HRM 211   
 
 
 
 
 
Name: Ramsil Cabildo
                    
 
 
 
WEEK 1 – MODULE 1 
1ST MAJOR ASSESSMENT 
 
1. 
A. Literal sense  B. Operational/Functional  C. National 
HR comes originally formerly called personnel; : the skills,
from the word most valuable asset of a knowledge, and
personnel, used in company; Human experience
government, old resources - the division of a company that possessed by an
is focused on Activities relating to
employees individual or
population, viewed in terms
of their value or cost to an
organization or country.
 
 
 
2. What impact do these meanings of HR create in your basic
knowledge, skills, and attitude in HR? 

The policies, practices, and systems that influence employees’ behavior,

attitudes, and performance.

There are several important HRM practices: analyzing work and

designing jobs, attracting potential employees (recruiting), choosing
employees (selection), teaching employees how to perform their jobs
and preparing them for the future (training and development),
evaluating their performance (performance management), rewarding
employees (compensation), creating a positive work environment
(employee relations) and supporting the organization’s strategy (HR
planning and change management).

HRM practices can be valuable. Decisions such as whom to hire, what

to pay, what training to offer, and how to evaluate employee
performance directly affect employees’ motivation and ability to
provide goods and services that customers value. By influencing who
works and how those people work, HRM contributes to basic measures
of success such as quality, profitability and customer satisfaction.

So HRM helps determine the effectiveness and competitiveness of

businesses.
3. How beneficial will these be for you who aims to prepare for
your employability in the future? 

For many people today, a career for life is no longer an option. Most
people will hold jobs with a variety of employers and move across
different employment sectors through their working life.

We therefore all need to be flexible in our working patterns and be

prepared to change jobs and/or sectors if we believe there are better
opportunities elsewhere.
Employers are often looking for skills that go beyond qualifications and
experience.

Your education and experience may make you eligible to apply for a job
but, to be successful in most roles, you will need skills that you are
likely to develop over time. Some will be specific to the job, but the vast
majority will be so-called ‘soft skills’ that can be used in any job or
employment sectors. These soft skills are ‘employability skills’: they are
what makes you employable.

As a general rule, employers are willing to teach someone the job-

specific skills required, such as how to operate particular pieces of
machinery, or use particular computer packages that are very specific
to that role or company. However, they usually want to see that you
already have the other ‘soft skills’ before hiring, because they are much
harder to teach.
4. Given the HR skills inventory above, what are the most important
skills an HR professional should have? 

Organizational skills
Why it’s important to be highly organized
HR professionals are liaisons between employees, department heads
and CEOs. They manage tasks that need to be completed by different
people and departments. Here are some organizational skills HR
professionals cultivate:

Time management. Drawing up employment contracts and managing

payroll and insurance plans are time-sensitive tasks. HR teams are
responsible for meeting deadlines and complying with relevant
regulations.
Records management. HR teams manage information and documents,
like employment agreements in physical and digital formats. In large
teams, HR professionals are usually responsible for storing and
retrieving employee data from effective filing systems (e.g. HRIS.)
Calendar management. In-between meetings with colleagues and
executives, HR professionals have to squeeze in other important tasks,
like setting up employee training and development and organizing
company events. Good calendar management skills help busy HR teams
stay productive.

Communication skills
Why it’s important to be a good communicator
HR teams interact with people on a daily basis in-person, over the phone and by
email. HR professionals with good communication skills smooth over issues
before they escalate and convey company standards clearly. Here are some areas
where important HR skills matter most:

Clear writing. HR professionals with good writing skills avoid miscommunication

as they minimize back-and-forth emails and write clear company policies.
Critical listening. Being a good listener helps HR employees have honest
discussions with staff and managers, gauge other people’s points of view and
better focus on finding solutions.
Conflict management. Teams that are able to approach potentially uncomfortable
situations like exit interviews, grievances and salary negotiations with grace help
maintain balanced work environments.
Confidentiality skills
Why it’s important to be confidential
HR teams manage confidential information, like compensation. They also discuss
personal, sensitive matters with employees. To make sure they respect privacy,
HR professionals need to develop the following:

Discretion. Disclosing an employee’s personal data (e.g. medical history) can put
that employee in an uncomfortable position and raise your business’s legal risks.
Good HR staff handles sensitive information with care.
Ethics. HR team members have access to corporate information, including
contract terms, budgets, salaries and offer letters. It’s important that they refrain
from gossiping about this information and maintain their professionalism at all
times.
Trustworthiness. HR professionals need to inspire trust. Employees who may
disagree with a company policy or have an issue with their manager will talk to
HR. But, they need to feel secure enough that raising a concern won’t affect their
employment status.

