COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, ACCOUNTANCY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

4. HUMAN RESOURCE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

A. What Is Performance Appraisal? Its Meaning, Reasons or purpose for employee
appraisal
A performance appraisal is a regular review of an employee's job performance and
overall contribution to a company. Also known as an annual review, performance
review or evaluation, or employee appraisal, a performance appraisal evaluates an
employee’s skills, achievements, and growth or lack thereof.
Companies use performance appraisals to give employees big-picture feedback on
their work and to justify pay increases and bonuses, as well as termination decisions.
They can be conducted at any given time but tend to be annual, semi-annual, or
quarterly.

What is the purpose of a performance appraisal system?

The purpose of appraisal is to achieve better work performance from employees:
evaluative and developmental. The evaluative purpose is intended to inform people /
employees of  standing on how well they perform their job duties and tasks, their
supervisory and leadership capabilities and other soft skills and how well they manage
workplace relationships and conflict resolution . The collected performance data are
frequently used to reward high performance and to punish poor performance.
Developmental purpose provide performance feedback, identify individual
strengths, recognize individual training needs, reinforce authority structure, improve
communication, and provide a forum for this.
A performance appraisal system manages the employee performance process of an
organization to evaluate the job performance of a team.

B. What is Appraisal Methods-? What are the integral components of Appraisal

Methods?
It is a systematic evaluation of an individual with respect to performance on the job
and individual’s potential for development. It is formal, structured system of
measuring, evaluating job related behaviors and outcomes to discover reasons of
performance and how to perform effectively in future so that employee, organization
and society all benefits.
The following are different appraisal methods like:
1. Self-appraisal
Self-appraisal gives a chance to the employee to look at his/her strengths and
weaknesses, his achievements, and judge his own performance. Superior’s
appraisal forms the traditional part of the 360 degrees appraisal where the
employees’ responsibilities and actual performance is rated by the superior.

2. Superior’s appraisal
Superior’s appraisal forms the traditional part of the 360 degrees appraisal where
the employees’ responsibilities and actual performance is rated by the superior.

3. Subordinates appraisal
Subordinates appraisal gives a chance to judge the employee on the parameters
like communication and motivating abilities, superior’s ability to delegate the
 work, leadership qualities etc. Also known as internal customers, the correct
feedback given by peers can help to find employees’ abilities to work in a team, co-
operation and sensitivity towards others.

4. Peer Appraisal
Peer appraisal refers to an employee performance assessment provided by the
employee’s colleagues in the immediate working environment who have observed
the employee’s job performance and are able to give constructive feedback.

C. Components of performance appraisal

1. Define expectations
For any kind of evaluation, there must be a standard tool to measure against.
In the process of performance appraisal, expectations work as the standard
tool. Employers set expectations or target that are meant to be achieved by the
employees within a set period. The above example gives clear idea about
expectation in terms of job performance.
Expectations can also be set in terms of behavior. An employer expects good
manners, discipline, ability to work calmly under pressure, flexibility and
punctuality in any employee.

2. Measure and evaluate

An employer tracks the performance of its employees and compares them
with the pre-set criteria. The process of evaluation does not only focus on
measuring how much work has been done. The true purpose of appraising is to
understand what influences their performance level and to recognize the factors
that contribute to motivating them.

3. Provide feedback
Feedback is essentially a process wherein the employer and employee
discuss possible ways to achieve organizational goal effectively and efficiently.
It is the ultimate opportunity where the employer can coach each employee
individually and build motivation and accountability in them.
 A constructive feedback works as a mirror for employees which shows
them where they actually stand. It praises good performance, corrects poor
performance and guides the employees to the right path to their goals.

4. Record performance
A responsible employer must always record employees’ performances post
feedback. It will help him/her in measuring the effectiveness of feedback.

D. Function of an Effective Performance Appraisal

1. Accurate and Reliable Data - Data and insights are necessary to make
informed and data-driven strategic decisions. The appraisal process should give
the superiors the required data and statistics to thrive (Provide data to managers
with which they may judge future job assignments and compensation)
2. Continuous Developmental Feedback -Feedback helps your employees to
identify the gaps in their performance. Developmental feedback should be
delivered continuously on an employees (Provide adequate feedback to each
person on his/her performance)
Development Plans -The performance appraisal process should serve as a basis to
change the working behavior. An effective review process helps you to tailor
individual development plans to create a better team. (Serve as a basis for
modifying or changing behavior toward more effective working habits.

E. Performance Appraisal Process

1.) Establishing performance standard - The first step in the process of
performance appraisal is the setting up of the standards which will be used to as the
base to compare the actual performance of the employees. This step requires setting
the criteria to judge the performance of the employees as successful or unsuccessful
and the degrees of their contribution to the organizational goals and objectives. The
standards set should be clear, easily understandable and in measurable terms. In
case the performance of the employee cannot be measured, great care should be
taken to describe the standards.

2.) Communicating Standards and expectations - Once set, it is the responsibility

of the management to communicate the standards to all the employees of the
organization. The employees should be informed and the standards should be
clearly explained to the employees. This will help them to understand their roles
and to know what exactly is expected from them. The standards should also be
communicated to the appraisers or the evaluators and if required, the standards can
also be modified at this stage itself according to the relevant feedback from the
employees or the evaluators.

3.) Measuring the actual performance -The most difficult part of the Performance
appraisal process is measuring the actual performance of the employees that is the
work done by the employees during the specified period of time. It is a continuous
process which involves monitoring the performance throughout the year. This stage
requires the careful selection of the appropriate techniques of measurement, taking
care that personal bias does not affect the outcome of the process and providing
assistance rather than interfering in an employees work.

4.) Comparing with standard -The actual performance is compared with the
desired or the standard performance. The comparison tells the deviations in the
performance of the employees from the standards set. The result can show the
 actual performance being more than the desired performance or, the actual
performance being less than the desired performance depicting a negative deviation
in the organizational performance. It includes recalling, evaluating and analysis of
data related to the employees’ performance.

5.) Discussing result (Providing Feedback) -The result of the appraisal is

communicated and discussed with the employees on one-to-one basis. The focus of
this discussion is on communication and listening. The results, the problems and
the possible solutions are discussed with the aim of problem solving and reaching
consensus. The feedback should be given with a positive attitude as this can have
an effect on the employees’ future performance. Performance appraisal feedback by
managers should be in such way helpful to correct mistakes done by the employees
and help them to motivate for better performance but not to demotivate.
Performance feedback task should be handled very carefully as it may leads to
emotional outburst if it is not handing properly. Sometimes employees should be
prepared before giving them feedback as it may be received positively or negatively
depending upon the nature and attitude of employees.

F. Ways Performance Appraisal help the Organization

Performance appraisal or also known as performance evaluation can benefit both organization
and its employees through setting clear and defining their goals. This will be helpful to
business owners especially if it is a small one.
Here are four ways of performance appraisal that will help the organization.
1. Function
-Performance appraisal help staffs and managers recognized achievements (strengths)
and employee performance deficiencies (weaknesses). They give managers and
employees the opportunity to address the employee’s goals for themselves, the
manager’s goal for the wider department or company, and how employees and managers
can work together by better improving the skills and abilities needed to achieve these
goals.
2. Significance
-Best performance appraisal provide a connection between the aspiration of individual
workers, and how the work of the employee contributes to the success of the broader
organization. They explain the manager’s requirements for the employee, and help the
employee’s duty. Performance appraisal should open up channels of communication
between supervisors and workers.
3. Benefits
-Performance appraisal support both the company and individual workers. They
strengthen the interaction between management and staffs, raise work satisfaction and
boost worker’s sense of commitment to the company. Performance appraisal help the
employee see how his position in the organization contributes to the overall success of
the company, thus increasing employee morale. Both of these contribute to improve
employee satisfaction, which increases organizational efficiency.
4. Considerations
-Performance appraisal should not be used as replacements for clear, transparent
communication. During the assessment meeting nothing can scare the employee. Any
performance issues should have been dealt with as soon as those issues emerged. Be sure
to regularly check in with the employees after a performance appraisal to discuss his
progress towards the goals set during the meeting that will help to keep satisfied workers.

-It is suggested to begin the performance appraisal meeting by making it clear that the
objective of the appraisal is to trade thoughts and work together to come up with an
activity arrange for met meeting the employees and the organization’s objectives.
G. Six Performance Appraisal Method (that boost employee) for the Modern Workforce
with example
Aside from what I have mentioned on my introduction, the process of appraising employee
performance is essential for companies to enhance employee engagement and improve their
outcomes. Performance appraisal are a periodic procedure where the efficiency and productivity of
an employee is measured against collection of predetermined targets.
Organizations can boost employee efficiency within the company by using the correct
performance appraisal tool. A successful method of measuring employees performance will make the
whole process efficient and satisfying.
Here are six most used modern performance methods.
1. Management by Objectives (MBO)
It is a process in which the management explicitly determines an organization's priorities
or objectives. Such an entity can study, debate and sometimes even negotiate these goals.
The management, with the aid of the company, would then determine the course or steps to
be taken to achieve the objectives.
MBO is ideal for measuring senior management's quantitative and qualitative
performance such as managers, directors and executives of any size of business. Retail giant
Walmart uses an extensive MBO participatory approach to manage the performance of its
top, middle and first line managers.
2. 360-Degree Feedback
It is a multidimensional performance appraisal method that tests employees using input
obtained from the circle of influence of workers, including supervisors, peers, clients and
direct reports. This method will not only remove the prejudice in performance reviews but
also provide a clear understanding of the competence of a person.
- Four integral components:
 Self-appraisals – it gives workers an opportunity to look back on their results and consider
their strengths and weaknesses. However, if self-appraisals are carried out without
standardized forms or formal procedures, they may become lenient, false and biased.
 Managerial reviews – manager led performance evaluations are part of the standard and
fundamental method of appraisals. These reviews must include individual ratings of
employees awarded by superiors, as well as assessment of a team or program by senior
managers.
 Peer reviews – these reviews help to assess the willingness of an employee to work well
with the team, to take measures and to be a positive participant. But friendship or rivalry
between peers will eventually distort the final evaluation results.
 Subordinates Appraising manager (SAM) - this 360-degree feedback upward appraisal
aspect is a delicate and important step. From a management point of view reporters tend
to have the most interesting viewpoint. Nevertheless, reticence or fear of retaliation will
skew assessment results.
- Top private organizations like RBS, Sainsbury’s and G4s are using 360 degree
multi-rater performance feedback to measure employee performance.
3. Assessment Centre Method
- This method enable workers to get a good picture of how people are watching
them and how they affect their efficiency. The key benefit of this approach is that
it not only assesses an individual’s current performance but also forecast
potential job results.
- There are 3 stages under this method:
 - Microsoft and Philips use this assessment center practice to identify future
leaders in their workforce.
4. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)
- This are performance rate scales usually displayed vertically with scale points
varying from 5 to 9. It is a method of assessment which aims to combine the
benefits of narratives, critical incidents and quantified ratings by anchoring a
quantified scale with concrete narrative examples of good, moderate and poor
performance.
- Businesses of all sizes and sectors may use bars to measure the efficiency of
their entire workforce from the entry-level officer to c-suite executives. Usually
small supermarkets or grocery store use this.
 5. Psychological Appraisals
- This approach tests the capacity of the employee for future success, rather than the
previous one. It focuses on the emotional, intellectual, motivational and other personal
characteristics of the employee which affect his/her performance.
- Trained/Qualified psychologists administer a range of assessments to accurately evaluate
an employee (in-depth interviews, psychological evaluations, consultation, and more); It
is therefore a very slow and complicated process and accuracy of the outcomes depend
heavily on the psychologist who administers the treatment.
- It is ideal for large enterprises for an array of reasons including development of
leadership pipeline, team building, conflict resolutions, and more. Ford motors, Exxon
Mobil, Procter and Gamble use this appraisal to test the personality and performance of
their employees.
6. Human-Resource (cost) Accounting Method
- It is the process of identifying and reporting on human resources expenditures made by
an organization currently unaccounted for in traditional accounting practices. This is an
extension of the traditional accounting principles. Measuring the value of the human
resources can assist organizations in accurately documenting their assets. In other words,
human resources accounting is a process of measuring the cost incurred by the
organization to recruit, train and develop human assets.
- This method is ideal for startups and small businesses where the performance of one
employee can make or break the organization’s success.

H. Appraisal interview; goals of performance appraisal interview; things to say on

your next appraisal interview
1. Appraisal Interview
An appraisal interview is an honest conversation between a manager and a
subordinate, where the parties analyze a previous time period and set goals for the
next.
To make the best use of this annual event, you should go into your performance
review ready to answer questions as well as highlight your accomplishments. This
means studying probable appraisal questions ahead of time, as well as considering
ways to position yourself as an employee who is striving to constantly learn and
grow for the sake of the organization, and in order to be ready to take on additional
responsibilities or even a new role or a promotion.

The next step is to make sure you know the goals of the performance evaluation;
for example, is the goal to improve performance and also identify people for
succession planning? You will then determine the source for the performance
evaluation data, and then create criteria and rating scales that relate directly to the
employee’s job description. Once this is done, the successful functioning of the
performance evaluation system largely depends on the HR professional to
implement and communicate the system to managers and employees. This will be
the primary focus of our next section.

H2. Goals of Performance; Appraisal interview

 The most important things to remember when developing a performance evaluation
system include the following:

1. Make sure the evaluation has a direct relationship to the job. Consider
developing specific criteria for each job, based on the individual job specifications
and description.
2. Involve managers when developing the process. Garner their feedback to obtain
“buy-in” for the process.
3. Consider involving the employee in the process by asking the employee to fill
out a self-evaluation.
4. Use a variety of methods to rate and evaluate the employee.
5. Avoid bias by standardizing performance evaluations systems for each job.
6. Give feedback on performance throughout the year, not just during performance
review times.
7. Make sure the goals of the performance evaluation tie into the organizational and
department goals.
8. Ensure the performance appraisal criteria also tie into the goals of the
organization, for a strategic HRM approach.
9. Review the evaluation for each job title often, since jobs and expectations
change.

