3 Online Healthcare Management Quizzes

Study Guide for Part VIII: Labor Relations

Chapter 27) The Labor Union and the Supervisor

a) Chapter Objectives i) Review the history of collective bargaining and labor-

related legislation. ii) Discuss the content of a typical labor contract. iii) Outline areas of concern for the supervisor. iv) Differentiate the role of the supervisor and the shop

steward in organized labor environments. b) History

i) 1935 – National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) – guarantees right to collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining – the practice of bargaining for better pay and working conditions as a group.

ii) 1947 – Labor-Management Relations Act (Taft-Hartley Act) – modifies W agner Act.

iii) 1959 – Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (Landrum-Griffin Act).

iv) 1974 – Labor laws extended to healthcare settings. v) 2004 – 7.9m union members represent white-

collar occupational categories; 7.6m represent blue-collar. c) The Nuances of Unions – It is best to have a positive

constructive relationship with the union. d) Unionization and Labor Negotiations – Supervisors have legal

restrictions placed on them during union-organizing efforts (human resources will keep you up-to-date). Avoid discussing opinions with employees in the office.

i) See exhibit 27.1 p. 636 for do’s and don’ts ii) Employee Free Choice Legislation – Obama – changes

landscape of unions and those who do not want to belong to a union

e) Content of the Agreement i) Supervisors need to read and understand the labor contract.

ii) Administration should communicate the intent (spirit) of the contract.

iii) Supervisors should uphold the contract and work within it, as it was created to be mutually beneficial.

iv) Management Right’s Clause – the clause in a labor agreement that gives management the authority to manage the workforce.

f) Applying the Agreement – Arbitrators are selected by the union and management to make final and binding decisions on unresolved grievances. i) Arbitrator – an independent outside person selected to make final binding decisions in a grievance the parties are unable to settle on their own

g) Problem Areas – consult human resources when confronted with ambiguous situations. i) T he Supervisor’s Right to Make Decisions ii) The Supervisor and the Shop Steward

(1) Shop steward ’s job is to present grievances. The steward – union representative who is also an employee (2) Supervisor’s job is to resolve grievances using t h e

grievance procedures from the contract.

(3) Shop stewards have equal standing with supervisor in discussing and resolving grievances. h) Employee-Friendly Legislation i) Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – eliminates statute of limitations and addresses discriminatory compensation ii) Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) – premiums for involuntary terminated employees iii) Whistle-blower protection – protects employees against retaliation iv) Working Families Flexibility Act – ―14 and 14 rule‖ v) The Family Friendly Workplace Act – provide compensatory time off i) Summary Chapter 28) Handling Grievances

a) Chapter Objectives i) Define the term grievance.

ii) Differentiate between the roles of the shop steward and the supervisor in responding to a grievance. iii) Review the process of handling a grievance. b) A grievance is a complaint that usually results from a misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or violation of a provision of the labor agreement, or discipline of the employee

i) Arbitrator – an impartial outsider ii) Supervisor’s responsibility is to resolve most disputes at

the first step iii) Grievance versus Complaint

c) The Shop Steward ’s Role – both the shop steward and employee concerned should be present for the formal presentation of any grievance: Weingarten Rule i) Shop steward – spokesperson for employee d) The Supervisor’s Role i) Availability ii) Listening Skills iii) Emotional Control iv) Defining the Problem v) Obtaining the Facts vi) Familiarity with the Contract and Consultation vii) Time Limits – adhere to grievance procedure time limits. viii) Adjudication of Grievances – settle small grievances before they become large. ix) Consistency of Action x) Consequences of the Settlement xi) Providing a Clear Answer – respond to grievance in a straightforward, reasonable manner that is perfectly clear xii) Nonunionized Organizations – grievance procedures can also apply to non-unionized workforce xiii) Record Keeping – essential. Burden of proof is on management e) Summary

Chapter 29) Emerging Influences in Healthcare a) Chapter Objectives i) Recognize the many different forces affecting healthcare and healthcare management today ii) Apply traditional management principles to address a rapidly changing healthcare environment b) The Force of Change – mergers, de-mergers, bankruptcies, regulations, technology, staff shortages, consumer demand, poor economy, educated consumers

c) Changing Occupations – jobs that don’t exist today in future i) Aging baby-boomers; staffing shortages ii) Problems high caseloads and long work hours

present negative aspects of healthcare positions d) Changing Consumers and Satisfaction

i) Baby-boomers educated consumers ii) Need to train staff in customer service techniques iii) Websites make consumers health literate iv) Consumers seeking quality of care v) Need for customer satisfaction vi) Organizations seeking quality recognition awards –

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program e) Changing Technology – cloning, genetic mapping, tissue engineering

i) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) ii) Health information exchange iii) Medical tourism – the practice of seeking medical

care in a foreign country because of cost savings, quality, expertise…

f) Changing Economics i) Declining reimbursement/rising cost of care ii) Hospital acquired conditions iii) ICD-10 coding system – 2013 iv) Mergers, closures, outsourcing—thing of the past?

g) Changing Policies and Regulations – see page 665 Exhibit 29.3 i) ARRA h) C hanging Staff Issues

i) Workforce Tsunami ii) Specialization iii) Workforce Diversity

i) Changing Communication Methods i) social networking sites ii) problems with blogs

j) Changing Our Cost Structure Through Collaboration to Achieve Quality i) Does quality of care cost more than poor care? ii) The uncommon leader k) A Final W ord – see Exhibit 29.1: First-Time Management Blunders