Adaptability skills
Why it’s important to be flexible
Unpredictable circumstances (e.g. an employee who quits) can shake up an HR
professional’s daily agenda. To adjust to or even predict changes, HR team
members need to develop these skills:

Change management. The HR team should be able to understand when it’s time
to modify old policies, create new ones and how to help employees embrace
change (e.g. helping employees transition into new roles.)
Big-picture thinking. HR professionals are business partners who participate in
decision-making and strategic planning. They need to be able to forecast the need
for changes. For example, as your business grows it might make sense for HR to
invest in current staff by designing and applying career path programs.
Self-assessment and improvement. The key to fostering a healthy work
environment is never getting too comfortable. HR employees who have a mindset
of improvement can help keep your workplace modernized (e.g. by adding
creative perks and benefits) and retain employees.
5. How do you master them? 
 
 How you can improve your organizational skills
Use calendar management tools to schedule upcoming meetings and send
notifications so that you don’t miss anything.
Measure how much time each task requires (e.g. by using tools like RescueTime)
and book timeslots to focus on specific responsibilities.
Organize your daily agenda and prioritize your duties with to-do list applications,
like Todoist and Evernote.
Invest in Human Resources Management software and Applicant Tracking
Systems to keep important data and files in one place.

How you can improve your communication skills

Read books and take training courses on soft skills, like:
Negotiation and persuasion
Critical-listening
Empathy
Conflict management
Improve your presentation and public speaking abilities by:
Attending a toastmasters meetup
Asking for advice from colleague with strong speaking skills
Practicing in front of a small group of team members
Collect feedback and tips from different teams. For example:
An editor could proofread and suggest improvements to HR emails
Salespeople could advise you on how to improve your persuasion skills
Pay attention to body language to interpret nonverbal cues. For example:
Take online courses and watch role-playing videos that explain common gestures
and movements (e.g. a Lynda course on body language and the Paul Ekman Group
YouTube channel)
Practice with body language quizzes to start recognizing facial expressions

How you can demonstrate your confidentiality skills

Create fair company policies that meet employees’ needs (e.g. a grievance policy
should explain how employees can express their complaints, clarifying how HR
will respect their privacy.)
Compile an employee handbook so company guidelines and procedures are
transparent to all employees.
Act as a consultant to employees when they have concerns, be approachable and
encourage regular communication (e.g. meet 1:1 with all employees and
managers.)
Follow advice from legal and IT experts on how to manage and store sensitive
personal data.

How you can improve your adaptability skills

Keep track of metrics to understand what works and what needs improvement,
both in your HR practices and your company as a whole.
Network with industry leaders, either in-person during HR conferences or online
(e.g. in HR-related Slack channels.) They can give you new ideas on common HR
issues and keep you current on industry trends.
Keep up with changes in labor legislation, by joining relevant forums and online
discussions among HR professionals.
Listen to employees’ points of view. Be proactive and ask for their opinions (e.g.
what perks they’d like to have.) Even casual discussions may bring forward ideas
for change. For example, frequent complaints about a certain policy may indicate
you need to revisit it.
 
 
 
 
WEEK 2 – MODULE 2 
2ND MAJOR ASSESSMENT 
 
1. With your wide KSA on purpose, scope, major functions,
services, programs, activities, in the umbrella of HR, how do you
see the employee life cycle is covered?  
The best employee experience for your staff aligns with sound
employee lifecycle management. SoGoEX is your go-to software and
consulting company close to the employee life cycle action.
Members of this team understand the use of feedback surveys at
every juncture. Most importantly, they appreciate that an employee
lifecycle implies an end-to-end process, keeping every touchpoint
under surveillance and preparing for it. If implemented correctly, it
creates predictability for the company and employees alike. The net
result is a more engaged employee with an extended employee
lifecycle and less employee churn.
2. Compare the human life stages and the employee life cycle. 
HUMAN LIFE STAGES
Ultrasound of a fetus The Human Life Cycle Introduction Like all living things, humans (that’s us)
have a life cycle. Every human being goes through the same stages of life in the same order. Most
people who live in wealthy countries live to between 60 and 90 years of age, although some people
live to be over 100 years of age! Read on to find out about the stages in the human life cycle:
FETUS
All people start off life as a fetus in their mother’s belly. A fetus grows in the womb surrounded by
liquid and gets its nutrition through a tube called the umbilical cord. When a woman has a fetus
growing inside her, we say that she is pregnant. Doctors can take a photo of a fetus using an
ultrasound scanner.
BABY
After around nine months (sometimes a bit longer; sometimes a bit less) the mother gives birth.
From birth to around two years of age, we say a child is a baby (we count people’s ages from the day
that they are born). Babies cannot do much for themselves and need to be fed (with milk at first,
then later with food) and have their nappies changed.
CHILD
From three years old to ten years old, you are a ‘child’. Children are more independent than babies,
and they continue to become more independent as they get older; for example, they can eat food
that is given to them and dress themselves. Between three and five years old, children start to go to
nursery and to school.
ADOLESCENT
The World Health Organization defines an adolescent as being a young person aged between 10 and
19. Puberty results in changes in the body during this stage of the life cycle. There is even more
brain development during this time. Adolescents are more independent than children; for instance,
they can get jobs to earn money for themselves and Baby Adolescents Boy Girl can learn to drive at
seventeen. However, adolescents still live with their parents and rely on them to pay the bills!
ADULTHOOD
Although eighteen and nineteen end in ‘teen’, people of this age are actually now adults. The human
body is at its peak of fitness and strength between 18/19 and 39. There is still some growth but not
of height. Adults usually live independently in their own houses. Most adults get full-time jobs to
pay for their own food, bills and other things that they buy. Adults can also have babies of their own.
ELDERLY
By the age of around 67, most people have worked hard throughout their lives and saved up
enough money so that they can retire (stop working). Elderly people are not as strong as when they
were younger and get tired more easily. However, they can still have fun and stay active, like the
couple in the photo. If their children have had children, they will be grandparents. Summary In
summary, the human life cycle has six main stages: fetus, baby, child, adolescent, adult and elderly.
Although we describe the human life cycle in stages, people continually and gradually change from
day to day throughout all of these stages.
 EMPLOYEE LIFE CYCLE
 
