CHAPTER 7
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
1
UNDERSTANDING
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
• Good employee relations involve providing
fair and consistent treatment to all
employees
• To foster good employee relations,
managers must listen to and understand
what employees
are
saying
and
experiencing
2
UNDERSTANDING
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
• Effective employee relations require
cooperation between managers and
employee relations representatives
• ERR will try to ensure that company
policies and procedures are followed and
advise both supervisors and employees on
specific employee relations problems
3
TRADE UNIONS
• A group of seven or more workers can
form a trade union
• Application for registration with DG of
Trade Unions
• The application form must be signed by all
members
• Send together with the union’s constitution
• The important criterion for a union to be
registered is its intended member
4
TRADE UNIONS
• All workers above 16 years have the right
to join an appropriate union
• Workers between 16 and 21 have lesser
rights to participate in union activities
• Specified groups of workers are restricted
from joining trade unions
5
TYPES OF UNIONS
• National and regional unions
• In-house unions
• Employer’s associations
6
ROLE OF TRADE UNIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Protect their members’ right
Will take action to stop such unfair practices
Advise members on their right
Encouraging government to pass legislation
Introduce policies
Three-pronged approach:
– Individual employers
– National issues
– Individual members
7
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• The process whereby employers and
employees negotiate over the terms and
conditions on employment
• Union is required by law to gain formal
recognition from the employer before any
negotiation can be made
8
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• One of the main functions of trade unions
• The best method of regulating the terms
and conditions of employment
• Once an agreement is reached between
the two parties, there will be no
discrimination between them
9
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• May be carried out between an individual
employer and a trade union of employees
• Or between the union of employees and
the union of employers
• This process is regulated by the Industrial
Relation Act
10
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS
• Written agreement between an employer
and a trade union relating to terms and
conditions of employment
• Agreement must specify their duration, not
less than three years
• Must be deposited with Industrial Court
• Most agreements include clauses on
wages, working hours and other benefits
to be given to the workers
11
INDUSTRIAL ACTION
• Picket
• Strike
• Lockout
12
SETTLEMENT OF
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
• Conciliation
• Arbitration
13
EMPLOYMENT LAWS
• Employment Act
• Industrial Relations Act
14
DISCIPLINE
• Penalties in a disciplinary system
– Oral warning
– First written warning
– Final written warning
– Suspension without pay
– Suspension of increment
– Demotion or downgrading
– Dismissal
15
EMPLOYEE PROBLEMS
• Transfer
• Promotion of employees
• Grievance handling
• Absenteeism of workers
16
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYEE’S
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
• Role of Industrial Court
• Resignation
• Expiry of fixed-term contract
• Retirement
• Redundancy and retrenchment
17
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYEE’S
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
• Dismissal of misconduct
• Dismissal for poor performance
• Frustration of contract
• Termination of probationers
• Constructive dismissal
18
CHAPTER 8
SAFETY AND HEALTH
19
ACCIDENTS AT WORK
• Financial costs
• Losses of output
• Lowered morale
• Negative publicity
20
TYPES OF ACCIDENTS
• Near miss
• Non-fatal
• Fatal
21
CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS
• Technical causes
• Human causes
• Environmental causes
22
ENSURING A SAFE WORKPLACE
• Safety policies
– A statement of organization’s commitment
– An explanation of who’s responsible
– A description of procedures
• Safety programmes
– Commitment from all employees
– Officer in-charge of safety
23
ENSURING A SAFE WORKPLACE
• Safety programmes
– Record keeping
– Safety training
– Safety and healthy living campaigns
– Incentive and reward schemes
– Provision of personal protective equipment
– Disciplinary system
24
OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT
• Ensure the safety of all employees and
any other person at the workplace
• Draft and disseminate a safety policy
• Appoint a safety committee
• Appoint a dedicated, qualified safety and
health officer
• Provide appropriate training, supervision
and information
25
• Report serious accidents to DOSH
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
• An unwanted conduct of a sexual nature
having the effect of verbal, non-verbal,
visual,
psychological
or
physical
harassment
• Not acceptable behaviour and any
employee found guilty of such conduct will
be punished
26
IMPROVING EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH
• Wellness programmes
• Stress management
• Reducing
problems
drug
and
alcohol
related
27
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS
• Programs designed to help employees
whose job performance is suffering
because of physical, mental or emotional
problems
• Four steps involve:
– Identify troubled employee
– EAP counseling
– Solve the problem
– Depend on the outcome of the treatment
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