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Developing an Employee Relation and Industrial Relations Strategy

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Developing an Employee Relation and Industrial Relations Strategy

Long-term employee relations and Industrial relations objectives

The scenario provided about Safety Traffic Co. illustrates a great desire for having

employee relations and industrial relations strategy. This section describes the long-term

objectives for employee relations and industrial relations in Safety Traffic Co.

Salaries, bonuses, benefits, and remuneration assessment are key objectives of employee

relations and industrial relations that should be checked in Safety Traffic Co. as it affects

employees' performance and engagement. This can be crucial due to employees' grievances

during the last six months. For instance, a traffic controller claimed a lack of correct

reimbursement for the overtime rate. This has made the officer lodge a formal complaint with the

union representative. The consequence of this complaint was that the traffic controller acquired

the benefits paid back. The situation depicts that the bonuses and other compulsory benefits for

employees are not deeply considered in this organization. Therefore, salaries and remuneration

evaluation will be crucial for employee and industrial relations.


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Secondly, having an efficient management strategy for employee satisfaction should be

another essential objective of employee relations and industrial relations in Safety Traffic Co.

The scenario depicts a situation where employees express a sign of displeasure with the working

conditions at the company. Nine traffic controllers have complained that the organization is not

providing them with enough rest. It is imperative to note that the award for employment, as

shown in the grievances section, necessitates the employees to be provided with ample time to

have sufficient rest breaks. Therefore, if these traffic controllers are denied the right to an

adequate rest time, dissatisfaction will tend to increase. This illustrates the need for a resolution

plan that provides a break roster and schedules extra staff to relieve the traffic controllers of their

duties. Discrimination is also rampant within the organization as the reward system is based on

employment status.

Thirdly, a change in the current organizational culture should be the other important

employee relation and industrial relations objective for Safety Traffic Co. The existing

organizational culture can be perceived as inappropriate for the traffic controllers. For instance,

there are rampant mistreatment cases from site supervisors, as expressed by five traffic

controllers. In addition, the issue of sexual harassment exists in the organization where younger

females are exploited sexually by the older male traffic controllers. Suppose Safety Traffic Co. is

dedicated to attaining this objective related to changing the existing organizational culture. In

that case, it will be reasonable to reprimand the offenders of sexual harassment and site

supervisors who mistreat the traffic controllers and provide a strict warning to control these

unpleasant behaviors. Furthermore, there is a need for the traffic controllers and site supervisors

to be equipped with management skills through training programs, which will be imperative for

them to understand how to enhance an appropriate organizational culture.


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Current employee and industrial relations performance and key issues

The existing employee and industrial relations in Safety Traffic Co. can be considered

way below the required standards. This can be illustrated by how the organization lacks a formal

policy and plan for enhancing employee relations. Consequently, airing the grievances for the

employees will be a challenging task in Safety Traffic Co. unless the organization becomes

resilient and change the existing tendencies in managing the employees' welfare. The most

commendable aspect of the employee relation in this organization is how it embraces employee

diversity. However, managing the diverse employees at the workplace is a significant challenge

for the supervisors at Safety Traffic Co. This section will discuss key features and issues

surrounding employee and industrial relations in Safety Traffic Co.

Lack of appropriate policy and procedural plan for handling grievances makes Safety

Traffic Co. rely on the HR manager's services. The HR manager is spending a lot of time

managing the grievances of the staff members and other supervisors. HR commitment is,

therefore, an essential aspect of employee relations in this organization due to the lack of ample

time for having an appropriate employee engagement. In addition, the HR manager is concerned

with policy formulation regarding the needs for safety and health conditions of the employees,

which is essential for the development of the workforce. There is also a lack of enough support

from the supervisors, as accounted for by the traffic controllers within the organization.

Furthermore, these traffic controllers are recounting situations when their ideas fall on deaf ears

of the supervisors; thus, the employment conditions have remained below the required standards.

Lacking an appropriate teamwork and communication strategy implies a need to improve the

current employee relations standards within Safety Traffic Co.


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Additionally, Safety Traffic Co. lacks definite and consistent performance management

and training programs. This contributes to the organization's failure to attain the desired

objectives for good performance, thus cannot offer a strategic plan for supporting its activities.