1. Attraction 
The first stage of the employee life cycle is the employee attraction stage.
Regardless of how innovative and strong your product or service is, without the
attraction and retention of great talent, your company will fail. This makes the
attraction stage one of the most crucial aspects to any organization’s growth
strategy.  
The attraction stage is the only stage that occurs before you have an open
position in the company. Also referred to as the employer brand, it is the
projection of the image of your organization as a great place to work, both in the
minds of current employees as well as key stakeholders in the external market.
This means that active and passive talent candidates, clients, customers, and
potential stakeholders have a positive perspective of how it is to work within your
company.  
2. Recruitment 
The second stage of the employee life cycle is the employee recruitment stage,
the period where you seek out and recruit the best talent to join your
organization. Recruitment can occur as a result of an existing role becoming
vacant, or a new position being created altogether. The best types of recruitment
plans offer an optimal candidate experience, support collaborative hiring
centered around clear criteria and processes, and provide meaningful data that
can be used to improve hiring results over time.  
3. Onboarding 
The next stage of the employee life cycle model is the employee
onboarding stage. Occurring after you have recruited the top talent, the
onboarding period is critical to getting your new hires well-adjusted to
the organizational environment and performance aspects of their new job as
quickly and smoothly as possible. During the onboarding stage, new
employees cover more in-depth aspects of their position, identify the attitudes,
knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are required to function effectively within
the organization.  
Making new hires feel welcomed in the team and well-acclimatized to the nature
of both their role and the organization is critical to drawing out long-
term contributions and engagement.  Here are some key strategies you can
employ to ensure that the onboarding stage of your company’s employee life
cycle run smoothly for all concerned: 
4. Development 
The following stage of the employee life cycle model is the employee
development stage. It is during this period that you begin to consistently
encourage professional development amongst your team, which acts as a catalyst
in their skill development, and also helps provide them with a future career path
within the company. 
5. Retention 
The fifth stage of the lifecycle model is the employee retention stage. It is here
that you focus your energies on keeping your top employees, and ensuring they
are happy and sufficiently challenged in their respective roles within the team.
The influence of company culture goes a long way in this stage. If the culture in
your organization is poor, it inevitably leads to a high employee turnover rate,
meaning you will have to face replacement costs regularly. Improving the
retention stage is a great way to counteract this risk and promote longevity and
satisfaction amongst your team’s career paths.  
6. Separation 
The final stage of the employee life cycle is the employee separation stage. For
most employees, there comes a point where their employment lifecycle will reach
its conclusion, whether from retirement, new employment, or for personal
reasons. Treating the separation process with equal importance as the
onboarding process and being equally as strategic in how you approach this stage,
is critical. When a team member leaves, it has an effect on other members. 

3. Explain the Skills required for HR jobs and the five main tasks of
an HR Manager. 
 
 Organization
Being organized is imperative to succeed in an HR role. On the one hand, the HR
team has to ensure the effective filing and management of documents such as
employment agreements and personal data.

Whilst on the other, they also have to be fantastic at organizing their own
calendars. In-between meetings with colleagues and executives, HR professionals
have to squeeze in other important tasks, like setting up employee training and
development and organizing company events. Good organizational skills help
busy HR teams stay productive.

Time management

Time management plays heavily into the organisational skills required of HR

professionals. Many HR tasks are time-sensitive meaning that time management
is incredibly important when it comes to meeting deadlines.

