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MANAGE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

CANDIDATE RESOURCE & ASSESSMENT BSBHRM604A

Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

9 Koppen Tce, Cairns, QLD, 4870

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.precisiongroup.com.au

© Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

BSBHRM604A

Manage Employee Relations

ISBN: 978-1-74238-

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1Candidate Resource BSBHRM604A Manage Employee Relations© Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

Table of Contents

2 Legend3 Qualification Pathways4 Qualification Rules5 Introduction7 BSBHRM604A/01 Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area Key Points

Ensure employee relations strategy is consistent with organisational strategic objectives

Develop strategies and policies through the application of a risk management approach and extensive consultation and participation by relevant groups and individuals

Ensure strategy and policies take account of equal opportunity, family / work

relationships and promote the absence of discrimination and / or harassment

Develop risk management strategies which take account of the withdrawal of labour and other potential outcomes of disputes

Identify potential areas of conflict (if any) and ensure strategies and policies take account of the objectives of relevant groups and individuals

17 ‘True’ or ‘False’ Quiz

19 BSBHRM604A/02 Build and Maintain a Productive Culture Key Points

Negotiate awards, agreements, and contracts which balance organisational objectives and employee rights and obligations

Identify and meet all legal and organisational requirements within the conditions of employment

Undertake regular and timely consultation and communication with individuals and relevant groups

Develop policies and practices to facilitate employee recruitment, retention and satisfaction

Provide induction programs and training to develop competence and confidence, and to ensure work is performed safely and effectively

Provide opportunities for employees to understand their role and how it contributes to the achievement of organisational objectives

Develop, regularly review and update individual and team development plans

Evaluate and revise employee relations policies regularly


29 BSBHRM604A/03 Resolve Employee Relations Problems Key Points

Establish processes for early intervention to identify and minimise problems or grievances

Communicate problem solving processes to, and obtain support from, all relevant groups and individuals

Provide training to develop competence in conflict management, negotiation and dispute resolution

2 Candidate Resource BSBHRM604A Manage Employee Relations© Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

LegendThis symbol indicates the beginning of new content. The bold title matches the content of the competency and they will help you to find the section to reference

for your assessment activities.

Activity: Whenever you see this symbol, there is an activity to carry out which has been designed to help reinforce the learning about the topic and take some action.

This symbol is used at the end of a section to indicate the summary key points of the previous section.

This symbol is used to indicate an answer to the Candidate’s questions or notes to assist the Facilitator.

Use considered risk taking in your ‘grey’ area

...and others will follow you!

Obtain specialist advice where appropriate or where formal hearings are required

Ensure processes are fair, equitable and consistent with all relevant awards agreements and legislation

Ensure problem solving processes provide for external mediation and conciliation, and arbitration where appropriate


35 BSBHRM604A/04 Manage Diversity Key Points

Develop plans for the promotion of diversity within the organisation

Openly promote diversity and its benefits within the organisation

Develop education and communication plans to promote and encourage diversity

Develop and implement processes to deal with events which inhibit the organisation from meeting its diversity objectives


44 Summary45 Bibliography47 Assessment Pack


“There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it’s easy”. Source Unknown

This unit of competency is provided to meet the requirements of BSB07 Business Services Training Package although it can be used in a range of different qualifications. The BSB07 Business Services Training Package does not state how a qualification is to be achieved. Rather, Registered Training Organisations are required to use the qualification rules to ensure the needs of the learner and business customer are met. This is to be achieved through the development of effective learning programs delivered in an order that meets the stated needs of nominated Candidates and business customers.

Qualification Pathways


Qualification requirements include core and elective units. The unit mix is determined by specific unit of competency requirements which are stated in the qualification description. Registered Training Organisations then work with learners and business customers to select elective units relevant to the work outcome, local industry requirements and the qualification level.

All vocational education qualifications must lead to a work outcome. BSB07 Business Services Training Package qualifications allow for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to vary programs to meet:

Specific needs of a business or group of businesses.

Skill needs of a locality or a particular industry application of business skills.

Maximum employability of a group of students or an individual.

When packaging a qualification elective units are to be selected from an equivalent level qualification unless otherwise stated.

Qualification Rules

“You’re either part of the solution or part

of the problem.”Eldridge Cleaver


Introduction

“Whether as an individual, or as part of

a group, real progress depends on entering whole-heartedly into

the process and being motivated to make you a

more deeply satisfiedhuman being.”