The performance of the employees is also inappropriate since there is no proper documentation

of the inductions conducted on the site. The current performance management approaches made

in the company entail the operations manager and supervisors emphasizing the poor performers

and solving the rampant disputes. This has made the top-performing employees move on since

the current employee relations strategy does not cater to their affairs. Furthermore, the

organization lacks an appropriate mechanism of harnessing team effort, which has segregated the

traffic control teams. Lack of cohesiveness in the organization illustrates a poorly defined

organizational culture, which will reduce the overall performance of the employees.

Another key and pressing issue within Safety Traffic Co. relates to the lack of a good

communication loop. For instance, the organization does not have a formal process for

communicating essential issues at various business levels. In addition, employees do not have

enough confidence to discuss their sentiments with the supervisors. Follow-up is also not

emphasized within the organization; thus, there is no definite plan for giving the supervisors

some feedback. The discrimination issues are also present within the organization, whereby

employment arrangement is the basis for preferential staff treatment. For instance, the full-time

employees seem to be favored at the expense of the casual employees. This also illustrates that

terms and conditions defining employment within this organization are vague and varied. Lack

of appropriate contract enforcement with the management and time restrictions issues make the

employees unable to give feedback at the workplace.

Policy options for attaining employee relations and industrial relations objectives
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The three objectives mentioned earlier can be attained in Safety Traffic Co by using a set

of policy options and strategies. It will be crucial for Safety Traffic Co. to follow the strategies

and policy options discussed in this section. They will assist it in enhancing the workplace

climate for the employees' best performance.

First, Safety Traffic Co. should implement policies that increase employee engagement.

For instance, according to the first objective, employees feel disengaged due to a lack of a proper

remuneration system. The absence of timely reimbursement of benefits and bonuses has

contributed to numerous complaints in the organization. It will be challenging for any

organization to attain an appropriate employee engagement mechanism without checking on how

these employees are rewarded. This illustrates the need for the organization to assess how it can

offer appropriate and timely benefits for its traffic controllers. Consequently, maximizing the

performance management approaches will be easy if an organization focuses on employee

engagement strategies.

The second objective can be attained through drafting and implementing a set of policy

options that are inclined towards enhancing the welfare of the employees. First, employees

should be motivated by providing equal employment opportunities. This should be implemented

irrespective of whether the employees are employed on a permanent or contractual basis.

Secondly, anti-discrimination policies should be adopted within the company as they will assist

the employees to feel recognized as part of the team. Equal treatment will also require the

organization to deal with the employees' occupational health and workplace safety. If the above

policy options and strategies are followed in Safety Traffic Co., it will be easy to ensure that

employees are satisfied and properly engaged.


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The third objective related to inappropriate organizational culture can be achieved by

formulating and implementing strategies and policy options for organizational change. For

example, the organization should ensure that strict policies dictating employees' sexual

harassment are formulated and implemented. In addition, since the organization is experiencing

some forms of mistreatment for the employees, having policies that deter employees from being

mistreated by the site supervisors will be essential. The organizational culture should also

encompass employees' needs, such as addressing their grievances, which will be crucial for

traffic controllers to feel appreciated as part of the team. This should also be associated with a

feedback loop to assess employee grievances.

Relevant stakeholders for each option and how they will be consulted

Attaining the desired objectives through formulating and implementing the above policy

options can only be possible via the stakeholders. This section will discuss Safety Traffic Co.

stakeholders who are relevant in attaining the policy options and the mechanisms to be used

when consulting them. The stakeholders include site supervisors, managers, employees, and the

government.

The managers should be involved in these policy options as they will play an essential

role in ensuring that the company's employees' sentiments and needs are attained. For instance,

the operations and human resource managers will assist the organization in meeting the three

objectives since they will plan and execute the remuneration package policy for employees. The

managers will also be keen to ensure that the employees feel recognized as part of the team by

emphasizing the need for their proper engagement. The consultation of managers should be made

directly from the company's board.


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The site supervisors are the other stakeholders who should be engaged in designing and

implementing the policy options and organizational strategies within Safety Traffic Co. For

instance, the site supervisors should be made aware of the need to minimize employee

discrimination, reducing their mistreatment. The site supervisors should be consulted through

direct emailing from the organization's managers.

The employees, who encompass the traffic controllers, are the other essential

stakeholders involved. They are the ones who are directly affected by any forms of policy

options and strategies that are designed, formulated, and implemented within the organization.

Employees should be made aware of the process for providing feedback on their grievances.