Communication

HR is a people-focused function. Concerned with the management of an

organisation’s workforce, HR professionals have to be expert communicators. As
HR professionals are drawn upon to resolve conflict and uphold company
standards, they need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with their
colleagues.

Confidentiality

Part of the role of an HR professional is to offer confidential, unbiased advice to

an organisation’s workforce as well as handle sensitive information professionally.
Therefore, being able to maintain confidentiality is very important, especially
when instilling your trustworthiness.

Adaptability

Another important skill for HR professionals is to be adaptable. Unpredictable

circumstances (e.g. an employee who quits) can shake up an HR professional’s
daily agenda. To adjust to or even predict changes, HR team members need to be
adaptable in their approach.

Teamwork

Like with most jobs, having great teamwork skills is important for HR
professionals. Being able to work cohesively with your colleagues and support
one another with the day to day running of the department is integral for it’s
smooth-running. Plus, working well as a team helps with morale and satisfaction
in the workplace.

Problem Solving
HR professionals are likely to encounter many difficult situations during their
career, therefore, it’s handy to be a good problem solver to deal with these as
they arise. Plus, having good problem-solving skills will help get you noticed as
well meaning more opportunities for progression.

Leadership

As with most careers, being able to demonstrate leadership skills will be beneficial
to you as you progress. Having leadership skills shows your ability to take control
and responsibility for your work and others, which could lead to you gaining more
opportunities for promotions or pay rises.

Core Functions of HR

Human resources (HR) professionals conduct a wide variety of tasks within an

organizational structure. A brief review of the core functions of human resource
departments will be useful in framing the more common activities a human
resource professional will conduct. The core functions can be summarized as:

Staffing

This includes the activities of hiring new full-time or part-time employees, hiring
contractors, and terminating employee contracts

Staffing activities include:

 Identifying and fulfilling talent needs (through recruitment, primarily)

 Utilizing various recruitment technologies to acquire a high volume of
applicants (and to filter based on experience)
 Terminating contracts when necessary
 Maintaining ethical hiring practices and aligning with the regulatory
environment
 Writing employee contracts and negotiating salary and benefits
Development

On-boarding new employees and providing resources for continued development

is a key investment for organizations, and HR is charged with maintaining a
developmental approach to existing human resources.

Development activities include:

 Training and preparing new employees for their role

 Providing training opportunities (internal training, educational programs,
conferences, etc.) to keep employees up to date in their respective fields
 Preparing management prospects and providing feedback to employees and
managers
Compensation

Salary and benefits are also within the scope of human resource management.
This includes identifying appropriate compensation based on role, performance,
and legal requirements.

Compensation activities include:

 Setting compensation levels to match the market, using benchmarks such as

industry standards for a given job function
 Negotiating group health insurance rates, retirement plans, and other
benefits with third party providers
 Discussing raises and other compensation increases and/or decreases with
employees in the organization
 Ensuring compliance with legal and cultural expectations when it comes to
employee compensation
Safety and Health

Achieving best practices in various industries include careful considering of safety

and health concerns for employees.

Safety and health activities include:

  Ensuring compliance with legal requirements based on job function for
safety measures (i.e. hard hats in construction, available counseling for law
enforcement, appropriate safety equipment for chemists, etc.)
 Implementing new safety measures when laws change in a given industry
 Discussing safety and compliance with relevant government departments
 Discussing safety and compliance with unions
Employee and Labor Relations

Defending employee rights, coordinating with unions, and mediating

disagreements between the organization and its human resources is also a core
HR function.

Employee and labor relations activities include:

 Mediating disagreements between employees and employers

 Mediating disagreements between employees and other employees
 Considering claims of harassment and other workplace abuses
 Discussing employee rights with unions, management, and stakeholders
 Acting as the voice of the organization and/or the voice of the employees
during any broader organizational issues pertaining to employee welfare

4. Explain the diagram below. 

Recruitment is a process of finding and attracting the potential
resources for filling up the vacant positions in an organization. It
sources the candidates with the abilities and attitude, which are
required for achieving the objectives of an organization.

Recruitment process is a process of identifying the jobs vacancy,

analyzing the job requirements, reviewing applications, screening,
shortlisting and selecting the right candidate.

To increase the efficiency of hiring, it is recommended that the HR

team of an organization follows the five best practices (as shown in
the following image). These five practices ensure successful
recruitment without any interruptions. In addition, these practices
also ensure consistency and compliance in the recruitment process.

Recruitment Process
Recruitment process is the first step in creating a powerful resource
base. The process undergoes a systematic procedure starting from
sourcing the resources to arranging and conducting interviews and
finally selecting the right candidates.

Recruitment Planning
Recruitment planning is the first step of the recruitment process,
where the vacant positions are analyzed and described. It includes
job specifications and its nature, experience, qualifications and skills
required for the job, etc.

