Discussion Response
Labor Relations Issues
Dennis Hernandez posted Mar 23, 2020 8:07 PM
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1. Assume that senior management has just learned that there is a union organizing effort going on. This is the second time in four years that the hourly employees have tried to unionize. As an HR manager in this union-free company with 500 plant (hourly) employees located in a large industrial city, what actions would you recommend to senior management to remain union-free? Why?
An HR manager should give prudent advice to senior management to mitigate further issues or escalation of current issues in the company. One advice HR could recommend is improving a company’s Employee Participation Program (EPP). Most employees feel the need to be an important part of the organization they work for. Giving them a say in certain matters would give them that sense of belonging. It would also give labor and management opportunities to sit and talk about issues which will improve working conditions. For example, if we talk about safety, Story and Kight (2019, p. 9) stated that the advantages of having high worker “participation in safety and health efforts improves morale, lowers absenteeism and increases productivity while reducing risks.” Another advice by HR could be handling employee grievances and taking steps to mitigate future grievances stemming from the same factors. Any handling of grievances should be performed as early as possible. Handling grievances appropriately builds that trust relationship and supervisor/management credibility by employees, (Sultan, 2012). Additionally, employee complaints/grievances won’t build up to the point where they feel they would need to join or go through a union to protect their rights.
2. Assume there has been a discussion about using an employee participation program (EPP) in the workplace. What is your opinion of using an EPP? Why?
Setting up an EPP is a good way to solve problems within the workplace, as well as prevent issues from building up to the point where employees would even consider forming or joining a Union. It would be a win-win for both management and laborers alike. Workers would have a say in certain matters concerning their welfare in the work environment and hopefully, management can prevent workers from creating a union.
3. What are the advantages of an EPP?
One of the main advantages of an EPP is building that trust/relationship between workers and management. By having that relationship, productivity will be increased because workers are more motivated. EPP gives workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their work setting, (Blumner, 1998). In effect, workers will also have that feeling of belonging to the organization if they have a say in certain matters that concerns their working conditions.
4. What are the disadvantages of an EPP?
One of the advantages to EPP is blurring the line of distinction between management level and employee level, (Kodemuller, 2019). By allowing workers and upper management to mingle and make decisions together, the line between the two may become blurred and stability within the organization may weaken. This is made worse when workers feel they no longer need to get approval for certain decisions due to the lax in corporate structure.
References
Blumner, N. (1998, May). Cooperative Workplace Structures. Retrieved from https://www.mildredwarner.org/gov-restructuring/special-projects/cooperative
Kokemuller, N. (2019, January 28). Advantages & Disadvantages of Employee Involvement. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-employee-involvement-21399.html
Story, J. & Kight, J., pg. 9 (2019, December). Employee Participation Programs: A Multielement Approach. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=140077521&site=ehost-live
Sultan, M. (2012, 2). Grievance procedure -. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/mohdhanifah/grievance-procedure-13512386