They should also be notified of whether the management is addressing their grievances. The

remuneration package policy should be attractive to the traffic controllers and their bonuses

provided on time. The managers should consult the traffic controllers.

The government is the other essential stakeholder for Safety Traffic Co. This is because

of the vital roles attached to the government, and the need to attain them becomes imperative.

The government is responsible for formulating and implementing legislation that defines the

working environment for any organization. In addition, it will be the role of the government to

penalize Safety Traffic Co if the company does not follow the stipulated guidelines defining the

workplace requirement. The industrial relations plan is well defined using the legislative

doctrines provided by the government. The traffic controllers can consult the government

through their trade unions since they act as checks for the organization and air their grievances if

the workplace has unpleasant conditions.


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Cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment plan template

Cost-benefit analysis Risk assessment plan

Risk level
Option
Associated Consequen (monitor, low,
Cost Benefit Outcome Likelihood Risk control
risk/s ce medium, high,
very high)
1. Safety Traffic Total annual Administrati Traffic Terms and Industrial Ideal option Low Proper
Co. should wages and ve costs will controllers conditions for disparities since arrangement
implement policies
that increase
salaries for be saved if will be the can emerge. employees and
employee employees employees motivated to remuneration will be organization of
engagement would cost are engaged be part of the might be motivated by the
$900,000. adequately team in inconsistent. appropriate remuneration
through an delivering benefits, package,
appropriate their duties. bonuses, and terms, and
remuneration salaries. conditions.
package.
2. Drafting and The costs of Employees Costs will be Disparities If there are This option low Institute policy
implementing a set administering will not be saved when within terms inconsisten is ideal since framework that
of policy options
that are inclined
a proper discriminate the right and cies, enhanced is strict on the
towards enhancing treatment plan d against; approach conditions for employees employees' treatment
the welfare of the will be $1,900 they will feel enhances the will not be welfare will offered to the
employees plus $2,800 being part of employees' employees' productive, be associated employees.
for the team and treatment. treatment. and the with high
interviews. will benefit organizatio productivity.
from equal n will not
opportunities adequately
provided by cater to
the their
organization welfare
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3. Formulating and Training costs Change in Eradication Risks can Change in It is an ideal low Enhancing the
implementing $8,000. organization of sexual occur if the organizatio policy option checks on the
strategies and
policy options for
Counselling al culture harassment, management nal culture since progress of
organizational costs $2,500. will lack of is used to the is possible. employees adoption of the
change Administratio eliminate all feedback, dominant will be free new
n of training ills and organizational to work in an organizational
and associated mistreatment culture. environment culture.
counseling with the that lacks
will cost previous forms of
$900. culture. exploitation
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Legislative requirements and critical entities in the industrial relations system

The organization should meet all legislative requirements that eliminate potential disputes

in implementing the policy options. This involves using the strategic options that ensure

employees are aware of the modern awards, forms of contractual agreements, and other

educational programs for their rights and responsibilities. Safety Traffic Co. should be keen on

communicating to the employees about the legislative requirements. This should be done through

formal consultation in committees or elected representatives for their trade unions. Use of

legislative provisions from courts and employment tribunals should be used since it will be

possible for the organization to enhance an appropriate working relationship with the employees.

Discussion on how the employee relation objectives meet organization needs

The paper has discussed three employee relations objectives. The objectives have been

identified from the existing challenges within Safety Traffic Co. that should require urgent

attention from all stakeholders involved. These objectives will meet the organizational needs

since they will assist the management in offering proper remunerations and benefits, enhance the

employees' welfare and satisfaction, and reduce their exploitation via an appropriate

organizational culture.
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Formal Email

To: Safety Traffic Co. stakeholders (site supervisors, managers, employees, and the government)

This email aims to request all stakeholders of Safety Traffic Co. to the scheduled meeting that

will discuss the draft proposal. As you know, the organization lacks a definite employee relations

and industrial relations strategy. As a result, most of the conducted activities have not

emphasized strict adherence to the guidelines as stipulated by the legislation from the court and

employment tribunals. Therefore, I found it essential to have a draft proposal that discusses the

current situation and the policy options that would enhance the workplace.

Meeting time: 12:00 noon

Date:

Call number: ……. (Student’s phone number).

Should you have any queries, kindly contact our executive support desk via ……….

Thank you.

(Student's Name).

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