Fundamentals of Human Resource

Management
Fifth Edition

Chapter 12
Maintaining
Positive
Employee
Relations

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Learning Objectives
1. Define employee relations.
2. Discuss at least four methods for managing
employee relations.
3. Explain what is meant by ethical behavior.
4. Explain what is meant by fair disciplinary
practices.
5. Answer the question, “How do companies
become ‘Best Companies to Work For’?”

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Define Employee Relations

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Discuss at least four methods for
managing employee relations

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Methods for Employee Relations (1 of 3)
• Ensuring Fair Treatment
– Procedural justice
– Distributive justice

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Methods for Employee Relations (2 of 3)
• Social Responsibility
• Bullying and Abusiveness
– Imbalance of power
– Intent to cause harm
– Repetition
 Verbal, social, physical, cyberbullying

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Methods for Employee Relations (3 of 3)
• Communication Programs
• Employee Recognition Programs
• Employee Involvement Programs

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Social Media and HR
• Using suggestion systems
• Using employee involvement teams
– Suggestion team
– Problem-solving teams
– Quality circle
– Self-management teams

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Explain what is meant by ethical behavior

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The Ethical Organization
• Ethics and Employee Rights
• What Shapes Ethical Behavior at Work?
• The Person
• Which Situations Make for Ethically Dangerous
Situation?
• What Are “Bad Barrels”?

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Employee Rights
• Leave of absence and
vacation rights
• Injuries and illnesses rights
• Noncompete agreement
rights
• Employees’ rights on
employer policies
• Discipline rights
• Rights on personnel files
• Employee pension rights
• Employee benefits rights
• References rights
• Rights on criminal records
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• Employee distress rights
• Defamation rights
• Employees’ rights on fraud
• Rights on assault and battery
• Employee negligence rights
• Rights on political activity
• Union/group activity rights
• Whistleblower rights
• Workers’ compensation rights
Ethics Quiz

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Steps to Create Ethical Environments (1 of 2)
• Reduce Job-Related Pressures
• Walk the Talk
• Have Ethics Policies and Codes
• Enforce the Rules
• Encourage Whistleblowers

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Steps to Create Ethical Environments (2 of 2)
• Foster the Right Culture
• Hire Ethical People
• Use Ethics Training
• Use Rewards and Discipline
• Institute Employee Privacy Policies

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Know Your Employment Law
• Electronic Monitoring
• Electronic Communications Privacy Act

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Managing Employee Discipline
The Three Pillars of Fair Discipline
• Rules and Regulations
• Penalties
• Appeals Process
Comparing Males and Females in Discipline
Situations

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Discipline Without Punishment
• Issue an oral reminder
– First infraction
• Use a formal written reminder
– Second infraction
• Give a paid, one-day decision-making leave
• Purge the file

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Engagement Guide for Managers
• “Best Companies to Work For”
• SAS: Great Benefits, Trust, Work-Life Balance
• Google: Happiness & People Analytics
• FedEx: Guaranteed Fair Treatment
– Survey Feedback Action
• A “Best Company” Human Resource Philosophy

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Summary
1. Employee relations means establishing a
positive environment
2. Managers and HR can assist in building a
positive environment
3. Ethics refers to the principles of conduct
governing standards within the workplace
4. The basic aim of discipline without punishment
is to gain an employee’s acceptance and
establish a process
5. Organizations and managers can mirror best
practices from “Best Companies to Work For”
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Copyright

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