/O of others (ratio favorable comparaison).

• There is no necessary relationship between job satisfaction and productivity
• The best predictor of performance are the rewards
• People tend to do what they expect to be rewarded for doing

• Grievances, absenteism, and turnover are indirect measures of EE satisfaction
• Exit interviews: provide valuable information, and should be conducted ASAP by someone not directly involved in daily contact. Explore the real reasons
• Attitude surveys: can be done via interviews and questionnaires. Non-directive interviews are useful but time consuming. Questionnaires are limited but easy to apply
• Survey administration: can be done via simple random sample (total randomness) or stratified random sample (categorizing EEs)
• Results analysis: the two most important statistics to analyze are mean and standard deviation (similar >0.2 vs. diversity of opinion >1.0) ⛔
• Confidentiality and Anonymity of Surveys: this is essential
• Outsourcing EE Surveys: there are Pros and Cons. Off-the-shelf are good as long as they're customized

• Interpretation: surveys should be analyzed separately for each group
• Feedback: report back is important for analyzing, interpreting, and designing corrective actions. Consider feedback to Mgmt and EEs.
• Intervention: the success of a survey feedback intervention depends on willingness to improve, top mgmt support, questionnaire design (address major issues and assess EE feelings). There has to be plans for change, implementation of plans, follow-up, and evaluations

• EE involvement programs (called work-life programs QWL) improve the quality of life @ work

• Consist of small groups (less than 15/20) responsible for performing a series of jobs, and directed by informal leadership
• They are more responsive to change
• There's also the semi-autonomous work teams (still subject to direction of management and HR policies)

• Involves work groups meeting periodically (1hr/week) to discuss ways to improve productivity (participation is voluntary)
• Benefits
  1.Greater productivity based on suggestions
  2.Improves communication
  3.Enhance the level of morale and commitment

• Job redesign increases org effectiveness and improves quality of work-life
• Sometimes very simple job changes can make a big difference
• The professional disciplines involved are psychology, human factors engineering, and ergonomics (application of technology and engineering to human abilities, interests, and feelings)
• Two major strategies are job specialization and job enrichment (both are exact opposites)
• There's a difference between Job Enlargement (add more of the same kinds of elements) and Job Enrichment
• The leading theory for examining jobs and deciding how to make them more enriched is called Job Characteristics Model
• Job Enrichment consists of modifying the job to increase any of the next variables:
  1.Skill variety (use and develop skills)
  2.Task identity (group vs. individual work)
  3.Task significance (significance impact)
  4.Autonomy (workers are free to direct influence)
  5.Feedback (workers obtain evaluative information about their performance)
• The psychological states produced by enriched jobs are meaningfulness, autonomy, and knowledge of results

• Employee ownership today takes two major forms:
  1.Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): EEs own shares, becoming owners sames as shareholders
  2.Employee Stock Ownership Trust (ESOT): EEs own shares through a trust

• This actively encourage EEs to think about ways to improve work processes and submit ideas for improving efficiency or profitability
• It can be a suggestion box, or online

• Participative Decision Making (PDM) allows EEs to be more involved in managing the organization
• The CONs state sometimes people don't want it, reduces productivity, and takes more time
• However, it increases EE satisfaction, but not necessary performance

• Deming thaught that quality is 85% management problem, and 15% worker problem. Mgmt must plan for quality, and quality must be build into the product rather than inspected into it
• While Six Sigma has been praised for reducing costs, it has been criticized for inhibiting innovation

Flextime

• Plus: Tardiness eliminated, absenteeism reduced, WLB, biorhythm synch, traffic congestion, workloads, wider open hours
• Minus: Communication problems, attendance records issues administrative decisions through the day, overtime payments, utility costs higher

Compressed Workweeks

• Consists of scheduling a full-time job in less than 5 days a week (4/40, or 3/36)
• Plus: reduces commuting, increases leisure time, job satisfaction, set-up/clean-up on certain jobs
• Minus: working fatigue, less productivity, heavy physical/mental not suited for this, accidents and safety violations, not popular in aged people and/or parents