H3. Things to say on your next Appraisal Interview

It’s impossible to know the exact questions you’ll be asked during your
performance appraisal because the questions will depend on the company, your
particular job, the industry, whether it’s a small business or a large one, the size of
the IT department, how long you’ve been with the organization and so on. That
 shouldn’t prevent you from preparing ahead of time, however, because you can at
least review a list of general appraisal questions. Start with this list of six critical
performance appraisal questions to get you thinking about the specific questions
you might get asked—and how you’ll answer them.

1. How did you do on the goals set for you during your last performance
appraisal?
You might hope that your manager has been paying attention to your efforts
throughout the previous year, but that probably hasn’t been the case. When 53
percent of employers admit they don’t track improved productivity, the onus is on
you as the employee to document your achievements and progress. As you prepare
for your performance appraisal, think back to the goals that were set, those you
accomplished, and your progress on those you didn’t. Be ready to explain if there
are goals you didn’t accomplish but you made good progress on. Also, consider the
progress made on goals that were set for your team. For those goals that were not
reached, were they possibly unrealistic? If so, why?

2. What was your biggest achievement this year?

Your performance appraisal is your opportunity to draw attention to your track
record over the past year, both regarding your goals and regarding other
achievements. Don’t assume your manager will know (or remember) your
accomplishments. Instead, be ready to point them out.
Prior to your performance appraisal, pull together any documentation you might
need to show your recent achievements. Include accomplishments related to your
specific role within the company, but also any that happened outside of work.
Maybe you joined the board of an industry organization, for example, or
contributed a guest post to a blog. Perhaps you earned an online certification during
the previous year that makes you more knowledgeable at your current job, or
positions you to do more.
Note: If you don’t already do so, get into the habit of documenting your
accomplishments large and small throughout the year. You’ll find it’s much easier
to be ready for your next performance appraisal when you don’t have to dig
through old files or emails to try and remember just what you did accomplish
during the previous 12 months!

3. What are your short-and long-term goals with the company, and for your
career?
Beyond the specific goals you and your manager will layout for the year ahead, you
might also be asked about your own goals. If so, be ready to answer questions like
these in a way that demonstrates your desire to learn and grow, both in your career
and also in the company.
Consider the new skills you want to learn and why. Do your homework and have a
list of technologies or content you want to master through online certifications
during the year ahead. Discuss your plans with your manager, emphasizing that
you’re pursuing this additional education in part so you can take on new roles and
responsibilities at work, add more value to the organization, and help you achieve
short- and long-term goals.
As part of your performance appraisal preparations, make a list of your short-and
long-term goals, and make use of that time to check in on your career progress
while doing so. Include both professional and personal goals, as well as timelines
for achieving them.

4. What has been the most challenging aspect of your work this past year and why?
A question like this can be a nice segue into discussing any courses you’d like to
take to benefit your career. Perhaps you were challenged by changing dynamics
within the IT department that shifted job roles around and now you’re at a
disadvantage because you don’t know enough about a certain coding language or
 best practice—meaning now is the time to learn it. Maybe you were challenged by
the lack of teamwork and communication issues—meaning a team-building
program might be in order.

5. Which parts of your job do you most / least enjoy?

When you’re answering a question like this, position yourself in the best possible
light. Saying you most enjoy your coffee breaks will fail to impress your manager
while saying you most enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and taking on new
duties will make your manager’s day. Conversely, if you have concerns about your
role or the organization in light of recent or impending changes, or you’re
struggling to get along with a co-worker, be prepared to discuss these types of
difficult topics in an objective way, possibly by writing down questions or talking
points ahead of time.

6. In what ways might you contribute more to the company?

If you would like to take on more responsibilities, play a lead role on a team, or get
a promotion, use a question like this to segue into demonstrating your enthusiasm
for doing more. Do your research ahead of time to determine what the needs might
be and how they dovetail with your career goals. Is there an opportunity to learn
Machine Learning in advance of changes in your organization? Is your company
changing over to cloud computing and someone needs to master Microsoft Azure?
Is cyber security a concern and no one has the skill set to tackle the issue head-on?
Don’t wait for your manager to assume you want to take on or do more. Be open
about your willingness to do so, and point out that you can master the skills needed
and save the organization the time and money required to hire someone for that
new role.
Even if the questions above are not the exact same questions you’ll be asked, they
hit on major issues your manager will probably want to address during your
performance appraisal. You will be much better prepared for the specific questions
that come up if you review and prepare for the general questions above, and
honestly evaluate your own performance prior to the meeting.

I. Performance Appraisal Program

Employers develop performance appraisal programs based on what they perceive
employees need in terms of regular, constructive feedback. Appraisal also serves to
recognize skills, talent and the employee's interest in developing his expertise for future
roles within the organization. Not all appraisal programs are formal, sophisticated
systems that produce pages of meaningless narrative about goals and productivity.
Many are well-constructed, straightforward measurements that foster candid
assessments of performance and positive workplace relationships that support the
organization's business goals.

a. Introductory Evaluation
An introductory evaluation is an effective way to determine if your company is
making wise hiring decisions.
Since much turnover occurs early in the employment relationship, conducting an
evaluation within the first 60 to 90 days on the job ensures the employee is a good
fit for the job and the work environment. An introductory evaluation also gives the
employee an opportunity to express any concerns about her duties before minor
issues become irresolvable problems.

b. Supervisor Evaluation
Though supervisors typically evaluate employee performance, the nature of the
supervisor-employee relationship lends itself to two-way review and feedback.
 This type of appraisal program enables managers to see how effective supervisors
are and whether supervisors are good at establishing themselves as organizational
leaders. Employees who report to supervisors are the best source of knowledge of
supervisor actions and behavior because of the direct reporting relationship and
daily interaction. Employee reviews of supervisors can be done anonymously to
protect employees from potential retaliation by supervisors whose reviews contain
comments about poor behavior or deficient leadership skills.

c. Peer Evaluation
These may be the trickiest of all appraisal programs, because conducting peer
evaluations requires extensive training for employees.
Subjectivity also can become a challenge; therefore, employees must be reminded
that only objective and constructive feedback is acceptable and personal opinions
about their peers are unacceptable. Peer evaluations shed light on whether
employees who work together in the same department are following consistent
processes and procedures. Peer evaluations also can help identify employees who
demonstrate leadership skills and are admired by their peers for their positive
attitudes and teamwork.

d. Self-Evaluation
Employers may construct a performance appraisal program that combines elements
of a traditional supervisor-written appraisal with an employee self-evaluation.
This type of appraisal program produces supervisor-employee interaction during
the appraisal meeting. Employers who use employee self-evaluation benefit from
the combination of two perspectives that involves a negotiated approach to
reaching a final performance rating. The employee's self-evaluation is not simply a
feel-good exercise for employees. It encourages supervisors to listen carefully to
employees' own perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses.

The result is that the overall performance appraisal program is well received by
workers who appreciate that an employer values their opinions.
J. Key elements of a good performance appraisal
Performance appraisals generate a great deal of anxiety and suspicion. Anecdotal
evidence suggests that both employees and managers perceive performance
appraisals as achieving a rare synthesis of ubiquity, futility and inevitability.
Although some apprehension at the thought of being formally evaluated is
understandable, the unfortunate negative connotations surrounding performance
appraisals are due to a misunderstanding of their purpose and outdated or
inappropriate processes. When utilized properly, performance appraisals can be used
to benefit individuals as well as the library organization by highlighting needed
improvements in goal setting, training opportunities and more efficient use of human
resources. In order for a performance appraisal to be a useful, effective and positive
experience, six basic elements must be present.

1. A Clear Appraisal Process

“The importance of employee involvement in appraisal cannot.”
Employers should make the performance appraisal process as transparent as
possible. Familiarity with the process helps to alleviate anxiety and to increase the
effectiveness of any tool that is used. Secrecy and ambiguity can foster mistrust
between a supervisor and employees, and suggests that the purpose of the
performance appraisal is to “catch” the employee in a mistake and dole out
punishments. Free access to the forms, questions and style associated with the
process should be granted to all employees. Employees should have the opportunity
to provide input in formatting the evaluation and restructuring the process in order
to ensure that the standards for success are both objective and attainable. Involving
employees in the appraisal process generates an understanding of its true purpose
and encourages willing participation.
2. Standards Must Be Objective and Equally Applied
“When employees find themselves being evaluated by managers whom they know
have broken the rules, the entire review process is little more than a charade”.
It is critical that performance standards be the same for all levels of employees.
Library managers should be the first to demonstrate adherence to library policy as a
sign of acceptance of accountability.
Goulding and Harrison (1997) point out that management by objectives allows for
measurable standards to be set which are not subject to the personal opinions of the
appraiser. Objective standards prevent appraisers from drawing on an employee’s
previous performance appraisals, whether good or bad, to assess the present.
Predetermining objectives for every job title and employee helps to ensure that
appraisers are properly trained in performance appraisal techniques. Appraisers
need to feel that they are being held to and evaluated according to fair and equitable
standards.
3. The Appraisal Must Be a Review
“I don’t think there should be any surprises documented in a performance
evaluation–if someone did something that could have been done better in some
way, I’d be a crummy manager if I surprised them with that news six months–or
even six days–after the fact.” (Smith, 2005, p. 18)
Nothing that is discussed in the appraisal should be new to the employee. Saving
problems and issues until an end of the year review wastes the opportunity to
address and resolve these issues at their inception in a much less confrontational
manner. Any issues or compliments that have been raised during the year should be
documented and should become a part of the appraisal process. According to
Holcomb (2006), “supervisors who keep their employees informed of their
performance as the year progresses help to eliminate the fear of the unknown” (p.
572). Providing continuous feedback, rather than a single nerve-wracking session,
highlights the performance partnership between manager and employee. Consistent
feedback also provides employees the chance for continuous improvement, and
regular communication contributes to a positive work environment.
4. The Appraisal Must Be a Tool for Development
“The most obvious reason for appraising an individual’s performance is to secure
its improvement” (Goulding & Harrison, 1997, ¶ 9).
The appraisal should be treated as a chance for the employee (and the organization)
to review the year and make plans for positive changes. It should not be treated as a
formal criticism session or day of reckoning. The appraiser should ask the
employee how they feel about their own performance, how they like the job and
what opportunities for advancement or training they would like to pursue. Goulding
and Harrison stress the benefits of developmental (geared toward positive feedback
and change) versus evaluative (geared toward criticism and punishment)
performance appraisal to employee growth, success and retention. Non-combative
performance appraisals in which employees are held up to objective standards and
past performance rather than the performance of others is critical in ensuring that
appraisals remain objective and non-threatening.
5. The Appraisal Must Allow for Employee Feedback
“What is too often missing is the manager’s open ear — listening for instances in
which the organization or business is getting in the way of an employee doing a
good job” (Boyd, 2005, p. 34).
In a well-rounded and healthy organization, the appraiser should ask for employee
feedback both on their own performance and that of the organization. Employees
are not working in a vacuum, and one of the major criticisms about performance
 appraisals is that they do not usually take into account the ways in which
environment affects employee performance (Johnson, 2004).
It is important that performance appraisals are used as an evaluative tool in context
rather than in an artificial realm in which employees are solely to blame for
problems. The organization itself can benefit greatly from self-appraisal – Smith
(2005) characterizes appraisals as a chance to brainstorm about ways to better
accomplish the goals of the organization.
6. The Appraisal Must Include an Action Plan
“…the credibility of the appraisal process hinges on the library’s readiness to see
through its commitments” (Goulding & Harrison, 1997, ¶ 32).
Any actions agreed upon during the appraisal process, whether for additional
training, a raise or promotion, or disciplinary action, should be followed through on
as soon as possible. An action discussed during performance appraisals, especially
rewards, should only be offered as a result of improved performance, and never as
an empty promise attempting to motivate an employee for the future. The appraisal
is not fully complete until both the manager and the employees have followed
through on all of the elements that have been discussed as part of the process. A
manager that does not follow through on promises will be perceived by employees
as not taking their own recommendations or the needs of staff seriously.
It is important that the appraiser be aware of any budgetary or time constraints to
avoid promising something to the employee that cannot be delivered. Making
promises that cannot be delivered seriously damages a manager’s credibility.

K. Performance Appraisal Plan

Performance appraisals are important tools. Libraries risk underutilizing
performance appraisal tools by limiting them to critical evaluations of individual
performance. By incorporating clear appraisal processes, objective and equal standards,
continuous communication, developmental goals, feedback and follow-through,
performance appraisals can become catalysts for positive change and growth both for
employees and organizations. The positive effects of constructive feedback are
numerous, and provide employees with an important source of personal and
professional satisfaction. The annual performance evaluation process rests in the belief
that people want to do a good job.

