CAPSTONE #2

CASE:
 Two women who worked for the last five years as Publishing Assistant in the Makati Office
of a multinational publishing house had been assign the task of preparing certain reports
which demanded a high degree of accuracy and judgment. Due to recent changes introduced
in the office operations and procedures, the required reports prepared by the two
women were simplified. Thus, the job description of Publishing Assistant was rewritten and
accordingly the job title was changed to Publishing Clerk.
 Even after the operations and procedures in the office were simplified, the supervisor of the
two women had continued to give them free rein in making decisions required in preparing
the reports because he felt that the two women clerks were capable and should be encouraged
to use their own initiative and judgment where necessary.
 The HR Manager of the publishing house at his initiative reclassified downward the positions
of the two women with reduction in pay because of the changed job title. The women
objected and maintained that they were still doing substantially the same work that they did
when they were Publishing Assistant.
 The union filed a grievance and after negotiation, a compromise was decided upon wherein
the job involved remained at the lower classification and the two women were transferred to
other jobs in the organization with their old rates of pay.

QUESTIONS:
1. Was the initiative taken by the HR manager is in order? Why or why not?
No. Because in any case where a position is reclassified to a class with a salary range having
a lower rate, the current salary must be retained. No employee’s rate of pay will be reduced
as a result of the installation of a Job Evaluation Plan. All the employees should be provided
with complete information about job evaluation techniques and program.
Since salaries are based on contracts, employers cannot decrease the salaries unilaterally. you
can reduce work to reduce wages (Labor Advisory 09 Series of 2020). However, for full
work to be compensated with less pay, the employees must agree. Involvement of employee
is very important.
2. Considering the facts, was the reclassification of the job justified?
No. Because the HR clearly violates the two-basic rule for winning acceptance of the
program. It is clear that all parties who should be involved in the evaluation did not
participated and did not take active part in the program.
There is no clear communication as to the purpose of the Job Evaluation Program. There is
no clear policy and procedure as to how to execute the program. The fact that even after the
operations and procedures in the office were simplified, the supervisor of the two women had
continued to give them free rein in making decisions required in preparing the reports. The
action implies that there is no acceptance from the two employee and from their Supervisor.
Supervisor/Manager should be convinced about the techniques and programme of evaluation.
They should also be trained in fixing and revising the wages based on job evaluation.

3. Would you consider the compromise action appropriate?

Yes. Because the compromise action involves the assignment of jobs into a job grade or level
according to its point rating without the reduction in pay. The essential element in a
successful
job classification plan lies not only in getting the right scheme for the right conditions, but
also in selling the job evaluation program to the employer, the union, and the employee. The
more the union participates in job classification, the smoother the system will work, but the
union must realize that correct job classifications are responsibilities of the union as well as
the management.
A compromise agreement is a legally binding agreement between a business and an
employee under which the employee agrees to settle their potential claims and in return the
employer will agree.