SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

GROUP MEMBERS: REG NO:

1. LANGAT CHEPTOO SHARON D33/139643/2020
2. ASHA HAWA ABBAS D33/139349/2020
3. SHARON DERIO D33/40301/2016

COURSE: BACHELOR OF COMMERCE

UNIT CODE: DHR 302

UNIT TITTLE: INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

TASK: Discuss CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Contemporary issues in industrial relations
Introduction
Contemporary is the period from the 20 th century up to the present time. Issue refers to events,
situation, problems which affects the society.

Contemporary issues refer to events, idea, opinion, problem that is relevant and in public discourse in
our community or world at present.

Contemporary issues in industrial relations;

1. Conflict issues:

Conflict can happen in the workplace environment. Disagreement or disputes between the business
owner and employees are some critical issues that can occur in the workplace. The communication gap
is the biggest issue that can turn into a worse situation.
One of the biggest issues is how the two parties talk to each other, or whether they talk at all. If there is
not an easy way for the two parties to communicate and have their issues heard, the conflict can turn
into something much worse. This can result in poor company morale or the termination of a team
member.
How to solve
Consider using a system that allows for consistent, efficient communication between team members
and insist that this is the way they must communicate if a conflict arises. When you make this a policy,
you can avoid gossip and misunderstandings. You can also ensure that employees always feel that their
issues are heard.

2. Timekeeping and Attendance Issues

Timekeeping and attendance issues are common, and you can eliminate many of them by
utilizing employee self-service software. Allowing employees to keep track of their time and
communicate about attendance issues right from their smart devices reduces the chances for conflict
and provides them a handy benefit.
How to solve:
Having an effective employee relations plan in place will help you in numerous ways. You can avoid
federal wage and hour violations, promote safety in the workplace, assist with schedule management,
and give team members an easy way to communicate. This is an excellent way to ensure you promote
an efficient and engaging work environment for your employees
 3. Annual Leave Disputes

It is preferable to make sure that each employee is aware of the industrial leave policy. If employees are
not aware of the leave policy, then it can become a substantial contemporary issue in an industrial
relationship. The managers can consider the leave management software for avoiding annual leave
disputes.
By establishing the proper balance while empowering the employees, it becomes easy for the industry
to maintain a chain of harmony. The company can resolve the most significant challenges arising in
industrial relations by focusing on the positioning and status of brand management.
How to solve:
Consider leave management software that helps you create a legal and transparent leave policy that
leaves no room for dispute. Provide every employee with easy access to this policy. This type of software
can also help

4. Adequate Safety in the Workplace

It’s every business owner’s worst nightmare to have an injury or accident happen to one of their
employees while they are on the job. Promoting safety in the workplace should be a top priority of every
business owner. This should be true no matter what industry they are in. This includes making sure all
proper safety equipment is used and that the right security measures are put in place.
How to solve:
A good policy should also ensure that employees are not overly fatigued due to too many overtime
shifts. Having software to track schedules can help HR managers ensure that employees have plenty of
rest time. This helps reduce over-scheduling to the point of creating an unsafe work environment

5. Hour and wages issues

Low wages have been a non-ending problem and have been a source of industrial dispute for years,
many of the factories workers are still given wages below subsistence level, which leads to high degree
of dissatisfaction and subsequent decrease in productivity.

Also many employees tend to dispute the number of hours they worked or insist on overtime that at
some point is not accurate. However, sometimes HR hardly find time to go over time sheets or
attendance records to check details

How to solve:
To avoid federal wage and hour violations and to reduce the possibility that employees will
dispute their paychecks, consider self-service timekeeping software that allows them to clock in
and out from their smart devices. This encourages employees to keep track of and manage their
own schedules by providing an efficient way to do so. It can also help with scheduling to prevent
unnecessary overtime or to make sure the employees in the right pay grade perform the correct jobs.

6. Lack of Privacy

One of the biggest challenges of employee relations is the fact that there is no presumption of privacy
when business owners hire employees. Many companies have policies that allow security personnel to
monitor internet use, phone calls, voicemails, and email correspondence. Technology has also increased
the problems faced by employees in organization because of the increased intrusion of video and audio
surveillance. When employees feel as if every move they make is being monitored, they lose trust in
upper management and company leaders.

How to solve

Only use data for its intended purpose, develop a strategy towards monitory that puts employee’s
privacy first. As an employer, you must prioritize employee data protection and use data collected only
for its intended purpose. If it’s used for another purpose, employees lose trust in their employers, and
this can diminish morale.

7.  it's an "Us Against Them" Mentality

Another of the pressing problems faced by employees in organization is that many workers believe that
a significant divide exists between a company's workers and managers. This is a natural reaction by a
group of people who understand that they must often subordinate their own desires to implement the
will of management. This division can cause a number of issues, such as contract negotiation problems
and strikes, which can require the intervention of trade and labor unions.

How to solve

Establish the proper balance between empowering your employees, and maintaining a chain-of-
command, you can help resolve one of the biggest challenges in industrial relations.

8. Inflexibility of Employer

Business owners that run their companies like an autocracy, can trigger challenges in industrial relations
because they create an inflexible environment. When an employer is inflexible, it can stifle employee
creativity, especially if employees believe that management doesn’t solicit their ideas and suggestions,
and is hostile to any suggestions or ideas that employees do make. The problem is that when
management restricts creativity and imagination, it can also stifle innovation and compromise the
company’s competitive position within its industry.

How to solve

Employers should allow employees to participate in running the company by soliciting, and using their
ideas and suggestions often find a more productive business environment.

9. Gender Wage Disparity

In some companies, the gap between what a woman earns for a position versus what a man earns for
the same position, is another significant challenge in industrial relations. Although the latest research
suggests that the gender pay gap is narrowing, many instances still exist in which women discover that
they are being paid less than a male colleague for the same work. This can create conflict, especially if a
company’s management is predominantly male. Although there are multiple factors that can lead to a
gender pay gap, the usual perception of female employees is that management may not value their
contribution as much as they do that of male employees.

How to solve

Business owners that are proactive should ensure that those men and women who have similar skills,
talents, and prior experience, will earn the same wage -- and this can help prevent this problem.

10. Narrow Focus of Employees

Another issue that arises out of industrial relations is the narrow focus that some employees have about
their role in a company. An employee might regard his task as only a job that he must complete, rather
than a role he can examine as to how he benefits the organization. Many employees see their managers
as people who give orders, rather than as facilitators who can help employees achieve professional
goals.

How to solve

Business owners, who embrace a team concept and who give employees latitude to develop ideas and
make important decisions without oversight, can offset this problem.

11. Working hours

Hour and salary issues can affect industrial relationships, and it is necessary to reduce the possibility of
hour violations quickly. It is beneficial to schedule the assigning tasks which can prevent overtime.

How to solve

Ensure that employees work at the right pay scale while performing their jobs.
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