There are two key elements which are essential to ensuring effective
communication of performance appraisal planning expectations. They are accurate and
current position descriptions, and ongoing two-way communication between the
supervisor and the staff member.
Performance Appraisal Planning: Position Descriptions Performance Appraisal
Planning Position descriptions form the foundation for several important areas of
human resource management including:
Planning: Position descriptions outline the responsibilities and objectives of
a work unit to individual positions. They can help managers pinpoint staffing gaps
or identify over-staffing. They are valuable in making decisions about realigning or
changing organizational structures.
Recruiting and screening: Accurate position descriptions provide the basic
information about open positions which is required to make a good match between
the candidate’s qualifications and the job’s demands.
Orientation: Giving a newly hired staff member a position description to
review, and then sitting down and discussing it together, serves as an introduction
to the job and provides a framework for performance expectations.
 Training and development: Well-written position descriptions identify the
education, experience, and skills required. They can help staff members pinpoint
their own growth areas, and help supervisors tailor appropriate training programs.
Career ladders: Accurate position descriptions are a tool in developing
upward mobility programs. A study of position descriptions can reveal the
relationships among certain jobs and the knowledge and skills needed to advance
from one job to another.
Position classification: Position descriptions make it possible to identify job
elements, factors and levels, which in turn makes job classification easier.
Performance appraisal process: Position descriptions provide the link
between the job and appropriate performance expectations. These performance
expectations are a critical factor in evaluating staff members’ performance,
determining merit pay increases and evaluating possible readiness for promotion.

A position description should give a clear picture of a position. It should provide

enough detail to accurately communicate the key responsibilities of the position. In
deciding which duties and responsibilities will be delegated to individual positions,
the supervisor should consider the overall design of the job and the skills and
motivations of staff members. Descriptions should be reviewed, by the staff
member and supervisor, and revised as necessary prior to the start of the
performance evaluation cycle. Descriptions serve as the primary tool for building a
common understanding of job responsibilities and as the starting point for
developing performance objectives and standards.
The supervisor should encourage staff member input in the process to help build
staff member commitment to the job and performance level. The performance
appraisal planning expectations (standards) for each of the functions/areas of
responsibility should be realistic and measurable.

4.1 MEASUREMENT OF JOB-RELATED BEHAVIOR AND JOB ANALYSIS

A. Job analysis
- is the process of studying a job to determine which activities and responsibilities
it includes, its relative importance to other jobs, the qualifications necessary for
performance of the job and the conditions under which the work is performed.
Examples:
 Workforce planning.
 Performance management.
 Recruitment and selection.
 Career and succession planning.
 Training and development.
 Compensation administration.
 Health, safety and security.
 Employee/labor relations.
 Risk management.

Job Analysis plays an important role in recruitment and selection, job evaluation,
job designing, deciding compensation and benefits packages, performance
appraisal, analyzing training and development needs, assessing the worth of a job
and increasing personnel as well as organizational productivity.

B. Process of Job Analysis

 Defining the objectives: The foremost step in the process of job analysis is defining
the objective of the job analysis.
 Preparing the job Analysis: After setting an objective, the kind of jobs that are to be
analyzed are selected, whether the clerical jobs, managerial jobs, division specific job,
etc.
 Performing the Job Analysis: The next stage in the process of job analysis is to
perform or begin with the job analysis. Here, the sufficient time should be allotted for
collecting the job details from the employees.
 Designing Job Descriptions and Job Specifications: At this stage, the job analyst
prepares a draft of the job description and the specifications. After sorting of the
information, the changes that need to be made in the jobs is identified and is written on
paper.
 Control Job Descriptions and Job Specifications: This is the last step in the process
of job analysis wherein the job descriptions, and the specifications are timely checked
and modified according to the changing needs of the organization.

C. Components of Job
What is Job Analysis?
Job Analysis is the process of studying and collecting information relating to the
operations and responsibilities of a specific job.
There are two components of Job Analysis:
1. Job description
2. Job specification

1. Job description
Job description is defined as the statement of work to be done by an individual
(written summary)
Under Job description are:
Job title – Job title is the name that describes what an individual's job or position in an
organization.
Working hours- It is the schedule, or the specific time of an individual to work on his/her
job.
Duties- It is the responsibility of an individual in doing its job.
Working condition- It refers to the working environment of an individual in an
organization including all the existing circumstances affecting labor in the workplace.
Salaries and incentives- It is the money that is being paid to the individual by doing its
job.
2. Job specification
Job specification is defined as the minimum education, skills, knowledge and
experience of an individual to perform its job.
Under Job specifications are:
Qualifications- It is the includes the education, skills, and personal qualities of an
individual.
Qualities- It is the ability and capability of an individual.
Experience- It is an individual's past experience on a job that is relevant to your new target
job.
Family Background- Information about the family of an individual.
Training- A process in which an individual is being trained for its chosen job.

D. Information provided by Job Analysis

Job Analysis provides information of organizations which helps to determine which
employees are best fit for specific jobs.
Job identification
Significant characteristics of a job
What the typical worker does?
Job duties
What materials and equipment the worker uses
How a job is performed
Required personal attributes
Job relationships

E.) Methods of Job Analysis:

*Observation method
The job analyst observes and records the tasks, responsibilities and duties of an employee. This
also includes the methods and skills used by them to perform the job. This is the most difficult
method of job analysis.
This is because every person has their own way of observation and interpretation, which can
involve personal biases. This error can be minimized by choosing a properly trained job analyst.

*Interview method
The job analyst interviews employees to know about their working style, problems faced, skills and
techniques used and insecurities about their careers.
This method helps the analyst to know what an employee thinks of his job and the responsibilities
it entails. The success of this method depends upon the genuineness of data and feedback collected
from employees.
*Questionnaire method
This method requires employees, supervisors, and managers to fill out forms, namely
questionnaires. It’s one of the most widely used job analysis methods because it’s inexpensive to
create and easy to distribute to numerous individuals at a faster rate. Questionnaires can have
different question forms, such as open-ended questions, multiple choice, checklists or a mix of all
of them.
*Work sampling method
Under this method, a manager can determine the content and pace of a typical workday through a
statistical sampling of certain actions rather than through continuous observation and timing of all
actions.
*Job Performance method
In this method, the job is actually performed by the job analyst for obtaining first-hand experience
in relation to the actual tastes, physical and social demand, and the working environment of the job.
This method can be used only for jobs where skill requirements are low and can therefore, be learnt
quickly and easily.
*Critical Incident Method
This method is used to gather information about a job based on the past experiences and critical
incidents which are frequently or seldom experienced while performing the job. These incidents are
analyzed in detail by the brainstorming technique. But, it requires more time and is dependent the
analytical skill of the analysts.
*Diary Method
In this method, the employee describe their daily work activities in a diary or log. After analyzing
the diary or log over a specified period of time, a job analyst is able to record the essential
characteristics of a job. This method does not give any desirable data on supervisor’s relationship,
the equipment used and working conditions. Maintaining logs are time consuming and costly.

F. Document Produced By Job Analysis

A job analysis is a process of identifying and determining in specifics the particular

job duties and requirements, and the relative importance of these said duties for a given
job. Job analysis is a name you call a process wherein everyone makes judgments about the
data collected on a job. It’s important to be sensitive about that one detail in job analysis: it
doesn’t seek to focus on the person doing the job, it focuses on the job being conducted.
Although a job analysis can only be done through a series of interviews and questionnaires,
the product of the analysis will still be a description or a specification of the job, not of the
person.
A job analysis will gather and analyze information about the content and the human
requirements of a job, as well as the context in which the jobs are performed. It is used to
determine the placement of jobs. A job analysis will define the organization of jobs within
a job family.
Things to Remember:
If you miss even one critical information, you could end up not paying an employee
correctly, which can lead to employee discontent, or hiring someone who lacks an essential
skill needed for performing the job. A job analysis will divide and slowly study each core
function imperative for the success of the job. You may also see bowtie risk analysis
examples. It is helpful in providing an overview of the fundamental requirements of any
position in the company.
Furthermore, job analysis will provide
- a list of the competencies needed to be assessed,
- examples of behaviors that clarify the competencies,
- suggestions as to the types of exercises that resemble job situations,
- suggestions for problem content to be used in the exercises,
- an indication of the level of proficiency required for the competencies,
- standards for scoring applicant performance in the exercises, and
- documentation of job-relatedness of the assessment process (for use in the event of a
lawsuit).
In summary, a job analysis is the most comprehensive way to understand the
specific “can do” and “will do” components of a job. With its help, you will know to
accurately identify job candidates with the highest potential to become high performers. By
using a job analysis to build a solid talent selection foundation, you can open your
organization to many benefits such as higher customer satisfaction, higher revenue per call,
and improved company culture.

5. WORK MOTIVATION
 A. Meaning; Importance; Importance; Benefits;
B. Key Motivators In The Workplace
C. Factors Of Motivation
D. What Motivates People To Work
E. How To Motivate Someone Who Is Unmotivated?
F. Tips To Manage And Motivate Lazy People
G. Causes Of Laziness And Lack Of Motivation

Meaning of Work Motivation

 Work motivation "is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as
well as beyond an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior, and
to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration. Understanding what
motivates an organization's employees is central to the study. Motivation is
a person's internal disposition to be concerned with and approach positive
incentives and avoid negative incentives. To further this, an incentive is the
anticipated reward or aversive event available in the environment.

Importance of motivation for employees are as follows:

 Motivation can be defined as stimulating, inspiring and inducing the
employees to perform to their best capacity.

 Motivation is a psychological term which means it cannot be forced on

employees. It comes automatically from inside the employees as it is the
willingness to do the work.

What are the benefits of employee motivation?

* Higher productivity levels
If people are motivated to work faster and more efficiently, this will lead to more
output.
* More innovation
An innovation communication plan has several key parts. It describes how your
organization communicates throughout the entire innovation process. Many of these will
be consistent with the various stages of innovation, but you may need to adjust the
audience or delivery in some stages.
* Lower levels of absenteeism
Absenteeism is an employee's intentional or habitual absence from work. While
employers expect workers to miss a certain number of workdays each year, excessive
absences can equate to decreased productivity and can have a major effect on company
finances, morale, and other factors.
* Lower levels of staff turnover
When your turnover is low, you save money by avoiding unnecessary mistakes. Lower
turnover can also have a beneficial effect on the payroll even if you pay your long-term
employees well because you don't have to train new workers and you avoid losing
efficiency while they get up to speed.
* Great reputation and stronger recruitment
People want to work for a company with good reputation. The strongest job
candidates are looking for more than just salary, benefits, and whether your office
provides catered lunches.

Key Motivators in the Workplace

 Increasing Communication.
The most important workplace motivator for employees is communication. The most
important workplace motivator for employees is communication. Because if you do not
have communication to each other there is a tendency that you can understand each
other side.
 Offering Challenging Work.
As a motivator, it is okay to challenge your workmates for the to be able to work hard
but make sure that they have a reward.
 Recognizing Achievement.
Always recognize their good work specially their achievements.
 Boosting Team Spirit.
Work as one, work as a team for having a good result of your work.
 Increasing Independence.
All of us we will know that we need to work by our own without someone's presence
for you to know how your capability as a worker is.

FALOGME, CHERRY PIE M.

FACTOR OF MOTIVATION
There are four factors of motivation that exist in every organization or business.
These factors determine the levels of motivation of the staff, whether positive or
negative.
FOUR FACTORS OF MOTIVATION
● The Impact of Leadership on Motivation

This is a key factor in determining how people feel about the company and how
motivated they are. When a company undergoes leadership changes the
psychological climate of the company is altered and in turn, the whole employee
performance improves.
● Motivating Through Intrinsic Rewards

Every work environment is characterized by a reward structure, often differing from

employee to employee and from department to department. If you want more of
something in a company, simply offer greater rewards for that behavior. If you
want less of an activity in the workplace, simply pull back on the rewards or
increase the punishment or disapproval for that behavior. People respond to
incentives.
● Creating a Motivational Organizational Climate.

Is your company a “wonderful place to work”? The organizational climate is

deliberately created and maintained by management. It largely consists of the way
that people treat each other up and down the line. It starts at the top, with leaders
who inspire and set the tone for the rest of the organization. These leaders have a
significant influence in the overall company culture.
● The Structure Factor of Motivation

Some work is inherently motivational, requiring creativity, imagination, and

elevated levels of energy. Work that involves communicating, negotiating, and
interacting with other people to gain their cooperation to get the job done quickly
and well brings out the best energies of the individual. It is exciting and
challenging. It is usually highly rewarding as well.

WHAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO WORK

People are complex creatures whose behaviors are shaped by their values,
beliefs, feelings and experiences as well as basic human needs like growth and
connection. Research is clear that passion and creativity work together to produce
drive. People are ultimately guided by their own values – not by other people’s
attempts to control their behavior or even by external circumstances. So, to really
get to the bottom of what motivates people to work or change anything about
themselves, prioritize passion. 
Science points to several realities that go against conventional beliefs. For
example, as workers (and consumers), we are actually not as easily given to
manipulations as “pop” behavioral economics might have us believe. Instead of
responding to reward-versus-punishment systems to (de)incentivize various
behaviors, humans respond better to incentives that engage their cognition and
interests. That is to say, as long as a worker is obtaining sufficient compensation
to find fulfillment, there are actually three (non-monetary) drivers that keep workers
working hard: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

● Autonomy in the workplace

In order to feel like a contributing member of the workforce, employees

need to feel they are both skillful and trusted on the job.
Therefore, empowering a reasonable level of autonomy in the workplace is
 one of the most effective strategies when considering what motivates
people to work hard.

● Mastery in the workplace

Whether you are the owner of a small business or the employee of a

growing firm, a feeling of mastery on the job is one of the most important
parts of what motivates people to work. To effectively learn how to inspire
people, make sure everyone on board has the tools and information they
need to excel on the job.

● Purpose in the workplace

What are people motivated by? One of Tony Robbins’ pivotal

business growth concepts is the role of purpose in the workplace. It is not
money that ultimately keeps people working hard. What drives people is the
sense of purpose and contribution they feel on the job. Invest
in employee retention and morale, and you’ll understand not only what
motivates people in life but also what creates happy, dedicated employees.

