Discussion 7

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Topics

Narration

Slide 1

Intro

Welcome to Health Services Human Resource Management.

In this lesson, we will discuss terminating employees.

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Slide 2

Topics

The following topics will be discussed in this lesson.

Involuntary termination;

Individual terminations;

Reductions in force;

Layoffs;

Related dimensions of termination; and

The survivors of reduction.

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Slide 3

Involuntary Terminations

Involuntary terminations include discharges for cause, such as violations of policies or work rules and dismissal for reasons of performance. These latter terminations include layoffs and reductions in the work force. Questions occasionally arise in relation to supposedly voluntary terminations, such as resignations and retirements. With these exceptions, voluntary terminations are not included.

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Slide 4

Individual Termination

Managers must ensure that their organization closely followed its own policies, and that the organization can demonstrate that the discharged employee was given every reasonable opportunity to correct the offending behavior. This question is often pertinent.

The supervisor or HR must ensure that organizational policies have been followed. Adherence to the progressive disciplinary policy is critical. It is essential to ensure that all required documentation is complete and in place. The most critical dimension of termination for cause is ensuring that management and HR observe all necessary policies and processes.

An individual is not at fault in a dismissal. This is an essential difference between dismissal and discharge. Dismissal relates to performance. Because no rule is broken or policy is violated, dismissal for inability to meet the standards of the job or for failure to pass the probationary period is treated as a layoff. The distinction becomes important when dismissed employees apply for unemployment compensation. A discharged employee is ineligible for unemployment compensation. A dismissed employee is eligible for unemployment compensation.

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Slide 5

Personal Relationships

There are legitimate concerns about the appearance of favoritism and an increased likelihood of sexual harassment claims and employee unrest when romantic relationships exist between management and non-management employees. Such relationships may create conflicts between an employee’s right to privacy and the organization’s legal responsibility to prevent sexual harassment. An organization is particularly vulnerable when a member of management is involved. Courts have held organizations liable for sexual harassment by a manager even if senior managers did not know about a relationship. As many organizations have discovered, relationships that begin as consensual can go sour and lead to charges of sexual harassment.

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Slide 6

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, demands or requests for sexual favors, or other conduct of a sexual nature. It is harassment if acceptance of or submission to such conduct is either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment, if acceptance or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for making employment-related decisions, or if the conduct can be viewed as unreasonably interfering with work performance or creating an offensive or intimidating work environment. The latter condition is often referred to as a hostile environment. Sexual harassment can be as direct and blatant as offensive touching or making direct sexual propositions.

The concept of constructive discharge becomes an issue when a former employee registers a legal complaint alleging that the organization, as represented by one of its managers, made life so difficult and unbearable that the individual had to resign.

All organizations should have policies that prohibit sexual harassment and also specifically prohibit retaliation against anyone complaining of such harassment. Department managers have the responsibility to know the sexual harassment and anti-retaliation policy in sufficient detail. They must be able to train employees about the contents of the policy and the procedures for reporting sexual harassment.

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Slide 7

Reductions in Force

Healthcare organizations entered into reengineering a few years after it peaked in manufacturing. Reengineering is the systematic redesign of a business’s core processes, starting with desired outcomes and establishing the most efficient possible processes to achieve those outcomes. Reengineering is often referred to by other names including downsizing, rightsizing, reorganizing, repositioning, revitalizing, and modernizing, although reengineering is in fact a considerably more complex undertaking than these other named processes.

Mergers, acquisitions, and other forms of affiliation have become common in contemporary health care. Because these recombinations usually are made in response to financial pressures, they usually mean the loss of jobs.

When organizations explore the possibility of merger or affiliation, little information is likely to be available. Successful supervisors maintain a dialogue with their employees. They keep lines of communication open concerns and keep them informed. They listen to their concerns and provide the best information that is available. Honesty is an absolute requirement for maintaining personal credibility.

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Slide 8

Layoffs

A department manager is usually involved in determining which employees leave and which ones stay. Personal preferences must be subordinate to established organizational guidelines. All organizational guidelines are established with the guidance of legal counsel. Selection for layoff is most often accomplished by seniority, although this is not an absolute requirement unless a contract governs selection for layoff. Seniority may not be the sole factor. For example, assessment mechanisms may consider a combination of factors that may include performance as reflected by appraisals, attendance, conduct as reflected by disciplinary actions, and seniority.

Once a layoff plan has been created, personnel from administration and HR and legal counsel must assess the proposal to ensure that it is not biased. Charges of discrimination are likely if patterns based on age, gender, or race emerge among those slated for layoff. Prolonged layoffs take time for employees to recover.

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Slide 9

Related Dimensions of Termination

Any termination, regardless of the reasons behind it, should be accomplished in private and in a place where the conversation is not visible or audible to other employees. Terminations should be accomplished near the end of the workday so that an individual who has just been let go can leave the premises without being forced to give an explanation or answer employee questions about what has happened.

An unemployment hearing can consume several hours when travel and waiting time are included. A conscientious HR manager will be mindful of the impact on managers and will contest only those claims that honestly appear to be unwarranted.

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Slide 10

The Survivors of Reduction

Inevitably, some survivors of a reduction react by looking for new employment. In this way, critically needed staff may be lost due to the insecurity of the environment.

Human resources and management at all levels can provide valuable support to the survivors of a reduction in force by stressing training and education as people attempt to adjust to new or altered roles. Specifically, this is an appropriate time to provide training in time management, coping with change or managing stress. Any action that promotes a sense of business as usual or allays fear among workers has value.

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Slide 11

CYU

Slide 12

Summary

We have reached the end of this lesson. Let’s take a look at what we’ve covered.

First, we covered involuntary and individual termination. Terminations of employment are inevitable. These include positive terminations such as retirements and resignations as well as negative experiences such as firings and layoffs. Involuntary termination involves the end of employment at the request of management. There are two types of such terminations. Dismissals occur either when individuals fail to meet the standards of their job or as part of a layoff. Discharges occur when employees are released for reasons of conduct or behavior usually involving violations of policies or work rules.

We also discussed reduction in force. Allowing a person to resign instead of being fired has great potential for creating future organizational problems. Persons who are involuntarily terminated may be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. Human resources provides essential services whenever an employee leaves an organization. Survivors of any reduction in force have special needs. Ignoring these has the potential to cause great losses in employee morale and productivity.

Layoffs was the next topic of discussion. Layoffs are traumatic occurrences that sever some personnel from their employment and adversely affect the morale and motivation of survivors. Properly handled, layoffs require the guidance of human resources (HR) and the active participation of supervisors at all levels of management.

Finally, we discussed related dimensions of termination and the survivors of reduction. One who is dismissed for reasons related to performance or laid off for lack of work or economic reasons is considered eligible for unemployment. However, regardless of the reason behind any particular termination, any discharged employee is free to apply for unemployment. It costs only the time to complete an application. Before, during, and immediately after a reduction in force, people who have been laid off receive a great deal of attention. Those who have been terminated receive so much attention that individuals who remain often feel forgotten. They often think of themselves as survivors rather than as regular employees.

This completes the lesson.