Source Unknown

This unit of competency is all about being able to develop and manage employee relations in your workplace. It will help you with the skills you need to demonstrate competency for the unit BSBHRM604A Manage Employee Relations. This is one of the units that make up Advanced Diplomas in Business.

This manual is broken up into four distinct sections. They are:

1. Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

2. Build and Maintain a Productive Culture

3. Resolve Employee Relations Problems

4. Manage Diversity

At the conclusion of this training you will be asked to complete an Assessment Pack for this unit of competency. The information contained in this resource will assist you to complete this task.

On competent completion of the assessment, you will have demonstrated your ability to establish, maintain and evaluate the organisation’s employment relations strategies and processes in your relevant work area.


Key Points Section 1 An employee relations strategy must be consistent with your overall

organisational strategic objectives.

Consultation is a critical part of developing strategies as it ensures that your staff are involved in the process.

When developing strategies, consider how risk will affect the process.

Objectives of individual workgroups are an important consideration.

PART 1:

Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area


Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Employee Relations Strategy

Employee relations are about attempting to get your staff to work effectively towards your business’s goals and objectives. It may involve very challenging situations and requires you and your staff to act in a manner that reflects both the law and effective workplace relationships.

Employee relationships should form a major part of your organisation’s strategy and should also have their own strategy in place to ensure that everyone is fully aware of what is required of them. When developing such a strategy, you need to spend time looking at all of the strategies, policies and processes that your organisation has in place to ensure your team works effectively together. The commitment you are trying to maintain or establish should include all of the following:

“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” Mary Tyler Moore



Your management – at all levels of the organisation, both inside and outside a specific branch or department.

Your individual employees, when you are dealing with employment problems.

Your employees as a group when dealing with union issues.

As a manager, it is likely that you will be expected to work with supervisors and other frontline managers in order to ensure that all staff are working towards a common goal. This goal should allow staff to work alongside their employees to ensure that any employment relations strategy that is put in place will allow the team as a whole to work effectively with one another.

The Employee Relations Strategy must allow the individuals concerned to allow the team members to understand what is required of them in terms of the way they work and how the organisation will help them achieve these goals. Those involved in this development include:

All staff within the organisation, especially the human resources section. It will be their role to actually understand how the personnel section operates, as well as what is required of the team members concerned. All staff should be consulted during this stage.

You may find it useful to hire consultants to provide advice on the necessary sections of any such policy.

The overall strategy should allow the organisation to have information on how management can:

Work towards a strategic direction for the way that employee relations is handled.

Provide advice to staff members of various topics which may concern them, as well as provide advice on how to implement new programs.

Spend time working within a team that facilitates organisational change within the department or organisation.

Know the processes involved when communicating information to other team members or seeking information through consultation.

Attempt to monitor the effectiveness of programs that have been put in place for employee relations and ensure that processes are effectively implemented to improve any such processes.

Allow team members to resolve any differences that may have occurred between them and management, as well as working with employees on a group basis for group problems.

Allow for appropriate advice to be provided regarding both their rights and their obligations as an employee, according to the legislation applicable to them and their employment agreements and contracts.

Ensure management is in a position to draft policies with regards to discipline, resignation, grievances, redundancy, or any other area related to employee relations



Allow for the management to be involved in preparing for cases regarding employment issues.

Revise OHS requirements and policies and ensure all members of the workplace are kept safe in their positions.

Provide advice on changes to the employee relations landscape and how this affects workplace operations.

Such a policy needs to be developed by looking at:

How employee relations decisions are made within the workplace. There are a range of methods that may be adopted, so the policy needs to look at these in detail and decide which are most appropriate.

The context within which the organisation is operating. This may include looking at other organisations, other countries and how they are doing things and how things may change for you.

Factors within your organisation that may have an effect on the way that things operate. This may include culture or other factors that place pressure on the way that things operate in the organisation.

How organisational change will affect the way that employee relationships will be conducted or changed.

Unions – how they are likely to be effective in altering the way that you undertake your workplace operations.

The employment contracts used within the organisation.

Workplace policies and procedures for promoting and achieving a healthy and safe workplace.

The strategy should also ensure that your management and front line management staff have appropriate skills in:

Dealing with grievances

Workplace discipline

Problem solving

Managing change

Fixing problems

Negotiation.

As well as examining all this information, your strategy must also consider the law and how it impacts on workplace operations. There are a range of different areas which are affected by legislation and they include:

Parental leave

Hours of work

Minimum wage



Discipline

Redundancy

Occupational Health and Safety.