● Security

Not all employees are working their dream jobs. They work to prevent the
consequences of unemployment. Employees motivated by job security
often give a solid effort and rarely make waves

● Passion

People who love their jobs often translate that passion into success. Goals
are not as important as the work itself. Advancement is a natural
progression for these employees, coming as a result of enthusiasm rather
than a desire for a title and paycheck. They want their work to be perfect
and will go above and beyond to make it that way.
TACUD, JHERIENE V.
HOW TO MOTIVATE SOMEONE WHO IS UNMOTIVATED
Lack of motivation is a feeling that we may experience from time to time as
individuals. For people living with mental health problems, this can exacerbate
this.
  From meeting up with friends, to starting a new project or engaging in a
hobby we know and love, it can sometimes be hard to find the motivation to
actively get involved with activities that are good for your mental health.
When we are struggling with mental health problems this can become even
harder, tasks that may seem simple to others, such as getting in the
shower, or making breakfast can become overwhelming.

1. Break tasks in to manageable chunks.

Breaking tasks into smaller chunks leading up to the ultimate goal can help
manage thoughts about the process. Focusing on the individual tasks needed to
complete a whole project can help to stay present and in the moment.
2. Write down each positive thing you experience throughout the day.
Many people feel that writing down positive things can be handy when aiming to
stay hopeful when struggling emotionally, serving as a reminder of special
moments. This can be motivating in itself.
3. Give yourself credit for the small things you do.
Notice the little things by praising yourself for each task completed - it can add up
quickly! Practicing mindfulness can also help in focusing and appreciating every
moment as well as the 'small' things you do such as getting out of bed or brushing
your teeth in the morning. Each evening, why don't you try noting three small wins
that you have achieved that day, remembering that whatever you achieve, no
matter how small, is always something to be proud of.
4. Have some 'me time'.
Take time out to do more of what you love and enjoy. From sightseeing around
your local city to spending time alone in a scenic park, taking time out to look after
yourself can be a great support for your mental health and may provide some
inspiration.
5. Be gentle with yourself.
Accept the current state of how you feel, acknowledge the feeling and look for
ways to reach out for support if needed. Practicing self-care and being gentle with
yourself can be a great help when experiencing lack of motivation.
6. Try to be present.
Remaining present and in the moment can help to focus on the now and this may
help when experiencing a lack of motivation. Whether it is walking your dog or
trying new food, focusing on the present moment is good.
7. Attend helpful events.
Self-help books, courses and events are all tools that can be used to support your
knowledge on mental health. By learning ways to improve your self-esteem or
perhaps stay inspired may help when experiencing a lack of motivation.
8. Ask for help.
Talking about your feelings can be good for your mental health. It is often the first
step to overcoming mental health problems and there are people who are willing to
listen. Some people prefer to speak to family or friends, others may wish to
discuss their feelings with a professional. You can talk to your GP about how you
are feeling, they can offer you information on support such as treatments and
counselling available.

LAPUT, FRITZ S.
TIPS TO MANAGE AND MOTIVATE LAZY PEOPLE
 A person is being lazy if he is able to carry out some activity that he ought
to carry out, but is disinclined to do so because of the effort involved. Being
lazy is a negative self-attribute people often make when they don’t
understand why they aren’t taking action toward something they want to or
should be doing. And it is not a good habit if you are an employee and here
are some tips how we can manage and motive lazy people.

1. Communication is the key

In any situation’s communication is indeed a great help and the answer in any
conflict or relationship. If you think that your staff or employee is not performing
well, and there’s really no point beating around the bush, face the problem and talk
about it or get the attention of that staff. It also a help if you call a meeting and
discuss what’s going on and constantly remind your employee of the important
role they play on the company.
In most cases, there’ll be a reason why they are underperforming; it could be
because of personal issues, unreachable targets or perhaps, they’re struggling
with some part of their job. You’ll never know unless you ask.
This conversation will give you an opportunity to help those who are genuinely
struggling – but should also give those inherently lazy employees the kick up the
backside they need to get back on track.
2. Set Objectives.
If your employee simply be lacking direction. Then give them direction the simple
us that. Some people work better when they’re set strict targets – not everybody
can or wants to work under their own initiatives. This is come in the collaborative
environments where people have many different projects to complete and many
different teams to confer with.
Without some kind of guidance and structure, employees can get left with piles
and piles of projects, to finish, without knowing which one is priority.
Don’t forget that all of the goals you set should be SMART…
• Specific.

• Measurable.

• Achievable.

• Relevant.

• Time based.

If the goal is too difficult, people will give up, too easy and they can be as lazy as
they like.
3. Incentivize staff.
I know; it can seem pretty unfair to have to reward lazy staff members for simply
doing their job. But the thing is; many (in fact most) people work well when they
know that a reward is available if they exceed the (SMART) goals they’ve been
set. And you don’t have to just incentivize your sales staff (although it’s easiest to
for them). You can offer rewards to all staff members, perhaps based on work
completed, successful projects and positive customer remarks. And – your
incentives don’t have to be monetary!
4. Offer progression.
One of the best incentives you can offer your employees is a clear route for
progression.
Would you want to be stuck in a role with no prospects of promotion, new
responsibilities or change? Most people wouldn’t – and that’s when unhappiness
and indifference start to creep in. Why exactly should I go the extra mile? I’m not
going anywhere anyway.
Working towards a possible promotion can have a massive morale boosting effect
on your workforce and may just snap some out of their lazy slump!
5. Address any training issues.
Of course, if you’re going to offer progression, you must have the right training in
place to back it up.
There’s nothing more frustrating for an employee than being unable to do a part of
their job and having to ask for help all of the time.
Their morale will fall, they’ll feel like a burden or they’ll start to get complacent
(AKA lazy).
If you develop employees through training, you are likely to be rewarded by a team
who will be more committed and more capable of delivering success to the
business.
6. Give them more responsibility.
Is your staff member lazy or just bored?
Going back to point one – it’s time to have a chat.
In most cases, your employee will admit that the reason they’re feeling
demotivated (and a little bit lazy) is because they find the job too easy, don’t feel
valued enough and are being underutilized.
Handing over more responsibility will make them feel more valued and give added
motivation to do well – it’s their neck and reputation on the line, after all.
NB: be careful with this one, you don’t want to look like you’re rewarding bad
behavior.
7. Determine their interests.
Do you enjoy every single aspect of your job? Most people don’t.
Are you good at everything? Most people aren’t.
An important part of being a good leader is being able to identify your employees’
strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes and dishing them out in the most
productive way for your team.
8. Assess your entire team.
Although you may recognize that one individual is showing signs of laziness, the
problem may not be isolated to just them.
Sometimes, it can be a symptom of a much bigger problem, affecting the entire
team.
Is the rest of your staff disengaged? Do they feel undervalued? Do they actually
care about your business?
If you suspect that this may be the case, then it’s time to do an internal audit and
reassess your entire employee engagement strategy and management technique.
9. Offer support.
Our personal lives have a real effect on our work.
So, when you first notice a ‘lazy’ employee, it’s really important to try and work out
whether anything is going on in the background.
Make sure you’re approachable and friendly and when you know there has been
an issue, be as accommodating as possible.
I promise you that the loyalty and respect you gain from treating your staff fairly
(and like human beings) will be worth it in the long run.
10. Know when it’s time to give up.
There’s only so much you can do to motivate your employees. Sometimes, you’ve
just managed to hire a bad (lazy) egg.
If the rest of your team are performing well and seem happy and engaged, but one
employee is trailing behind (and they haven’t got any personal issues going on) it’s
time to make a change.
Otherwise they’ll bring down the morale of the whole team! No one likes to work
hard and then look across the room at a co-worker who gets away with bloody
murder.
JASMIN, EDRINE CIARIE D.
CAUSES OF LAZINESS AND LACK OF MOTIVATION
 In Psychology, Laziness may reflect a lack of self-esteem. Lack of positive
recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-
confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy. 
Studies of motivation suggest that laziness may be caused by a decreased
level of motivation, which in turn can be caused by over-stimulation or
excessive impulses or distractions.

What Causes Laziness?

 Laziness is also termed as indolence or sloth and is defined as the failure to
do what you are supposed to do, despite having the ability to do it.
 Laziness is a vice that slowly creeps in and begins to hold you captive. It
interrupts your life and prevents you from getting to where you are
supposed to be. At first you feel as though you are having a deserved rest,
then gradually you start tolerating and entertaining laziness, finally it fully
sets in and becomes a part of who you are.
 Understanding this vice and everything that comes with it will help you curb,
escape and even recover from it. The question that you should be asking
yourself is ‘Why am I lazy?’ and ‘How can I overcome laziness?’
 The first step to defeating laziness is understanding the main causes of laziness.

Causes of Laziness
1. Procrastination
 Laziness is usually bred from postponing something that needs to be done.
It might be urgent or not but why postpone it while you can do it now?
 When lazy people are faced with a simple task such as dish washing that
they can do right away they postpone it for later. Before they know it,
another day has come and the dishes are still piling up in the sink. The
more they pile the less likely you are to get started as the task has become
so much larger.
 Procrastination only makes things harder and entertains laziness. The main
thing to overcoming this is, if something can be completed now and you
have the time then do it now! It really is a state of mind, that enables you to
 get it done. If the task takes longer and you don’t have the time to do it right
now then schedule some time to get it done.

2. Distraction
 When working, does your mind wander over to other things that are totally
unrelated? If yes then you are distracted. The more you get distracted the
less likely you are to complete the task.
 The most common causes of distraction are social media, talkative friends
and thinking about exciting upcoming events. In order to overcome laziness
in this case, switch off all sources of distraction. Focus on how much time
you waste on these sources of distraction and then determine what you
could achieve by using this time effectively. I’m not saying to cut yourself off
completely but you may need to moderate the time you spend on these
distractions.
3. Poor Lifestyle Choices
 Some people live unplanned and totally careless lifestyles. They stay up
late doing things that are not important at all such as chatting on social
media, watching movies and texting. Most active people on social media
can confess that hours pass by without their noticing. Before they know it,
it’s way past midnight yet they’ve got to be up early in the morning for work.
 Social media tends to consume too much of everybody’s time. It keeps you busy
just trying to stay up with what other people are doing and prevents you
from doing what really matters. If you are a victim to this, you will
experience a drowsy day whereby it is characterized by laziness and
inability to get work done.
 Your mind needs adequate rest and when it doesn’t, it dramatically affects
your ability to perform tasks in an effective manner.
 
4. Exhaustion
 Sometimes we work ourselves too hard at work. By the time we’re get
home, we feel exhausted, we can barely take our shoes off, let alone spend
some quality time for ourselves, our family or our friends.
 Activity even mental activity requires energy and a clear mind. When we are
exhausted, our mind is dulled and prevents the body from functioning
effectively. It is therefore advisable to plan how you are going to spend your
time, and divide your responsibilities wisely in order to get the important
things done.
  On the other hand, lazy people exhaust themselves doing non-important
things such as partying, roaming and playing video games hence leaving
the important things undone.
5. Lack of Self Worth
 If you believe in yourself, you will have the drive to get things done at home and
at work to make your life comfortable.
 On the other hand, those that don’t value themselves find no reason to
even observe simple self-hygiene. They live in dirty houses, wear dirty
clothes and generally live lazy lives simply because they do not think that
they deserve any better.
6. Irresponsibility
 Irresponsible people tend to be lazy people. A perfect example of this is
people who hire others to do tasks that they can do but don’t want to for
instance nannies, gardeners, personal assistants. Having everything done
for you makes you lazy and disabled.
7. Too Much to Do
 When one is overwhelmed with things to do, your brain tends to become
confused and slows down.
 The person convinces themselves that they simply cannot do it. When one
is convinced that the task at hand is too much for them, they see no reason
to even start hence entertaining the idea of laziness. Doing a never-ending
chore is also likely to de-motivate you and lead to procrastination.
8. Lack of Motivation
 Motivation fuels you up to do whatever needs to be done and in good time. If you
love your job then you will be motivated to get things done correctly. If you
don’t have motivation, you will always find reasons as to why you cannot
get things done.
 Some people especially those that are stuck in dead end jobs find all
manner of reasons to explain their lack of performance. Such people never
get things done and the more stuck they feel the lazier they become.
 A lack of motivation is essentially connected to a lack of passion. Passion is
something that inspires us towards a goal or vision which we look forward
to achieving or having in our life. This fuels the search for self-satisfaction.

8 PERSONNEL DISCIPLINE

A. Employee Discipline meaning

CASTILLO, BIANCA NICOLE
BEN32
Employee Discipline Meaning

Is defined as the regulations or conditions that are imposed on employees by

management in order to either correct or prevent behaviors that are detrimental to an
organization.

 The main purpose of employee discipline is not to embarrass or degrade an

employee.
To ensure that an employee performs in a manner that is deemed acceptable by the
organization. Good discipline means that employees are willing to abide by company
rules and executive orders and behave in the desired fashion. Discipline implies the
absence of chaos, irregularity and confusion in the behavior of a worker.

B. 3 types of Discipline

3 types of Discipline

Type #1 Positive Discipline

Positive discipline in a business is an atmosphere of mutual trust and common purpose

in which all employees understand the company rules as well as the objectives and do
everything possible to support them.

C. Discipline takes the form of positive support and reinforcement for approved
actions and its aim is to help the individual in molding his behavior and developing
him in a corrective and supportive manner. Once the standards and rules are
known by all employees, discipline can be enforced equitably and fairly.

Type#2 Negative Discipline

Generally, negative discipline is interpreted as a sort of check or restraint on the

freedom of a person.

D. Discipline is used to refer to the act of imposing penalties for wrong behavior. If
employees fail to observe rules, they are punished. The fear of punishment puts
the employee back on track.

