AFRICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

NAME: ELAINE DOMINIC MENGI

ADM NUMBER: 20J01ADBA055

COURSE UNIT: HUMAN

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

COURSE NO. : 054

LECTURER: WANJA, JANE

SUBMISSION DATE: 5TH/03/2020

 a.) Describe the term “Employee Concerns”

Employee concerns always affect productivity, positively or negatively. Occasions when their
concerns have no effect are rare and possibly non-existent. This is not a psychologically complex
reality. Most managers have seen tangible effects of personal, if not professional issues affecting
employee performance.

Employees find new boyfriends/girlfriends, get married, receive their college or graduate
degrees, or have other wonderful events occur, and their productivity tends to improve.
Conversely, people face divorce, foreclosure, the loss of a parent, issues with children, or a
variety of other personal issues, and their productivity declines, for at least the short term.

Work-related concerns have an equal – sometimes greater – effect on employee productivity.

Even the issues of just one staff member often affect the performance of a team or department,
once again for better or worse. Concerns that are satisfied by management for just one team
member can often uplift the performance of the whole group. On the down side, should
management not address concerns of even one team member, performance of that employee –
and possibly the entire team – typically suffers.

How to Determine Employee Concerns

Management sometimes maintains that they didn’t address employee concerns because they
were unaware that one or more issues existed. While this statement may be true, it is imperative
that management stay aware of employee concerns so they can address them before small issues
become major performance detractors. As long as your staff has the security of knowing that
they will not be punished or criticized for being truthful about their concerns, they normally will
be honest – sometimes brutally honest.

The Top 10 Employee Concerns

There have been numerous in-house and third-party independent surveys directly addressing this
issue. The results seem to indicate that the following issues are the most common employee
concerns in a cross section of all industries. The following are the employee concerns:-)

1.) Pay increase guidelines. This concern might initially surprise you. Compensation
guidelines are normally in place for large companies, those with unionized workforces,
and government agencies.
2.) Higher salaries and compensation.
3.) Benefits programs. This is to limit turnover and increase retention, management typically
tries to offer the best benefit program they can afford. Should programs fall short of ideal,
management should communicate their dedication to make benefits the best they can be.
4.) The Human Resource Department.
 Most H.R. professionals are aware of this employee concern. Contemporary workers
want and expect their H.R. departments to be fountains of knowledge about a myriad of
issues (benefits, compensation, corporate plans and goals, legal and insurance issues,
positions to be open in the future, etc.).
5.) Excessive management.
Sometimes called “over management” or “micro management,” this concern relates to
employees feeling that their every activity is separately managed and little judgment or
freedom is permitted.
6.) Inadequate communication.
Employees have a need to believe they are “in the loop” by having as much information
as possible on employer plans, goals, dreams, news, etc.
7.) Over-work
Employees are often afraid that their efforts and high performance may only result in
management asking them to do more for the same compensation. Extra efforts should be
rewarded by additional compensation (if possible) and/or a sincere “Thank you” at a
minimum. Concern addressed.
8.) Workplace conditions and cleanliness.
Management is sometimes caught off guard when advised that this concern consistently
appears. With more and more people committed to improved health and quality of life in
general, it is not surprising that there is deep interest in their workplace physical
conditions.
9.) Favoritism.
Most senior management would dispute this concern, but they may be forgetting one
important item which is perception. Your company may be diligent in prohibiting
favoritism, yet the perception of this failing or the possibility of its existence remains a
concern of employees.
10.) Pay equity.
Employees want to feel secure they are earning compensation equal to those who are in
similar positions and have comparable experience.

Conclusion

Management should address any concerns that employees have to maintain continuity of
performance. Certainly, at times, the answers that management must provide are not what the
employee wanted. Yet, their concerns were addressed and efforts made to resolve these issues.

b.) Make short notes on the following Employee Concerns

People with a human resources degree who plan to work in the field of Human Resource may
encounter some common employee concerns. It is important to take the below concerns seriously
for reasons ranging from employee retention to protecting the company from legal action to
ensuring that employees remain safe in the workplace.
1. Interpersonal Conflict

Some form of interpersonal conflict is almost inevitable in the workplace. This conflict could be
between coworkers or could involve an employee and a supervisor. One or more of the people
involved in the conflict may come to human resources seeking a solution. It might be possible to
arrange mediation to work out the conflict between the individuals. In some cases, it may be
possible to work out an arrangement in which the people experiencing the conflict do not have
much contact with one another, but it is critical that this is not a change that could adversely
affect either person’s career. This could open the company up to charges of discrimination.

2. Harassment and Discrimination

As an article in Forbes points out, reports about workplace sexual harassment seem to be at an
all-time high, or at least the media reports about them do. This may be one of the most common
employee concerns at the moment, and human resources departments must be prepared to deal
with complaints. It is critical that companies have clear policies about harassment and
discrimination, that human resources departments encourage employees to make reports, and that
any reports made are thoroughly investigated.

3. Safety Issues

Human resources departments often have the task of overseeing employee safety and health.
Some companies may have safety professionals with specific training in the field, but this is a
rarer discipline than HR as discussed in this article from EHS Today. As a result, a person with a
human resources degree may be dealing with issues ranging from preventing accidents in the
workplace to ensuring that overtime shifts do not have a negative effect on employee health to
protecting against workplace violence.

4. Training

Various types of training fall under the remit of the human resources department including
training regarding harassment and discrimination and safety issues. However, HR may also be
involved in other types of employee training including helping guide employees toward
opportunities for continuing education in their field. Human resources may also be involved in
helping to set up training when changes are made to software or other systems.

5. Wage, Hour and Leave Issues

Like issues around harassment and discrimination, an improper understanding of employee rights
regarding pay and leave can leave a company vulnerable to lawsuits. From paying employees
correcting for overtime to dealing with annual leave to ensuring that employees do not face
retaliation for taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, HR departments have a
number of responsibilities in this area. HR might also be involved in choosing and managing
timekeeping software.

HR professionals act as a kind of bridge between the company and the employees. A good HR
professional tries to reach mutually agreeable solutions that promote the interests of both the
employee and the company. A human resources degree is part of the necessary preparation for
working in this field and ensuring that common employee concerns are addressed.
References

1. Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management (11th

edition). London: Kogan Page.
2. Losy, Mike; Meisinger, Sue; Ulrich, Dave (2005) The Future of Human Resource
Management: 64 Thought Leaders Explore the Critical HR Issues of Today and
Tomorrow. Wiley; First Edition.