Employee Relations Policy

An Employee Relations Strategy is aimed at attempting to get the workplace harmonious and will look at the relationship between:

Management

Unions

Staff members

The Employee Relations staff in an organisation are responsible for:

Working with the unions

Monitoring changes

Developing strategies

Objectives of the Strategy and Policy

The specific employee relations strategy aims to:

Ensure that consultation and communication is effective

Ensure that staff are committed to the organisation

Ensure the workplace is healthy and safe

This means that your specific strategy should be aimed at:

Improving communication

Identifying areas of concern among staff

Eliminating and resolving conflict

Providing a manner for staff to feel that management is concerned about them.

Employee Representation

A sound policy and strategy should recognise the principle of freedom of association. That is, where staff members choose to have a trade union represent them, your organisation should make arrangements for recognition, collective bargaining and dispute resolution. All staff members should have the right to join the representative body of their choice, but this does not mean that the organisation will recognise all such bodies for collective bargaining or other purposes. Staff members should have the right not to belong to a representative body. The organisation should not therefore agree to membership of a representative body becoming a condition of service or appointment.



Victimisation / Coercion

A strategy developed by your organisation should examine how your employees are treated within the workplace - particularly in relation to how they are treated because of their membership of a representative body. Such a section may be along the lines of:

Such recognition should be formalised in a recognition (or procedural) agreement with the representative body. This agreement should include details of the following:

Grievance Resolution

There should be a section of the policy that states how grievances will be handled. This is addressed further in a later section. However the policy should state:

Communication and Consultation

There should be a section of your policy that states how communication and consultation are to take place.


No staff member shall be victimised by [name of business] management as a result of his / her membership of a representative body.

Management will seek to protect staff members from being coerced into membership of any association against their wishes, or from being coerced in any way as a result of their non-membership of any association.

The bargaining unit - definition of the common interest group.

Procedures - how negotiations, disputes, grievances, disciplinary matters etc. will be handled.

Our organisation believes that in order for its staff to feel empowered and effective, all staff members should feel that management will resolve any conflict when there is any element of dissatisfaction.

This dissatisfaction may arise from

Their workplace relationships

Their job.

Any form of dissatisfaction will be resolved as quickly as possible by management and other representatives. A full procedure for dealing with grievances is provided.



Discipline

Discipline should also be addressed in your policy so that all staff members are aware of how it will be implemented.

Our organisation understands that open communication and consultation among staff and management is critical to the success of any employment relationship. The organisation and its management will therefore ensure that ideas are able to be exchanged freely, that the views of all staff are considered and that any concerns are addressed as quickly as possible.

Informal systems

Informal communication and consultation should always be provided for at all levels of the organisation. This may include all managers and supervisors encouraging matters of concern being discussed among its staff members.

Consultative committees

When change is to occur within an organisation, managers and supervisors will ensure that consultation takes place. Any such consultation will be between all staff members concerned and members of the management and human resources staff.

Consultation will allow communication between management and staff members to be properly conducted and ensure that everyone is fully aware of what is occurring throughout the organisation. Management is committed to always gaining the views of staff members before major decisions concerning their positions are made.

All staff members within the organisation are expected to perform to the best of their abilities. If a staff member does not achieve this specific level of performance or act in a manner that does not fit with their specific employment agreement, the organisation may initiate disciplinary action against that employee. In serious cases this may warrant immediate action such as dismissal. In other cases, disciplinary action should be aimed at improving overall performance.



Employee Relations Training

The organisation provides staff training to promote informed and sound employee relations practices.

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation”. Jack Kinder

Staff Induction Course

All staff members who join the organisation will receive full training in specific organisational policies and procedures with regards to employee relations.

Management / Supervisory Training

Managers and any other staff members who work supervising staff members will receive specific training with regards to their specific areas of need. This may include negotiation and communication training.


Activity OneWhat are some of the strategies that could be included in organisational stratagies and policies?

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Section 1 - ‘True’ or ‘False’ Quiz


Please tick True False

Freedom of association is not a valid policy.

Change in an organisation has little effect on employment relations.

Employee relations are concerned with how to gain people’s commitment to the achievement of the organisation’s business goals and objectives.

Personnel and development professionals are expected to play their part alongside line managers in maximising the contribution of people to the achievement of current and evolving business objectives.

Employment relations strategy is not relevant to external consultants.

You must develop your employment relations strategy in isolation.

There is only one means to resolve all employment relations issues, the courts.

Strategy must allow management to participate in negotiation processes.

Employee relations strategy need not concern itself with managing change programs.

A strategy developed by your organisation should examine how your employees are treated within the workplace.

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