Type#3 Self Discipline and Control

Behavioral scientists view discipline as self-control to meet organizational objectives.

Megginson clarified the term thus- “By self-discipline we mean the training that corrects
molds and strengthens.

It refers to one’s efforts at self-control for the purpose of adjusting oneself to

certain needs and demands. This form of discipline is raised on two psychological
principles. First, punishment seldom produces the desired results. Often, it
produces undesirable results. Second, a self-respecting person tends to be a
better worker than one who is not.
 E. People involved in employee discipline

Justiniano, Erika
BEN 32
PEOPLE INVOLVE IN EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE
 The immediate supervisor is responsible for maintaining discipline and morale
among the employees he supervises and for initiating appropriate disciplinary
action where the facts warrant such action. The line supervisor is responsible for
the enforcement of company rules. It is an important responsibility requiring
impartiality, good judgment, and courage. Disciplinary action should, therefore, be
done by the line supervisor. However, to avoid embarrassments and violation of
company policies and rules as well as of union contract, before taking disciplinary
action involving warning letters, suspensions or dismissals, he must first consult
with his superior and the personnel manager. He must know the background of
why the policy or rule was established.
 The personnel manager or the industrial relations director would be more
competent to give advice on the appropriateness of the contemplated action and
he would then know how to go about taking such action. Investigations, hearings,
and specific procedures may be involved in serious disciplinary cases. It must be
remembered that disciplinary action is a tool, not a weapon of supervision.

F. How to effectively discipline your employees?

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLINE YOUR EMPLOYEES?

 Employee discipline isn’t a matter of dominance or punishment. It’s about
making the work environment safe and pleasant for both employees and
management. Discipline works best when there’s a foundation of trust between
managers and employees. That starts with clear communication and continues
through consistency. In order to maintain order and respect in the workplace, you
need to have a plan in place that will benefit everyone involved.

 Know what the law says about employee discipline

 Discipline can come in several forms, depending on the issue and how often it
happens. It might be something as mild as coaching or as serious as a verbal or
written warning. U.S. federal laws don’t outline specific plans to be used for
employee discipline. Employers have basic leeway in choosing their approach.

 Decide what discipline method you will use

 There are any number of discipline methods you might use. All discipline methods
are based on the idea that there is a goal or benchmark that needs to be met, and
that not meeting it puts something into motion. You can approach that in a
punitive or rehabilitative manner. It comes down to your preference, both in what
you think will work best for your business and what you are comfortable using.

 Document employee discipline

 When you suddenly find yourself in a worst-case scenario, documentation is going
to help you out. If employee discipline leads to firing or legal action, having no
 documentation to refer as a reason for disciplinary action will leave you open to
possible legal consequences.

 Be proactive by using employee reviews

 Regular employee reviews, even for small businesses, are a proactive approach to
employee discipline. Reviews are flexible; they can be worked into just about any
discipline process. They’re also useful if you don’t want to get locked into a
progressive approach but instead want to help build the employee up and
encourage (through coaching and training) better performance or behavior.

G. Types of Disciplinary actions

SILAN, JOLIE-ANN B.
BEN 32

Types of Disciplinary Actions

 Written Notice – Regardless of the type of disciplinary measure imposed, a
written notice indicting the reason(s) for discipline, type and duration of the
disciplinary action, and grievance or appeal rights of the employee must be given
to the employee within twenty-four (24) hours for non-contract employees.
 It is also known as agreement. The letter should be reviewed and read with the
employee; the employee needs to read the letter and sign to acknowledge
receipt of the letter. If the employee refuses to sign, it will be noted on the
letter and signed and dated by the issuer of the disciplinary notice.

 Letter of Written Reprimand - The written reprimand should be signed by both

the supervisor and the employee. The written reprimand must be given to the
employee with one copy placed in the official employee file, one copy given to the
personnel officer, and one copy given to the union (if applicable).
 So, letters of reprimand are letters written by the supervisor to provide an
official statement of a performance problem that an employee must improve.
The content of letters of written reprimand clearly and specifically state that
the employee performance that must improve and if the employee does not
improve his/her performance there will be a consequence for her/him.

 Letter of Suspension – Disciplinary suspensions for employees covered by the Fair

Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are without pay. An employee exempt from the FLSA
will be given documentation of disciplinary action equivalent to a suspension
(paper suspension); the FLSA exempt employee will not serve time off or be
docked in pay.
 A letter of suspension is used to inform somebody that they are being
temporarily removed from a position, usually as a disciplinary measure. It
formally notifies the employee that they cannot attend work during the period
specified in the letter and outlines their rights and obligations during such
period.

 Disciplinary Demotion – An employee may be demoted to a vacant position as

disciplinary action for inability to perform the duties of the higher position or for
some instances of misconduct.
  A demotion means to a permanent reassignment to a lower position than the
employee had worked previously. It means your position will go to lower
position that have a lower level of responsibility or required skill, and a lower
pay grade than the previous position.

 Letter of Discharge – Following the investigation and the determination that

discharge is likely warranted, the employee must be informed in person that
discharge is being considered and be given the opportunity to respond to the
allegations.
 A letter of discharge is a letter written when someone is released from an
organization or an obligation. A discharge can be a mutual agreement to part
ways.

 Reassignment – As a result of some misconduct, it may be determined that it is in

the best interest of the organization to reassign the employee to a different work
unit or location, either as a disciplinary action or as part of an action such as
suspension.
 It is the process of giving an employee a different job or give the employee a
different workplace.

 Non-discrimination – Supervisors must apply discipline in a non-discriminatory

manner. Discipline may be considered as discriminatory if members of a protected
class are given discipline disproportionate to the amount or severity of discipline
given to nonprotected class persons.
 Non-discrimination in employment applies to recruitment, hiring,
compensation, promotions, transfers, discipline, demotions, terminations,
layoffs, access to benefits and training and all other aspects of employment.
Any employee found to be engaging in any type of unlawful discrimination will
be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment.

 Confidentiality – Confidentiality of Employee Information, regarding the release of

information concerning employee discipline.
 confidentiality refers to a duty of an individual to refrain from sharing
confidential information with others, except with the express consent of the
other party. 

H. Disciplinary issues

Disciplinary Issues
Disciplinary or corrective action is a process of communicating with the employee to
improve unacceptable behavior or performance. You may take disciplinary action when
other methods such as coaching or encouragement have not been successful.

Here’s the Common Disciplinary Issues Workplaces Address 

 General Misconduct - There’s a fine line between sarcasm and disrespect. And for
some employees, there’s just a blatant rudeness or a volatile personality that can
have viral consequences in a team environment.
  Misconduct means when an employee does something wrong either by doing
something, not doing something, or through their behavior. This may justify
some disciplinary action being taken by the employer.

 Performance Issues - Your employees are there for one reason and one reason
on--to do their jobs. If you notice operations and productivity slowing due to a
particular individual, a disciplinary meeting should be scheduled.
 In a workplace you need to know what the performance of every individual.
And if you notice that the operation is slow you need to meet them and tell
them what’s the problem and what are the thing you need to change.

 Timekeeping and Absenteeism - From buddy-punching to frequently calling in

sick, the hours lost from employees’ time spent out of the workplace has a
negative impact on your bottom line. Lateness, early exits, and recurrent absences
are among the most common HR issues.
 Time and attendance are very important in your work. If you are lazy, always
absent and late it has a big impact in your performance and also in your
workplace.

 Misuse of Technology - The internet has given rise to a new (and now frequent)
headache that HR and management must address. Misconduct involving email
protocols, online usage outside of work-related tasks, and even social media
posts.
 A lot of people are using technology now. As an employee you need to use
technology or social media as a good influence on other people to protect your
own reputation and company’s reputation.

 Harassment & Discrimination - No surprise that this one tops the list of common
disciplinary issues in the workplace given the events of the past year. Sexual
harassment and discrimination claims are hot-button topics in HR and must be
handled swiftly and by the book to avoid a costly lawsuit.
 Discrimination on any level should not be tolerated, and the policies, including
how to report an incident, must be spelled out along with consequences to
avoid dispute.

I. Aspects of discipline

JANEO, JEREMY JEAN

BEN32
Aspects of Discipline

Positive Aspect

Employee complies with rules not out of fear of punishment but out of an inherent
desire to co-operate and achieve goals. Where two-way communication, clear goals and
effective leadership mark the organizational climate, employees need not be indiscipline
in the traditional way.

 This type of approach is called positive approach or constructive discipline or

self-discipline. According to Spiegel, “positive discipline enables an employee
 to have a greater freedom in that he enjoys a greater degree of self-expression
in striving to achieve the group objective, which he identifies as his own”.

Negative Aspect:

Employees sometimes do not believe in and support discipline. As such, they do not
adhere to rules, regulations and desired standard of behavior. In fact, disciplinary
programme forces and constraints the employees to obey orders and function in
accordance with set rules and regulations through warnings, penalties and other forms of
punishment.

 This approach to discipline is called negative approach or corrective

approach or punitive approach. Negative or punitive discipline is one in which
management must exert pressure or holdout threats by imposing penalties on
wrongdoers. Negative discipline connotes that personnel are forced to
observe rules and regulations on account of fear or reprimand, fine, demotion,
or transfer.

J. What is good discipline

What is good discipline?

 The term discipline refers to a condition in the organization where

employees conduct themselves in accordance with the organization’s rules
and standards of acceptable. For the most part employees discipline
themselves by conforming to what is considered proper behavior because they
believe it is the reasonable thing to do. One they are made aware of what is
expected of them, and assuming they find these standards or rules to be
reasonable, they seek to meet those expectations. But not all employees will
accept the responsibility of self-discipline. There are some employees that will
accept the norms of responsible employees’ behavior. These employees, then,
require some degree of extrinsic disciplinary action. It is this need to impose
extrinsic disciplinary action that we will address in the following sections.

K. Disciplinary problems

CONCEPCION, GENIAH
BEN 32

DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS

Handling discipline issues is one of the most taxing parts of a teaching job.
Unfortunately, each discipline problem, like every student, is individual, stemming from a
set of circumstances directly related to the child causing the problem. The best way to
respond to a discipline problem in your classroom is to understand the root of the issue.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES OF DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS

 Problems at Home

 Issues and stresses at home are a major reason for students to act out in class.
If students are abused or neglected at home, their anger can boil over and lead
 them to disrupt your classroom. Students who come from homes where the
parents are divorcing are also under duress and can act out in class to deal
with their fear and frustration. Acting out in class is a way student who feel
helpless about their home situations feel like they still have some control.

 Peers

 Students who are bullied by their peers are also prone to discipline issues in
the classroom. Although many students who are bullied become withdrawn in
the classroom to prevent calling attention to themselves, others act out. Often
students who bully are abused at home, leading them to lash out at their
classmates. In rare cases, students lash out and attack their classmates in class
or even their teacher.

 Perception

 If your student feels you don't like him, you're not protecting him or
supportive of him, he could become a discipline problem in the classroom.
Feelings of abandonment, lack of voice and depression affect students who
feel like you don't care about them. Some students could have issues adjusting
to your teaching style. Many teachers now differentiate lesson plans to include
all types of learners. If you are not reaching a student, he could shut down and
act out in class.

 Disabilities

 Children with learning disabilities can also sometimes be disruptive in class.

These disabilities can be classified anywhere from attention deficit disorder
(ADD) to autism and dyslexia. In most cases, students with learning issues
require a specialized education plan to teach to their needs. Many students
with learning disabilities are on medication that helps them focus.
Occasionally, students forget their medicine and act out in class on those days.

In a nutshell, when students act out in a variety of ways, impacting those around them
and their ability to learn. Disrespect, defiance, bullying, and aggression are the most
common disciplinary problems. A dysfunctional home life can impact student behavior.
So, in the text above I inserted also what are the causes of disciplinary problems so that
we know the reason why some people have a disciplinary problem. I hope these contexts
will help us not to judge other people’s opinion and of course other people's way of
thinking.

L. Light offenses

LIGHT OFFENSES

Under Article 90 The definition of "light offenses" is in turn to be found in Article

9, which classifies felonies into grave, less grave, and light, and defines "light
felonies" as "those infraction of law for the commission of which the penalty of
arrest mayor or a fine not exceeding 200 pesos or both is provided ". In Light
offenses there are three administrative offense by Memorandum Circular No. 30 s
1989 July 20, 1989 (I will just give you some:)
A. GRAVE OFFENSES:
1 Dishonesty: Dismissal
2. Gross Neglect of Duty: Dismissal
3. Grave Misconduct: Dismissal
4. Being notoriously undesirable: Dismissal
5. Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude: Dismissal

B. LESS GRAVE OFFENSES:

1. Simple Neglect of Duty: Suspension: Dismissal 6mos 1 day/ 1 year.
2. Simple Misconduct: Suspension: Dismissal 6 mos. 1 day/ 1 year.
3. Gross Discourtesy in the: Suspension: Dismissal Course of official duties 1month 1 day /
6mos.
4. Gross Violation of existing: Suspension: Dismissal Civil Service Law and Rules 1 month 1
day of serious nature 6 mos.
5. Insubordination: Suspension: Dismissal 6 mos. 1 day / 1 year.

C. LIGHT OFFENSES:
1. Neglect of Duty: Reprimand: Suspension: Dismissal 1-30 days.
2. Discourtesy in the: Reprimand: Suspension: Dismissal Course of official duties 1-30
days.
3. Improper or unauthorized: Reprimand: Suspension: Dismissal
Solution of contributions 1-30 days from subordinate employees and by teachers or
school officials from school children.
4. Violation of Reasonable: Reprimand: Suspension: Dismissal Office Rules and
Regulations 1-30 days.
5. Gambling Prohibited: Reprimand: Suspension: Dismissal by Law 1-30 days.