A structured recruitment plan is mandatory to attract potential

candidates from a pool of candidates. The potential candidates
should be qualified, experienced with a capability to take the
responsibilities required to achieve the objectives of the
organization.

Plan
Identifying Vacancy
The first and foremost process of recruitment plan is identifying the
vacancy. This process begins with receiving the requisition for
recruitments from different department of the organization to the
HR Department, which contains –

Number of posts to be filled

Number of positions
Duties and responsibilities to be performed
Qualification and experience required
When a vacancy is identified, it the responsibility of the sourcing
manager to ascertain whether the position is required or not,
permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time, etc. These
parameters should be evaluated before commencing recruitment.
Proper identifying, planning and evaluating leads to hiring of the
right resource for the team and the organization.

Job Analysis
Job analysis is a process of identifying, analyzing, and determining
the duties, responsibilities, skills, abilities, and work environment of
a specific job. These factors help in identifying what a job demands
and what an employee must possess in performing a job
productively.

Job analysis helps in understanding what tasks are important and

how to perform them. Its purpose is to establish and document the
job relatedness of employment procedures such as selection,
training, compensation, and performance appraisal.

The following steps are important in analyzing a job –

Recording and collecting job information

Accuracy in checking the job information
Generating job description based on the information
Determining the skills, knowledge and skills, which are required for
the job
The immediate products of job analysis are job descriptions and job
specifications.

Job Description
Job description is an important document, which is descriptive in
nature and contains the final statement of the job analysis. This
description is very important for a successful recruitment process.
Job description provides information about the scope of job roles,
responsibilities and the positioning of the job in the organization.
And this data gives the employer and the organization a clear idea of
what an employee must do to meet the requirement of his job
responsibilities.

Job description is generated for fulfilling the following processes –

Classification and ranking of jobs

Placing and orientation of new resources
Promotions and transfers
Describing the career path
Future development of work standards
A job description provides information on the following elements –

Job Title / Job Identification / Organization Position

Job Location
Summary of Job
Job Duties
Machines, Materials and Equipment
Process of Supervision
Working Conditions
Health Hazards
Job Specification
Job specification focuses on the specifications of the candidate,
whom the HR team is going to hire. The first step in job specification
is preparing the list of all jobs in the organization and its locations.
The second step is to generate the information of each job.

This information about each job in an organization is as follows –

Physical specifications
Mental specifications
Physical features
Emotional specifications
Behavioral specifications
A job specification document provides information on the following
elements –

Qualification
Experiences
Training and development
Skills requirements
Work responsibilities
Emotional characteristics
Planning of career
Job Evaluation
Job evaluation is a comparative process of analyzing, assessing, and
determining the relative value/worth of a job in relation to the other
jobs in an organization.

The main objective of job evaluation is to analyze and determine

which job commands how much pay. There are several methods
such as job grading, job classifications, job ranking, etc., which are
involved in job evaluation. Job evaluation forms the basis for salary
and wage negotiations.

Recruitment Strategy
Recruitment strategy is the second step of the recruitment process,
where a strategy is prepared for hiring the resources. After
completing the preparation of job descriptions and job
specifications, the next step is to decide which strategy to adopt for
recruiting the potential candidates for the organization.
While preparing a recruitment strategy, the HR team considers the
following points –

Make or buy employees

Types of recruitment
Geographical area
Recruitment sources
The development of a recruitment strategy is a long process, but
having a right strategy is mandatory to attract the right candidates.
The steps involved in developing a recruitment strategy include –

Setting up a board team

Analyzing HR strategy
Collection of available data
Analyzing the collected data
Setting the recruitment strategy
Searching the Right Candidates
Searching is the process of recruitment where the resources are
sourced depending upon the requirement of the job. After the
recruitment strategy is done, the searching of candidates will be
initialized.
Internal Sources
Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the
organization through –

Promotions
Transfers
Former Employees
Internal Advertisements (Job Posting)
Employee Referrals
Previous Applicants
External Sources
External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside
the organization through –

Direct Recruitment
Employment Exchanges
Employment Agencies
Advertisements
Professional Associations
Campus Recruitment
Word of Mouth
Screening / Shortlisting
Screening starts after completion of the process of sourcing the
candidates. Screening is the process of filtering the applications of
the candidates for further selection process.

Screening is an integral part of recruitment process that helps in

removing unqualified or irrelevant candidates, which were received
through sourcing. The screening process of recruitment consists of
three steps –

Reviewing of Resumes and Cover Letters

Reviewing is the first step of screening candidates. In this process,
the resumes of the candidates are reviewed and checked for the
candidates’ education, work experience, and overall background
matching the requirement of the job

While reviewing the resumes, an HR executive must keep the

following points in mind, to ensure better screening of the potential
candidates –

Reason for change of job

Longevity with each organization
Long gaps in employment
Job-hopping
Lack of career progression
Conducting Telephonic or Video Interview
Conducting telephonic or video interviews is the second step of
screening candidates. In this process, after the resumes are
screened, the candidates are contacted through phone or video by
the hiring manager. This screening process has two outcomes –

It helps in verifying the candidates, whether they are active and

available.