Job Sharing

• A full-time position is divided into two part-time positions (and 2 separate EEs)
• Plus: high productivity, increase flexibility, reduced absenteeism and turnover, improved job training, suitable for parents and older people
• Minus: EE benefits costs, requires greater supervision for big teams, paperwork, communication problems, promo/fire/hire decisions

• Volunteer Programs: can be brief or ongoing, and has a lot of benefits (physical and mental health)
• Phased Retirement: allow EEs to reduce their hours @ work and gradually prepare for retirement
• Home-based Work or Telecommuting: eliminates the lengthy commuting and unnecessary interruptions, increases loyalty. There can be lack of F2F communication, and creative collaboration
• Virtual Teams: select people fit for virtual teams, establish operating procedures, set goals, establish information sharing processes, monitor progress, recognize and reward

• Diversity seek to improve representation of groups underrepresented
• It works when mixed with inclusion as well

• Initiatives should be tied to the organization's core mission and objectives

1. Start at the top of the organizational chart
2. Define organizational objectives relative to diversity and inclusion
3. Compile available demographic data
4. Collect survey data
5. Identify problem areas (pinpoint gaps between step 2 and current situation)
6. Plan diversity and inclusion initiatives to address problem areas
7. Implement initiatives
8. Measure outcomes and provide feedback
9. Adjust objectives and plans as needed to make ongoing improvement

• Changes to policies and practices: changes in recruiting and promotion practices. Anti-discrimination and embarrassment policies
• Targeted Recruiting: change the way candidates are attracted (networking diverse communities). Skip academic degrees or professional certifications)
• Employee training: experiential activities to challenge assumptions. This can include videos focusing on bias, awareness, communication, and diverse workgroups for better ideas
• Employee Resources Groups (ERG): is an organization that joins together based on shared life experiences or personal characteristics. Also know as affinity groups and business network groups, and typically employee-run. EEs do not necessarily need to be part of the group's demographic to join (allies)
• Flexible Work Schedules and Arrangements: organizations can help employees who have difficulty with traditional schedules
• Community Outreach: by getting involved in the community, organizations can build relationships with diverse groups and people (e.g. adopt a school)

• Discipline procedures are needed to correct unacceptable behavior and protect the company
• Grievance procedures are needed to protect EEs from inconsistent and unfair treatment
• Grievance procedures provide a systematic process for hearing and evaluating EE complaints
• As grievances are expressed, top mgmt becomes aware of EE problems and frustrations

• Grievable items: any work-related complaint or formal dispute that is brought to the attention of management
• Union companies define grievances narrowly, and broadly in nonunion companies
• Causes of Grievances: very high number when morale is low (and vice versa; job satisfaction)
• Grievances may arise because: unclear contractual language, violation of law, labor agreement, normal work procedures (or precedents), perceived unfair treatment, promotions
• Certain styles of supervision can increase grievance rate (dictatorial, not listening, take-it-or-leave-it attitudes)
• Steps in the Grievance process:
  1.Complaint is submitted by supervisor (can be verbally)
  2.If the EE is not satisfied, the grievance can be appealed (almost always written)
  3.If the union is not satisfied, the grievance can be appealed
  4.Corporate officers meet with union representatives to resolve unsettled grievances
  5.Binding arbitration by an outside 3rd party acceptable for both parties

• Nonunion companies tend to be informal (complaint systems)
• Grievance committee: allows individuals to submit their grievances to a grievance committee (can be appointed by top mgmt or elected by EEs)
• Ombudsman: neutral and independent person who represents citizens in their disputes. It can be any EE, and does not initiate a formal complaint
• Grievance Appeal Procedure:
  
• Open-Door Policy: the most popular procedure, where anyone has the right to discuss a complaint with top officers without going to the chain of command
• Fact-finding Method: usually HR, the fact finders are authorized to examine problems without conducting formal hearings

• Protection against retaliation: complaints must be presented without a lot of hassle, must be evaluated fairly/impartially, with no mistreatment (e.g. fired)
• Timely responses: the org is required to respond within a certain number of days at each stage of the procedure (rigid time limits are not encouraged)
• Fair consideration: both parties must be willing to discuss the issue rationally and objectively (not as a competition)