Now that I had given an example, I hope you understand it clearly that even though it
"light offenses" still, it is offense.

M. Serious misconduct

LIGUTAN, JANELLE
BEN 32

Serious Misconduct

Serious misconduct is labelled ‘serious’ because it can have the effect of destroying or
undermining the relationship of trust and confidence between an employee and
employer. Without this trust and confidence an employment relationship can’t continue.

Misconduct is when an employee does something wrong either by doing something,

not doing something, or through their behavior. This may justify some disciplinary action
being taken by the employer.
 Some examples of negative behavior that can be classified as serious misconduct
include:

 Bullying
 dishonesty
 theft or fraud
 violent behavior
 use of illegal drugs at work
 behavior that endangers the health and safety of the employee and others
 harassment
Consequences of not following the code of conduct

Consequences of not following the code of conduct

 Penalty Basics

The penalty component of a code of conduct lets employees know in advance what to
expect if they violate a code. Discipline procedures and policies should be clearly laid out
in the code of conduct so there is gray area regarding penalties.

 This is especially important in avoiding discrimination and wrongful

termination lawsuits. Conduct codes and penalty systems are typically
established by human resources staff and shared with supervisors and
employees.

 Minor Penalties

Penalty systems typically address two categories of wrongful behavior: minor and
major. Minor penalties vary by company, but typically include frequent employee
tardiness, minor acts of insubordination, incomplete work and misuse or abuse of office
equipment.

 Common penalties for minor code infractions include a series of oral and
written warnings and reduced job privileges and responsibilities. Following
these steps and documenting repeated warnings helps companies add stricter
penalties for repeat offenders.

 Major Penalties

Some breaches of codes are so severe they require harsher penalties, even on a first
offense. Major infractions include acts of violence, threats toward co-workers or
managers, theft or abuse of power.
 Common penalties include demotions, job transfers, pay reductions, and in the
most extreme cases, termination. Some companies specifically state which
offenses are considered "terminable" in their penalty sections.

 Other Considerations

In heightened cases of conduct breach, companies might call on internal security or

the police.

 For examples include theft, threats or acts of violence, and carrying a weapon
to the workplace. In threatening situations, the company's priority is
immediate safety. Once threats are minimized, companies often take legal
action when employees steal or damage workplace property.

9 COUNSELING IN WORK ORGANIZATION

A. Counseling Meaning
In the present highly complex environment, HR counselling
has become very important responsibility of HR managers as
counselling plays vital role in different aspects of managing
human resources like career planning and development,
performance management, stress management, and other
areas which may affect employees emotionally. Counselling
has very wide application both within and without
organizational context.

MEANING OF COUNSELING

Counseling is a process through which one person helps

another by purposeful conversation in an understanding
atmosphere. It seeks to establish a helping relationship in
which the one counseled can express their thoughts and
feelings in such a way as to clarify their own situation, come
to terms with some new experience, see their difficulty more
objectively, and so face their problem with less anxiety and
tension. Its basic purpose is to assist the individual to make
their own decision from among the choices available to
them.

B. Types & need for counselling

TYPES & NEED FOR COUNSELING
Effectiveness of counselling largely depends on the methods
and techniques as well as the skills used by the counsellor.
Methods and techniques of counselling change from person
to person and from situation to situation.
Normally employee counseling involves the following types:
1. Directive Counseling:
It is full counselling. It is the process of listening to an
employee’s problem, deciding with the employee what
should be done and telling and motivating the employee to
do it. This type of counselling mostly does the function of
advice, reassurance and communication. It may also
perform other functions of counseling. Under directive
counselling the counsellor issues certain instructions to the
counselee or he is directed to do certain things e.g.: he is
asked to behave in a particular manner, asked to abstain
from alcohol or drug, asked to respect his colleagues and
superiors.
2. Non-Directive Counseling:
 It is the process of skillfully listening to the emotional
problems of an employee, understand him/her and
determine the course of action to be adopted to resolve his
problem. It focuses on the counselee hence it is called ‘client
centered’ counselling. Professional counsellors usually adopt
this method of counselling. The unique advantage of this
type of counselling is its ability to cause the employees
reorientation. The main stress is to ‘change’ the person
instead of dealing with his immediate problem only. Under
non directive counseling counsellor does not issue directions
but observe the behavior and attitude of the counselee
towards his work and his colleagues and superiors and
subordinates. If he misbehaves then counsellor comes to his
rescue and corrects him realizing him that he was wrong. He
will not issue him any instructions or will not direct him.
3. Cooperative Counselling:
This is a kind of counselling that can be done through
extending full cooperation to the counselee and makes him
realize his mistakes relating to his behavior and attitudes so
that he himself will be back on the track and improve
himself. It is winning the heart of the counselee through
cooperation. His confidence will be won by the counselee
and he in turn will extend his cooperation and become self-
disciplined.
4. Marital and Family Counselling:
Employees need counselling in respect of marriage and
family problems. The troubled employees can discuss out
their problems with the counsellor who can take them into
confidence and prescribe solutions for their ills.

C. Qualities of a good counsellor

QUALITIES OF A GOOD COUNSELOR
Any person can act as counselor. He must be a person
with charming personality, caring, should attract other
persons toward himself and should be affectionate towards
one and all and should understand and interpret the
behavior of others. Counselor commands respect from the
people and enjoys status in the entire organization as his
services help in achieving good human relations.
The set of attitudes required for an efficient counsellor are:
 • Respect i.e. High esteem for human dignity, recognition of
a person’s freedom & rights and faith in human potential to
grow.
• Sincerity, authenticity.
• Understanding
• Non-judgmental approach towards the counselee.
The set of skills required for an efficient counsellor are:
• Decency skills i.e. social etiquettes, warm manners
• Excellent communication skills which also include non-
verbal communication and listening skills
• Objectivity
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Empathy

D. How do you know that you need counselling?

WHEN TO COUNSEL?
An employee should be counseled when he or she has
personal problems that affect job performance. Some signs
of a troubled employee include:
• Sudden change of behavior
• Preoccupation
• Irritability
• Increased accidents
• Increased fatigue
• Excessive drinking
• Reduced production
• Waste
• Difficulty in absorbing training
PANTINO, RUBY ANN

CASTILLO, EDMUND

WHEN TO COUNSEL?
An employee should be counseled when he or she has personal problems that
affect job performance. Some signs of a troubled employee include:

• Sudden change of behavior - These categories are not disordering. They are just one-
way doctors organize different types of abnormal thought, speech, and behavior. These
changes in personality and behavior can be caused by physical or mental health
problems. People may have more than one type of change. For example, people with
confusion due to a drug interaction sometimes hallucinate, and people with mood
extremes may have delusions.

• Preoccupation - the state of being worried about or thinking about something most of
the time.

• Irritability - is a feeling of agitation that you might experience because of stress, mental
health conditions, or physical disorders.

• Increased accidents - having a greater than average number of accidents, can be called
as accident prone.

• Increased fatigue - Fatigue refers to a mental or physical state of extreme tiredness and
lack of energy.

• Excessive drinking - Binge drinking worsens mental health symptoms and causes a
range of chemical and structural impacts on developing brains that affect memory and
decision-making that are like the effects that occur older, life-long binge drinkers.

• Reduced production - when the flow of production in an organization is slowly

reducing, one factor is that there is a problem to employee, sometimes they tend to not
focus, because they have personal problem. At that point they need a counselling to be
more focus on the job.

• Waste - there is also a time that the employees are not worth it anymore that is
because they are not focusing on their responsibility due to their problem.

• Difficulty in absorbing training - Also when the employee has a personal problem, they
are not focus on what they’re doing, their mind is flying that's why they cannot be able to
absorb training.

E. What’s the point of counselling?

Importance of Employees Counseling:
“HR initiatives only look at the organizational
perspective, but the well-being of the workforce depends just
as much on the individual’s well-being. And stress, from
home or from the routine of work affects not just the
individual, but the workplace in turn,” says Dr Samir Parikh,
consultant psychiatrist.
Through counselling the supervisor tries to speak to his
subordinates, ensure a two-way communication, and help them
grow and develop in the organization.

The various importance of employee counselling is listed as

under:
 1. It provides employees with an atmosphere where they can
share and discuss their tensions, conflicts, concerns, and
problems with their supervisors.

2. It is a process of helping employees to realize their full

potential by making them understand their strengths and
weaknesses.

3. Counselling provides employees with the reassurance and

courage to face the problems confidently.

4. Releasing emotional tension is an important function of

counselling. Release of tension may not solve the entire
problem but it removes mental blocks to the solution.

5. Counselling sessions also help employees to get an

opportunity to understand the business environment and set
realistic goals for further improvements.

6. It even gives the employer an opportunity to understand

the employee’s perspective and set mutually agreeable goals
for future.

7. It can even help the management decide about the need

for training and development programs to sharpen the
employee’s skills and increase their level of confidence on
the job.

8. A good counselling session generally helps in winning the

trust and faith of the employees.

9. It provides more autonomy to employees and positively

reinforces their desirable behavior and tries to create
conditions in which the employee is able to learn from his
mistakes.

F. Signs of Mental Illness

SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to
a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect
your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness
include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating
disorders and addictive behaviors. Many people have mental
health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern
becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms
cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.
A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause
problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in
relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a
combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy).

Signs & Symptoms

If several of the following are occurring, it may useful to follow up

with a mental health professional.

 Sleep or appetite changes — Dramatic sleep and appetite

changes or decline in personal care
 Mood changes — Rapid or dramatic shifts in emotions or
depressed feelings.
 Withdrawal — Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest
in activities previously enjoyed.
 Drop in functioning — An unusual drop in functioning, at
school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports,
failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks.
 Problems thinking — Problems with concentration, memory
or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain.
 Increased sensitivity — Heightened sensitivity to sights,
sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of over-stimulating
situations.
 Apathy — Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any
activity.
 Feeling disconnected — A vague feeling of being
disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of
unreality.
 Illogical thinking — Unusual or exaggerated beliefs about
personal powers to understand meanings or influence
events; illogical or “magical” thinking typical of childhood in
an adult.
 Nervousness — Fear or suspiciousness of others or a strong
nervous feeling.
 Unusual behavior – Odd, uncharacteristic, peculiar
behavior.

One or two of these symptoms alone can’t predict a mental

illness but may indicate a need for further evaluation. If a person
is experiencing several at one time and the symptoms are causing
serious problems in the ability to study, work or relate to others,
he/she should be seen by a physician or mental health
professional. People with suicidal thoughts or intent, or thoughts
of harming others, need immediate attention

0 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS IN THE PHILIPPINES

A. Meaning Of Health And Safety

B. 5 Elements Of Safety
C. Health And Safety At Work Regulations
D. Does OSHA Have A Workplace Safety Standards?
E. 4 Main Objectives Of The Health & Safety At Work Act
F. ISO Standard For Safety
G. 3 E’s Of Safety
H. Key To A Successful Safety Program
I. Reasons Why It Is Important To Follow Health And Safety Procedures
J. Purpose Of Health & Safety In The Workplace
K. H&S Coverage
L. 4 General Safety Rules
M. 3 Key Elements Of H&S Policy
N. Who Has Responsibilities Regarding Safety At Work?
O. 5 Basic Workplace Hazards
P. 5 Steps To Risk Assessment
Submitted by:
Badando, Lara Mae
Cano, Arianne
Dumaraog, Rubylyn
Gallano, Hannah Grace
Selencio, Dave
Sumang, Huey

BEN 32

Submitted to:
Mrs. Gertrudes Ochoa

A. MEANING OF HEALTH AND SAFETY

Occupational health and safety refers to programs, guidelines and procedures

that protect the safety, welfare and health of any person engaged in work or
employment. The overall goal of any health and safety program is to create the
ultimate safe working environment and to reduce the risk of accidents, injuries and
fatalities on the job.

B. 5 ELEMENTS OF SAFETY

1) Leadership
If you want to develop a strong safety culture at your company, you have to
start with your leaders. Your supervisors and managers have to set the example
for everyone else.

2) Responsibility
Companies with strong safety cultures share the value of responsibility. By
responsibility, I mean the shared belief that each individual is morally and ethically
bound to act responsibly for the good of his fellow employees, his company, and
society as a whole.

3) Accountability
Managers must be held accountable to lead by example each and every
day. Managers and supervisors need to understand that their behavior influences
everyone around them.

4) Clear Expectations
Safety expectations need to be set and communicated to everyone in the
organization. The commitment to achieving these goals needs to be demonstrated
from the top down.

5) Ethics
Ethically driven management systems are important in developing a strong
safety culture. The goal is for employees to make decisions that not only satisfy
the procedures in the safety manual but that are also ethical and moral.

C. HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS

1) The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992:

• Assess manual handling risks to try and reduce the risk of injury and to also
consider the task at hand and who is best suited for what so that people who are
not physically able to perform a certain task are not made to.
• Tasks that have a high risk of injury towards employees are avoided and
automated (if possible) instead to make the workplace safer.
• Workers should be provided with correct information on the weight of any loads.

2) The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992:

• Safe pavement and walkways to reduce the risk of slipping and injury.
• Proper lighting, air conditioning, heating and an adequate workspace that is
cleaned regularly.
• Facilities such as toilets, washing areas, refreshments such as water dispensers
etc.
3) The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations 1992:
• Always be aware that the correct PPE is being worn by all employees. Also, this
equipment must be provided free of charge if there are any risks to health and
safety that cannot be controlled.
• Provide any information and training on the use of all equipment that employees
are to come in contact with.