It also helps in giving a quick insight about the candidate’s attitude,

ability to answer interview questions, and communication skills.

Identifying the top candidates

Identifying the top candidates is the final step of screening the
resumes/candidates. In this process, the cream/top layer of resumes
are shortlisted, which makes it easy for the hiring manager to take a
decision. This process has the following three outcomes –

Shortlisting 5 to 10 resumes for review by the hiring managers

Providing insights and recommendations to the hiring manager
Helps the hiring managers to take a decision in hiring the right
candidate
Evaluation and Control
Evaluation and control is the last stage in the process of recruitment.
In this process, the effectiveness and the validity of the process and
methods are assessed. Recruitment is a costly process, hence it is
important that the performance of the recruitment process is
thoroughly evaluated. 
 
 
 WEEK 3 – MODULE 3 
3RD MAJOR ASSESSMENT 
 
1. Why is employee relations important to workforce productivity
and industrial peace in any business setting?  
    
    When employees have a strong, healthy relationship with their
employers, the entire company benefits. Studies show that employees who
have mutually respectful relationships with their employers are more likely
to be happy, loyal and productive in the long-run. Unfortunately, building a
relationship of this nature is easier said than done, and if you are
considering taking a second look at your relationship with your employees,
here are some reasons to continue do. Every individual at the workplace
shares a certain relationship with his fellow workers. Human beings are not
machines who can start working just at the push of a mere button. They
need people to talk to, discuss ideas with each other and share their
happiness and sorrows. An individual cannot work on his own, he needs
people around. If the organization is all empty, you will not feel like sitting
there and working. An isolated environment demotivates an individual and
spreads negativity around. It is essential that people are comfortable with
each other and work together as a single unit towards a common goal. 
 
It is important that employees share a healthy relation with each other at
the work place.  Employee relations are important in an organization. 
 
There are several issues on which an individual cannot take decisions alone.
He needs the guidance and advice of others as well. Sometimes we might
miss out on important points, but our fellow workers may come out with
a brilliant idea which would help us to achieve our targets at a much faster
rate. Before implementing any plan, the pros and cons must be evaluated
on an open forum where every employee has the right to express his
opinions freely. On your own, you will never come to know where you are
going wrong, you need people who can act as critic and correct you
wherever you are wrong. If you do not enjoy a good relation with others no
one will ever come to help you. 
Work becomes easy if it is shared among all. A healthy relation with your
fellow workers would ease the work load on you and in turn increases your
productivity. One cannot do everything on his own. Responsibilities must
be divided among team members to accomplish the assigned tasks within
the stipulated time frame. If you have a good rapport with your colleagues,
he will always be eager to assist you in your assignments making your work
easier. 
The organization becomes a happy place to work if the employees work
together as a family. An individual tends to lose focus and concentration if
his mind is always clouded with unnecessary tensions and stress. It has
been observed that if people talk and discuss things with each other,
tensions automatically evaporate and one feels better. Learn to trust
others, you will feel relaxed. One doesn’t feel like going to office if he is not
in talking terms with the person sitting next to him. An individual spends
around 8-9 hours in a day at his workplace and practically it is not possible
that one works non stop without a break. You should have people with
whom you can share your lunch, discuss movies or go out for a stroll once
in a while. If you fight with everyone, no one will speak to you and you will
be left all alone. It is important to respect others to expect the same from
them. 
An individual feels motivated in the company of others whom he can trust
and fall back on whenever needed. One feels secure and confident and thus
delivers his best. It is okay if you share your secrets with your colleagues
but you should know where to draw the line. A sense of trust is important. 
Healthy employee relations also discourage conflicts and fights among
individuals. People tend to adjust more and stop finding faults in each
other. Individuals don’t waste their time in meaningless conflicts and
disputes, rather concentrate on their work and strive hard to perform
better. They start treating each other as friends and try their level best to
compromise and make everyone happy. 
A healthy employee relation reduces the problem of absenteeism at the
work place. Individuals are more serious towards their work and feel like
coming to office daily. They do not take frequent leaves and start enjoying
their work. Employees stop complaining against each other and give their
best 
It is wise to share a warm relation with your fellow workers, because you
never know when you need them. You may need them any time. They
would come to your help only when you are nice to them. You might need
leaves for some personal reasons; you must have a trusted colleague who
 can handle the work on your behalf. Moreover healthy employee relations
also spread positivity around. 
It is essential that employees are comfortable with each other for better
focus and concentration, lesser conflicts and increased productivity. 
 