• Is the process of having a labor dispute resolved by an impartial 3rd party, agreeing beforehand to accept the decision of an impartial judge (mediator)
• Arbitration is used more frequently for settling grievances than for settling contract disputes
• Selecting and Arbitrator: an appointed tripartite arbitration board (impartial, EE, and employers reps) can be called, or simply a list of acceptable people to both sides
• Preparing for Arbitration: the submission agreement (opening statement outlining the issues to be resolved) is prepared. The hearing can be formal, or informal (to save money)
• Problems with Arbitration: it costs too much, takes long, and can be too formal
• Alternative Dispute Resolution: due to time and expenses associated with litigation, encourages people to look for other alternate methods without negotiation, litigation, arbitration, or rent-a-judge services. Also we can consider peer or management juries

• Discipline <> punishment, the objective is to remediate a problem and help EEs to achieve success @ work
• Discipline procedures provide a progressive and systematic process for handling problem employees
• EE discipline is one of the most challenging responsibilities (complex and difficult to diagnose)
• A highly recommended procedure for administering punishment is called the "hot stove" rule
• A good disciplinary system must balance the dual objectives of protecting the rights of EEs and preserving the interests of the organization

• Punishment is intended to reduce undesirable behavior (depending on type you apply)
• Punishment can be learn vicariously (not personally)

• There are three types of punishments:

  
  

  1.Natural consequences (occur hen behavior violates laws of nature or society)

  
  

  2.Logical consequences (contains a logical relationship to the violated rule)

  
  

  3.Contrived consequences (wrongdoing where the punishment is unrelated to the misbehavior)

  
  

• Criticisms of Punishment:

  
  

  Is effective when only when threat/punishment is present

  
  

  Indicates what is wrong, not right

  
  

  Eliminate both bad/good behavior

  
  

  Error fixation

  
  

  Negative feeling towards punishing agent

  
  

  Attention can be a reward

  
  

• Conditions of effective use of punishment:

  
  

  Timeliness

  
  

  Unpleasant but not severe

  
  

  Specificity

  
  

  Consistency

  
  

  Must inform the wrong behavior (Cognitive structuring)

  
  

  Caring and nurturing relationship

  
  

  Should not be followed by undeserved reward

• Supervisors tend to model the disciplinary styles of other people, as well as disciplinary procedures
• Punishment is effective when there's retributive justice (punishment fits the seriousness of the misbehavior)
  

• 1.Verbal warning: comment to warn with no recording
• 2.Verbal reprimand: explicitly informs about a not acceptable situation with a written note
• 3.Written reprimand: formal written description and disciplinary actions
• 4.Suspension: can come without, or reduced pay
• 5.Discharge: this is the final step

• Should be initiated promptly
  
  • Investigator should be selected and appointed
  • Complaints should be in writing
  • Investigator should interview the complainant and offender
  • Entire process should be documented
  • Privacy of both parties protected
  • Offender and complainant personnel files should be reviewed
  • Decision should be made and announced
  • Appropriate action should be taken
  • Complainant should be advised about disciplinary actions and retaliation
  • Periodic follow-up

• The two basic concepts supporting administrative justice are due process and just cause
• Due process: disciplinary actions following an accepted procedure that protects an EE from arbitrary, capricious or unfair treatment
• Just cause: disciplinary action should only be taken for good and sufficient reason
• The following principles describe an effective disciplinary system:
  1.Definite Policy and Procedure (should follow a prescribed and consistent course of action )
  2.Supervisory Responsibility (Sups should be responsible for initiating the action)
  3.Communication of Rules (EEs should know and understand rules; EE handbook)
  4.Burden of Proof (collect information)
  5.Consistent Treatment (no discrimination)
  6.Consideration of the Circumstances (rules and offenses should not be considered in isolation )
  7.Reasonable Rules and Penalties (proportionality)
  8.Statute of Limitations (to be removed from EE file after a period of time)