4) The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment, DSE) Regulations

1992:
• Provide regular eyesight tests for all employees to assess any damage caused
by prolonged use.
• Provide proper health and safety information.
Make risk assessments of the workstations used by employees and try to reduce
any risks that are identified.
• Provide adjustable furniture to tailor to everyone’s needs.
• Encourage employees to take regular breaks from their screens.
• Show that there are steps taken to reduce the risk of employees straining
themselves in the workplace.

5) The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

Regulations 1995:
• Occupational diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome, occupational asthma,
occupational dermatitis etc.
• Injuries that require workers to be relieved of their normal duties for more than
seven days due to an accident at work.
• Injuries such as broken bones, lost limbs or digits, eye injuries, electric shocks
and illnesses that require hospitalisation or immediate medical attention.
• Any near misses which could have resulted in death or major injury.
• Any deaths caused by accidents at work.

6) The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998:

• Properly maintain all equipment and provide regular maintenance.
• Protect employees from exposed and dangerous parts of machinery.
• Ensure that work equipment is safe and suitable to use for its intended purpose.
• Provide information and training on the use of all equipment.

7) The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999:

• To make assessments of risk to the health and safety of all employees and act
upon any that are identified to reduce accidents and injury.
• Provide employees with information and training on health and safety.
• Provide a written health and safety policy.
• Ensure that employees know what they are doing and only competent people are
hired.
 D. DOES OSHA HAVE A WORKPLACE SAFETY STANDARDS

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration

• An agency of the United States Labor.

• Established by the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health act.
( OSHA act ) which Pres. Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 29,
1970
• OSHA's mission is to assure safe and healthy working conditions for men and
women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach,
education, and assistance.
• Safety Inspections is shown to reduce injury rates and injury costs without
adverse effects to employment, sales, credit ratings or firm survival.

E. 4 MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK ACT

The Health and Safety Work Act

• Has been part of the UK legal system since 1974. It was developed in response
to the particularly dangerous employment conditions that existed in factories and
mines at the time.

Important Sections of the act for employers:

Section 2 : this place a duty on employers to ensure so far as is, reasonably

practical, the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees at work.

Section 3 : This provides that employers must, so far as is reasonably practicable,

ensure the health and safety of any non-employees who may be affected by the
conduct of their undertaking. This includes members of the public, contractors and
visitors.

Section 7 : This states that employees themselves have a duty to take

reasonable care for their own health and safety. They must also protect the health
and safety of other workers and anybody else who may be affected by their
actions or omissions at work.

Section 37 : This places a duty on directors and senior managers and provides
that they may be prosecuted if it is found that an offence committed by the
company was committed with their consent, their connivance, or was attributable
to their neglect.

General Duties:
• Ensuring employees' health, safety and welfare at work.
• Protecting non-employees against the health and safety risks arising from work
activities.
• Controlling the keeping and use of explosive or highly flammable or dangerous
substance.
The health and safety work act 1974 applies ( with a few exceptions )to everyone
" at work ".

- employers;
- employees;
- self employed people;
- those in control of non domestic premises;
- manufacturers and employees of articles and substance.

F. ISO STANDARD FOR SAFETY

ISO 45001

• Is the world's international standard for occupational health and safety, issued to
protect employees and visitors from work- related accidents and diseases.

• ISO 45001 was developed to mitigate any factors that can cause employees and
businesses irreparable harm.

• Its standards are the result of great effort by a committee of health and safety
management experts who looked closely at a number of other approaches to
system management.

• Although ISO 45001 is heavily informed by OHSAS 18001, Its a distinctly new
standard not a simple revision or brief update.

G. 3 E’S OF SAFETY

1.) Evaluation
Evaluation is critical to creating a safe workplace and requires a consistent
process. Many organizations consider job hazard analysis as the only evaluation.

2.) Education
Education is meant to increase a person’s understanding of a subject.

3.) Enforcement
Enforcement is a subject that many leaders don’t like to talk about. It’s a
subject that many associate with penalties, termination, and other uncomfortable
consequences.

H. .KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL SAFETY PROGRAM

1.) Leadership and Management Involvement:

Leading by example is the most effective way to get your workforce on
board with sticking to a new safety program.

2.) Consistent Safety Reviews:

 Evaluating the workplace to identify safety hazards is important to
maintaining a safe company.

3.) Reporting Near Misses:

Company managers should encourage employees to make safety a priority.
This means being comfortable reporting near misses.

4.) Continuous Improvement Initiatives:

Companies should strive for continuous safety improvement. Toolbox talks
and trainings can help employees stay up to date on important safety protocol.

I. REASONS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW HEALTH AND

SAFETY PROCEDURES

1.) Keeping People Safe

Most employers would agree that preventing accidents and potential death
to employees is a natural priority.

2.) Injuries Cost Time and Money

Employers must continue to pay employees who miss work while they are
out as a result of a workplace injury or illness.

3.) Fewer Injuries Increase Productivity

Workplace injuries and unsafe working environments are bad for employee
morale. An employee who is concerned about being hurt isn't able to devote full
attention to daily work tasks.

4.) Increase Public Perception

A company that operates in an unsafe manner can turn away customers. A
restaurant that uses unsafe cooking practices isn't going to attract customers
because they fear illness.

5.) Minimizing Legal Liabilities

Accidents happen even in the safest workplaces. Even if employers have
workers' compensation insurance, if they are negligent in providing a safe and
healthy work environment, employees or a deceased employee's family can sue
for damages.

J. PURPOSE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

What is the purpose of health and safety?

The purpose of health and safety is to protect your workers, sub-
contractors, customers and members of the public when they are involved with
your business. You have a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act
1974 but more than that, it’s good business practice to adhere to health and safety
laws. Businesses that flout the law face losing staff, higher recruitment costs,
lower retention rates and lower profitability.

Worse still, poor health and safety can lead to illness, injury and even death
- you can be prosecuted for breaching health and safety regulations which can
lead to fines, imprisonment and the loss of your business altogether.

Workplace health and safety is important for the health and wellbeing of all
employees across all industries because human injury or loss in any business is
not acceptable. And the last thing you want is to be the employer who loses an
employee in an accident and is then charged with corporate manslaughter. The
importance of health and safety in the workplace simply cannot be
underestimated. As well as being the law, it is part and parcel of being a good
employer to make sure your staff aren’t at risk of any injury as a result of the work
they do for you.

It’s not just your staff that health and safety is important for, it’s there to
protect any visitors, customers, sub-contractors and the general public who may
work for you, do business with you or come into contact with your organisation in
any way.

K. H&S COVERAGE

Maintaining a safe workplace is considered an ongoing challenge. This

challenge has just been kicked up a notch with Covid-19. Perhaps, though it’s
time to think of it more as an opportunity for success. Both employers and
employees benefit greatly from a comprehensive workplace health and safety
program. Whether small, medium or large, a business that is consistently
compliant with health and safety legislation, will empower the workforce, achieve
business growth and reduce workplace accidents and exposures.
Worksafe BC is an excellent resource for developing a workplace health
and safety program. The downloadable Due Diligence Check List is a must for
employers establishing an Occupational Health and Safety Plan. Worksafe BC’s
website also provides informative content that covers 15 major industries,
including over 400 educational videos presenting workplace safety issues,
accidents, injuries and recovery, and helpful tips for increasing health and safety
standards across many industries.
Another valuable resources are the employees that perform the work each day.
Engaging with employees during organized, workplace health and safety talks
allows them to share their concerns and experience. The employees’ input will
assist with fine-tuning the health and safety program, giving employees “a voice”
during the process. They will feel protected and motivated to ensure a safer
workplace. That will be just one of several benefits of an effective health and
safety program.

Reduce sick leave

Once industry-specific health and safety issues are addressed and a health
and safety program is implemented, employers can expect to see happier and
healthier employees taking fewer sick days. Fewer employee absences translates
to money saved on the absent employees’ salaries, overtime incurred by
employees covering for absent co-workers and indirect costs such as diminished
services and product, quality and loss of business.

Save money on recruitment costs

Employee retention is the envy of many. Employers that take workplace
health and safety seriously enjoy the benefits of lower staff turnover. Employees
are a business’s greatest asset, and when employees feel safe and valued, they
tend to stick around. A business that protects its greatest asset will spend far less
money on recruiting and training costs than a business that isn’t health and safety
compliant.

Increase productivity
The two biggest reasons for employee absence are stress and accidents,
and both can impact productivity and profits. An effective workplace health and
safety program will help prevent accidents and reduce stress in the workplace.
Happy, healthy and safety-conscious employees are more productive because
they’re able to perform their job with reduced difficulty and danger.

Lower workplace insurance costs

Reducing accidents and injury is key to lowering a business’s liability
insurance rate. It’s important to remember that a health and safety program is
designed to protect all people in the workplace, including contractors, temporary
employees and visitors to the premises, but it doesn’t replace the need for liability
insurance, a policy that most businesses require. If you have a workplace safety
policy ensure your insurance agent is aware, as you may receive more favorable
market rates. And if you feel you need to implement better policies let your
Reliance agent know and we can help you find the right resources and do a risk
management assessment.

Favourable repute
A preventable accident causing injury or environmental damage is almost
always newsworthy, thanks to the 24-hour news cycle. A negative news story can
have a lasting effect on a business’s reputation, customer base, and the sales
column. A business with a current, well- maintained workplace health and safety
program is a business with a conscience that protects its employees like family
members. More and more consumers are scrutinizing the businesses they choose
to deal with based on how well the employees and the environment are treated.

Call in a workplace health and safety expert

There are specialized consultants ready to help employers create a safer
workplace. British Columbia is home to multiple occupational health and safety
consultants. These firms will guide employers through the health and safety
program development process, provide training courses and conduct audits of
current programs, ensuring an employer’s business is completely compliant with
the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation & Workers Compensation Act
Legislation in British Columbia (WorkSafeBC). Consultants will also provide
training in many areas: from bullying/ harassment training, new/young employee
orientation training, to fall protection and asbestos awareness training. GG Health
and Safety Consultants, of Brentwood Bay, BC, believes, “Working safely and in a
safe environment must be a condition of employment, and safety education and
safety training for employees is the fundamental key towards an effective health
and safety program in BC.”
It’s possible that some employers think they are compliant simply because
they are providing workers with safety gear such as protective glasses, helmets
and gloves. However, there is more to it than that. A health and safety consultant
takes safety to another level for accident and injury prevention.
Consulting firms also understand the importance of integrating safety with
productivity. It may be worthwhile for businesses and employers to consider
enlisting a health and safety consultant for a safe workplace, healthy employees
and to ensure future business growth.

Worksafe BC Guidelines
• Know about the rights and responsibilities for health and safety
• Meet first aid requirements
• Develop a health and safety program
• Manage risks in the workplace
• Ensure workers are trained and oriented
• Perform regular workplace inspections
• Establish and maintain a joint health and safety committee
• Investigate and report incidents

L. 4 GENERAL SAFETY RULES

Stay Slip-Free
According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), "slips and falls are
the leading cause of workers' compensation claims" and "represent the primary
cause of lost days from work." Some falls result from slipping on wet floor areas, a
problem that can be avoided by following a few basic tips. Key rules to reduce the
possibility of injury related to slipping and falling in wet areas include:
• Keep floors dry - Immediately take steps to dry water or other liquids that may
gather on floor areas due to weather, spills, leaks, or other causes.
• Properly mark wet floors - In situations where it's not possible to dry wet floors
immediately, clearly mark with appropriate signage.
• Avoid wet floors - Do not walk on flooring areas that are not dry.

Keep Walkways Clear

Fall injuries are not always caused by slipping on a wet surface. Trip
hazards resulting from clutter in walkways or poor positioning of furniture and
equipment in inappropriate areas are responsible for many workplace falls and
other injuries, such as broken toes, sprained ankles, etc.
• Eliminate clutter - Keep walkways and stairs tidy and clear. Make sure they stay
free from clutter and other trip hazards, such as power cords, file boxes, etc.
• Keep drawers closed - Keep desk and filing cabinets drawers closed at all times
they are not being used.
• Careful furniture & equipment positioning - Situate furniture, office equipment and
other workplace items to avoid interrupting the natural flow of traffic in the
workplace.
• Pick things up - If you see items in the floor that pose a risk, pick them up and
move them - even if you are not the person who placed them there.
Don't Stand or Climb on Furniture
As Safety + Health magazine points out, "Standing on chairs - particularly rolling
office chairs - is a significant fall hazard." It's not uncommon for workers to fall and
hurt themselves as result of standing or climbing on chairs, desks, file cabinets
and other common office furniture. Protect yourself against these easily avoidable
accidents by:
• Use furniture for intended purposes only - Chairs, desks and other workplace
furnishings aren't meant to function as ladders. Using them in this way can be a
quick path to a serious injury.
• Use proper equipment - When you need to reach something overhead, properly
use a step ladder or stool designed for climbing to access the item(s).

Keep Your Hands Clean

No matter what type of environment you work in, keeping your hands clean
is critical to workplace health and safety. As the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) points out, proper hand hygiene is critical "to avoid getting sick and
spreading germs to others."
The CDC indicates that key times to wash your hands in the workplace include:
• Food - Before eating; before, during, and after food preparation
• Injury - Before and after treating your own or someone else's injury (such as a
cut or wound)
• Illness - After coughing, blowing your nose, or sneezing; before or after assisting
someone who is ill
• Personal hygiene - After using the toilet
• Contact with waste - After touching or taking out the garbage
Of course, there are other workplace-specific circumstances that apply. For
example, those who work in a daycare center should wash their hands after
changing a diaper. Those who work around animals should wash their hands after
coming into contact with an animal or animal waste.
Use Proper Posture
According to Spine-health.com, "Back pain is one of the most common
work-related injuries." Arbill points out proper posture can be critical to preventing
work-related back pain and injuries. Whether you spend most of your work time
sitting, standing, walking, bending, or in any other position, proper posture is
essential.
• Proper positioning - Follow best practice recommendations for good posture in
various positions, such as those recommended by Mayo Clinic and Cleveland
Clinic.
• Posture exercises - Set aside a few minutes to do posture exercises a few times
each week to improve your body positioning and protect your spine against injury.