2. How do you promote employee relations?  
A great way to improve employee relations is to ask for input when it
comes to setting up policies, particularly ones which directly affect your
employees. This creates a feeling of autonomy and that is one of the
highest desires of people in the work place. In addition to that, people are
more likely to go along with policies they had a role in crafting. 
 
Besides that, as your employees are the people ‘on the ground’, they may
have insights that management may overlook. 
 
As an example, allowing teams to decide who works later shifts on certain
days may give a particular employee the freedom to attend a crucial after
work activity (a partner’s performance or play perhaps). A decision made in
this way will likely leave everyone satisfied. These days, employees highly
value policies that support a work/life balance. These include; flexible work
schedules, working from home and day care facilities at the workplace. As a
business owner, it is easy to forget that staff have lives, especially when you
yourself might spend your entire free time working. You will want them
to be as invested as you are and might even feel disappointed that they are
not working as hard. But working this way, is a recipe for disaster, not just
for your employees but also for you. Lead by example and end the habit of
going home late every night and praising those employees who leave late
too. Instead, make leave time mandatory and encourage employees to take
it without making them feel guilty about all the work they have left behind
or that they will find when they come back. Employees should feel that you
support them having a life away from the workplace. Employees will spend
roughly a third of their whole lives at work, this is why it is very important
that time is spent in an environment where they feel that they are valued
by their bosses and are seen as integral parts of the business.
Implementing the tactics above will improve employee relations and go a
long way in making this possible. 
 
3. Why is  labor  relations important to the integrity of the
business? 
 
Workplace integrity is vital to decision-making, serving customers, and
managing employees. It’s also crucial to reducing costly errors, avoiding
illegal activity, and keeping the organization’s core values top of
mind. Having integrity at work means you: Are reliable and dependable
(you show up to work on time). Integrity leads to the decision to do the
right thing by co-workers, customers, and stakeholders alike. It also
keeps our employees honest – after all, no one will give their business to
an organization that doesn’t keep their word. Integrity in the workplace
is one of the most important qualities that the recruiters seek in the
employees they hire. Integrity is the foundation of trust and confidence.
Integrity involves honesty and moral and ethical principles. Integrity is
one of the fundamental values which are crucial for all the employees. It
is important at all levels and as an individual as well. Being honest and
having integrity will help you in building a better relationship with your
coworkers.  It is very important that you follow ethical standards and
moral values in your workplace. People with integrity are considered
trustworthy. All successful businesses are built on relationships. And
qualities such as honesty, integrity, and trust are fundamentals which
help maintain the relationships. In the absence of integrity and
honesty, the relationship between coworkers may damage which may
lead to a decline in productivity.  Therefore, these qualities are very
important in the workplace for effective organizational
performance. Having integrity is also one of the most important traits of
professionalism. It is important as it promotes a successful work
environment. The negative and inappropriate behavior can lead to an
uncomfortable work environment which can actually slow down the
functioning of the organization. If you are a person with integrity, you’ll
easily develop a relationship with your coworkers and gain trust and
respect from all of them. Having ethical standards will also help you
achieve your professional goals. Having integrity also helps businesses to
develop and succeed in the business world. For example, we always buy
stuff from the brands that have higher integrity and whose employees
are known for their honesty and good moral values. We will avoid
dealing with any brand whose employees offer poor customer service
 and often cheats on their customers. Therefore, we can say that having
integrity is important at the organizational level too as it helps the
organizations and the business firms in performing better. Improve
integrity within yourself and become a better employee. 
 
4. Discuss at least two doable benefits of employee/labor relations
in terms of achieving success in the engagement of employees
towards workforce productivity.  

Labor relations can make or break an organization. Great labor

relations will make a business successful in the long run. A good
understanding between employees and employers is important to
reduce industrial disputes.

A positive relationship between employers and employees leads to

higher motivation and employee engagement. When employees are
happy, they are more productive. They will put more effort into their
work. This translates into satisfied customers and more revenue.

While developing and maintaining good labor relations can be

challenging in most workplaces, healthy relationships among workers
are beneficial not only to the individuals but to the entire organization.

Managers should set a good example when it comes to labor relations.

When managers have a good working relationship with their
employees, it will help establish a culture that encourages great labor
relations.

The purpose of great labor relations is to establish and strengthen the

employee and employer relationship. This can be achieved by
measuring employee satisfaction, identifying and resolving workplace
issues, and providing input and support to the performance
management system of the company.
The most successful organizations around the world are those that pay
attention to labor management. It is important to create an
environment where the employees can use their skills to the fullest. It is
only when employees feel that their contribution is valued and
respected that such an environment is created.

If the workers don’t get any recognition for their efforts, they are much
more likely to become disillusioned.