Wear Required Safety Gear

While requirements for personal protective equipment and apparel may
vary based on workplace type or occupation, it is important for employees to wear
all such devices as directed. From wearing steel-toed boots and eye protection in
outdoor or manufacturing workplaces to donning medical protective clothing in
healthcare organizations.
 M. 3 KEY ELEMENTS OF H&S POLICY

1) Health And Safety Policy Statement Of Intent

This first part of a company’s obligation is the health and safety of the
people.The employer’s Health & Safety Policy Statement sets out how your
organisation intends to manage health and safety issues and meet health and
safety requirements. In order to maintain the health and safety of the employees it
needs to identify the principal hazards to employees and others affected by your
work, and control the associated risks adequately and Consult employees on
health and safety issues, possibly using a safety committee, and provide them with
the necessary information, training and supervision to carry out their role without
putting themselves or others at risk.Health and safety performance targets are an
important part of the Health & Safety Policy Statement as they indicate
management’s commitment to continually improving health and safety
performance, as well as motivate staff to achieve set goals.

2) Organization Of Health And Safety

In defining each person’s health and safety duties, the organisational
structure must not contain overlaps or have the chains of command blurred. Each
individual must be clear about their responsibilities and the limits of those
responsibilities. Don’t get too job specific; you only want to outline the
responsibilities relating to managing health and safety.the health and safety work
organisation and policy in a company. The planning process for accident and ill
health preventionthe line management responsibilities and
the practices, procedures and resources for developing and implementing,
reviewing and maintaining the occupational safety and health policy and should
set out the names, positions and duties of those within your organisation who have
specific responsibility for health and safety.In small organisations, with very few
management or control levels, a simple list may be enough.

3) Arrangements For Health And Safety

The final part of the policy identifies the arrangements you have in place to
manage and control the risks to the health and safety of people carrying out your
activities or who might be affected by them.Here, you should give details of the
specific systems and procedures used to implement your Health & Safety Policy
Statement. This will include details of first aid and washroom facilities, as well as
your health and safety rules and procedures, including your procedure for
reporting health and safety issues.Arrangements for fire and other emergencies,
as well as your arrangements for ensuring staff are provided with information,
instruction, training and supervision, should also be included.
The arrangements part is likely to be the largest section of your Health &
Safety Policy, and opinion varies as to the level of detail this final part should
contain. Importantly, your policy is not supposed to be a long-winded or
complicated document; it should simply reflect what you do and how you manage
risk in line with all relevant health and safety requirements. Remember, you want
everyone to quickly understand what you are trying to achieve.

N. WHO HAS RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING SAFETY AT WORK

 Every single person in an organization has health and safety
responsibilities.
1) Employer Responsibilities
The employer can be a corporation or an individual owner. Employers have
a lot of responsibility when it comes to workplace safety.Duties of an employer are
covered in section 25 and 26 of the OHSA.These include the duty to:
•Comply with all regulations made under OHSA
•Develop and implement an occupational health and safety program and policy
•Provide information, instruction, and supervision to a worker to protect the health
and safety of that worker.

2) Supervisor Responsibilities
A supervisor is a person appointed, by an employer, who has charge of a
workplace or authority over a worker. A supervisor can be called a manager, team
lead, director and so on.Authority refers to a specific power the supervisor has to
ensure a worker’s compliance with directions.Supervisors have the same overall
responsibility to ensure the safety of workers. According to section 27 of the
OHSA, supervisors must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances
for the protection of the worker. Other duties include:
•Ensuring workers work in compliance with health and safety policies and
procedures, and the OHSA
•Ensuring that personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn when necessary
•Advising workers of any potential or actual dangers known to them.

3) Worker Responsibilities
Safety isn’t just the job of management. Safety is a personal responsibility.
The OHSA outlines the responsibilities of workers as well. While the main one is to
work safely, workers are also responsible for:
•Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment
•Operating equipment in a safe manner
•Working in compliance with OHSA and its regulations

O. 5 BASIC WORKPLACE HAZARDS

Hazards can have negative effects at the workplace for worker and
company productivity. In addition to just productivity, companies who have serious
issues with hazards can risk bad PR or loss of morale.
Every workplace has hazards. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility to
look after your employees’ safety and protect them against health and safety
hazards at work.

In order to manage workplace health and safety and help prevent accidents
and sickness absence, it’s important to identify, monitor and reduce the risk
associated with workplace hazards.
The workplace is one of the spaces that people spend most of their time in.
With that said, it should also be a place where employees are happy, productive,
and most of all, safe.
One of the biggest factors that affect employee happiness and productivity
is the safety of the work environment. Of course, there are certain industries that
naturally come with more risks, but it’s the job of employers and managers to
reduce work-related risks as much as possible.

In this guide, we’ll be tackling some of the common workplace hazards and
effective solutions you can apply to minimise or eliminate them:

1. Chemicals
Chemicals at the workplace can range from cleaning products to chemical
production. When chemicals are not used, stored or handled properly, they can
cause injury, illness, fire or even explosions at the extreme. Ways that chemicals
can harm workers can include contact with the skin, inhalation or ingestion; the
impact can take place immediately or overtime over prolonged exposure.

One way to prevent chemical hazards from negatively impacting your

workplace, ensure all workers and supervisors are property trained, including on
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), or MSDSs
(material safety data sheets).

Any workplace that deals with chemical preparation or handling exposes

employees to chemical hazards. Examples of sources are cleaning products,
paint, gases like carbon monoxide and helium, flammable materials like gasoline,
pesticides, and welding fumes.

What you can do:

•Invest in protective clothing, including gas masks if needed.
•Educate workers on the effects of hazardous chemicals.
•Have equipment regularly maintained.
•Put up signs or labels for dangerous substances or work areas.

2. Ergonomic
Ergonomic hazards are present in work environments from offices to
construction sites; this includes injuries or strains from repetitive strains, strains
from lifting/pushing/pulling, standing, shiftwork or slips and falls. Ways to manage
ergonomic hazards include making sure that workers have the right equipment
and tools to do their jobs comfortably, designing the workplace to be more
ergonomic, and empowering workers to perform exercises or stretches to prevent
musculoskeletal disorders.
When workers are required to repeat the same movements or perform
heavy-duty tasks without the proper assistive devices, it can typically lead to
musculoskeletal injuries. This type of injuries commonly affect the back, forearms,
shoulders, hands, neck, and wrists.

What you can do:

•Prevention through awareness and training.
•Have ergonomically designed assistive devices.
•Eliminate or reduce repetitive tasks.
•Rotate shifts so employees can take a break from doing repetitive tasks.

3. Physical
 Physical hazards are substances or activities that threaten your physical
safety such as conditions that can cause injury, illness and death. The most
common physical hazards are temperature, air quality, mould, noise or radiation.
These hazards are particularly relevant for workers who work in industrial
environments, such as in oil and gas, mining, construction and more.
In these environments, companies, supervisors and workers need to work
closely together to manage the risks. Companies must ensure the right equipment,
monitoring and training is provided, and workers have to proactively communicate
with each other.

What you can do:

•Invest in proper working clothes.
•Train and educate employees on the best cleanliness and sanitation practices.
•Have a procedure for isolating individuals, animals, and objects that are found to
be contaminated or sick.
•Implement an effective disease prevention plan.
Encourage a healthy lifestyle and diet for employees.

4. Psychosocial
Unsafe working conditions are considered a safety hazard and can be
anything that causes injury, illness, and death. Typical safety hazards include
objects or environments that cause injuries, spills, trips, and falls such as working
from heights, unorganised cords, and moving parts that a worker might
accidentally sustain injuries from.

What you can do:

•Conducting a thorough risk assessment is the first step to finding solutions.
•Keep all items and equipment accounted for and stored properly when not in use.
•Always have guardrails, especially in elevated work areas.
Look for first aid training courses for designated employees.

5. Workplace
Workplace hazards include confined spaces or ventilation, temperature, or
heights and particularly apply to work environments in oil and gas, mining,
construction or other industrial environments. Environments with persistent safety
hazards should require detailed safety planning and may even require emergency
response teams to be on standby. Workers in workplaces with an abundant
amount of hazards should get regular safety training, have strict safety procedures
and regular training drills.
No workplace is completely hazard-free, and industrial environments are
particularly risky. However, it’s in the best interest of the employer, supervisors
and workers to keep everyone safe and healthy.
An environment that causes stress can easily be called a work organisation
hazard. This can include unfair workload demands, lack of respect in the
workplace, poor employee relationships, sexual harassment, violence, no work
flexibility, and employees feeling like they have no control or say about work-
related matters.

What you can do:

•Encourage open communication between managers and workers.
•Have a discreet method for employees to report problems in the workplace.
•Practice workplace equality.
•Hold meetings that highlight the importance of respect and accountability.
•Make sure that workers know the consequences of physical abuse and sexual
harassment.
•Invest in team-building retreats or activities that improve office relationships.
•Let employees know and feel that their opinions matter.
•Have a fair employee promotion policy.

P. 5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT

What is a risk assessment?

The HSE’s definition of a risk assessment is:
“….a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to
people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or
should do more to prevent harm….”

A risk assessment is a vital element for health and safety management and
its main objective is to determine the measures required to comply with statutory
duty under the Health and Safety at Work *Act 1974 and associated regulations by
reducing the level of incidents/accidents.
Why do a risk assessment?
A risk assessment will protect your workers and your business, as well as
complying with law. As for when to do a risk assessment it should simply be
conducted before you or any other employees conduct some work which presents
a risk of injury or ill-health
A person from your organisation needs to attend risk assessment training
as it will ensure that this person is competent within your organisation and will gain
abilities such as hazard identification, ability to categorise and evaluate risk(s).
These abilities will allow a ‘suitable and sufficient’ risk assessment to be
conducted within your own organisation.
How to do a risk assessment
There are no fixed rules on how a risk assessment should be carried out,
but there are a few general principles that should be followed.

Five steps to risk assessment can be followed to ensure that your risk assessment
is carried out correctly, these five steps are:

Step 1: Identify the hazards

In order to identify hazards you need to understand the difference between
a ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’. A hazard is ‘something with the potential to cause harm’ and
a risk is ‘the likelihood of that potential harm being realised’.
Hazards can be identified by using a number of different techniques such
as walking round the workplace, or asking your employees.
Employers have a duty to assess the health and safety risks faced by their
workers. Your employer must systematically check for possible physical, mental,
chemical and biological hazards.
This is one common classification of hazards:
•Physical: e.g. lifting, awkward postures, slips and trips, noise, dust, machinery,
computer equipment, etc.
•Mental: e.g. excess workload, long hours, working with high-need clients, bullying,
etc. These are also called 'psychosocial' hazards, affecting mental health and
occurring within working relationships.
•Chemical: e.g. asbestos, cleaning fluids, aerosols, etc.
•Biological: including tuberculosis, hepatitis and other infectious diseases faced by
healthcare workers, home care staff and other healthcare professionals.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

Once you have identified a number of hazards you need to understand who
might be harmed and how, such as ‘people working in the warehouse’, or
members of the public.
Identifying who is at risk starts with your organisation's own full- and part-
time employees. Employers must also assess risks faced by agency and contract
staff, visitors, clients and other members of the public on their premises.
Employers must review work routines in all the different locations and
situations where their staff are employed. For example:
Home care supervisors must take due account of their client's personal safety in
the home, and ensure safe working and lifting arrangements for their own home
care staff.
In a supermarket, hazards are found in the repetitive tasks at the checkout, in
lifting loads, and in slips and trips from spillages and obstacles in the shop and
storerooms. Staff face the risk of violence from customers and intruders, especially
in the evenings.
In call centres, workstation equipment (i.e. desk, screen, keyboard and
chair) must be adjusted to suit each employee.
Employers have special duties towards the health and safety of young workers,
disabled employees, nightworkers, shiftworkers, and pregnant or breastfeeding
women.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on control measures

After ‘identifying the hazards’ and ‘deciding who might be harmed and how’
you are then required to protect the people from harm. The hazards can either be
removed completely or the risks controlled so that the injury is unlikely.
This means employers must consider how likely it is that each hazard could
cause harm. This will determine whether or not your employer should reduce the
level of risk. Even after all precautions have been taken, some risk usually
remains. Employers must decide for each remaining hazard whether the risk
remains high, medium or low.

Step 4: Record your findings

Your findings should be written down it’s a legal requirement where there
are 5 or more employees; and by recording the findings it shows that you have
identified the hazards, decided who could be harmed and how, and also shows
how you plan to eliminate the risks and hazards.
Employers with five or more staff are required to record in writing the main findings
of the risk assessment. This record should include details of any hazards noted in
the risk assessment, and action taken to reduce or eliminate risk.
This record provides proof that the assessment was carried out, and is used
as the basis for a later review of working practices. The risk assessment is a
working document. You should be able to read it. It should not be locked away in a
cupboard.

Step 5: Review your assessment and update as and when necessary

You should never forget that few workplaces stay the same and as a result
this risk assessment should be reviewed and updated when required.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises employers to follow five
steps when carrying out a workplace risk assessment:
A risk assessment must be kept under review in order to:
ensure that agreed safe working practices continue to be applied (e.g. that
management's safety instructions are respected by supervisors and line
managers); and
take account of any new working practices, new machinery or more demanding
work targets.