1. Growth and Development

A harmonious relationship between employees and employers

contributes to economic growth and development. This leads to an
increase in efficiency. Greater efficiency, in turn, leads to higher
productivity and growth.

It is important to keep the employees motivated if organizations want

to get the best from them. Workers lacking in motivation will reduce
productivity in a workplace.

When employees have a positive relationship with their managers, they

will work more efficiently. They will put their best efforts (not the
minimum effort) to ensure the success of the project.

Organizations that have harmonious relationships will be able to ensure

continuity of production. Proper use of resources ensures maximum
production. Employees will be motivated to work hard, and this will
help the organization grow.

Reduction in Turnover
Labor relations is the backbone of any business. Poor labor relations
will affect productivity and result in high employee turnover. It is only
when employees feel valued that they will use their skills and
experience to the fullest to contribute to the growth of the company.

Organizations that have good labor relations provide higher wages and
other attractive benefits. It is often in the best interest of the employee
to stay with such an organization. Even if the employee is not 100%
satisfied with their company, employees are less keen to suddenly
abandon a company for another when they are happy with their work
environment. A pleasant work environment improves employee morale
and motivation.

Most employees who work in companies are in the high retention risk
category. The critical skills that they possess help the company progress
and the cost of replacing a skilled employee can be extremely high.

Employees are less likely to leave an organization, however, if those

skills are recognized and rewarded.

It is the responsibility of the company to create an engaging work

environment. This will make the employees feel valued. The cost of
recruitment, hiring, and training will come down with lower employee
turnover.

5. Explain the 4 types of Collaborative Bargaining

Agreement. When looking at the types of collective bargaining, it is
important to distinguish it between a collective agreement. There
are also different types of collective agreements, but these refer to
the outcome of collective bargaining. 
 
 
 
For instance, there are single union deals, procedural agreements, substantive
agreements, and partnership agreements. All of which refer to the agreement
that has taken place as a result of the collective bargaining process. 
 
1. Distributive Bargaining 
Distributive bargaining is defined as a negotiation process by which one party
benefits at the others expense. This usually refers to the redistribution of
income in the form of higher wages, higher bonuses, or higher financial
benefits. Simply put; anything related to the transfer of money. In this type of
bargaining, the trade union needs to have enough market power to win the
negotiation. The employer will want to pay as little in wages. Yet in order to
convince them to pay more, the trade unions need enough members to
provide a significant incentive. In other words, a trade union that has 100
percent of the employer’s workforce has significant power. Should they call a
strike, it would cause severe disruption to the employer . Consequently, any
distributive bargaining will be skewed significantly in favour of the unions. 
 
2. Integrative Bargaining 
Integrative bargaining is whereby both sides aim to benefit in what is seen as
‘win-win’ bargaining. Both parties may bring together a list of demands by
which an agreement is reached that benefits both parties. To put it another
way, integrative bargaining involves both parties considering the others point
of view, needs, wants, fears, and concerns. As a result, both parties
either lose or gain by the same amount. For example, unions may advocate for
greater levels of staff training. Now this may cost the business more, but it will
benefit from greater levels of productivity in the long run. If workers are better
trained, they are equally going to be more productive. So the business and the
unions workers may gain as a result. We can also look at integrative bargaining
where both sides lose in order to gain. For example, the unions may be willing
to give up yearly bonuses in order to have a higher annual salary. Or,
alternatively, the union would accept a pay freeze in order to accept better
working conditions. So the workers would lose out from lower real wages,
whilst the employer would have to invest in better conditions. 
3. Productivity Bargaining 
Productivity bargaining involves both parties negotiating around productivity
and pay. So unions may suggest that higher salaries would boost productivity.
However, this is unknown to the business. So target-orientated bonuses may
 be suggested, or new ways of improving the process. Unions may suggest new
ways of organising the worker force than may increase productivity and
therefore create value to the firm. In turn, employers would look to
increase employees wages as a result. Simply put, productivity bargaining is
where the two parties look to agree to changes that would boost productivity
in return for higher wages or other benefits. 
 
4.  Bargaining 
Composite bargaining refers to a negotiation that focuses on a number of
elements that are not related to pay. They are generally related to employee
welfare and job security. For instance, it covers factors such as working
conditions, policies, recruitment, and disciplinary processes. The aim is to
ensure a mutually beneficial long-term relationship between the employer and
employee. It does this by highlighting issues that employees may have, which
may impact their long-term future at the company. Businesses want to retain
talent, particularly if they spend time and money training them up. Factors
such as workload and working conditions can impact on this long-term
relationship. So it is in the best interest of both parties to ensure that the
employees are happy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
WEEK 4 – MODULE 4 
4TH MAJOR ASSESSMENT 
 
1. Why should the area of health, safety and security be among the
responsibilities of HR? 
 
 The Safety and Security function deals with both enterprise and employee
safety and security. It includes the organization’s efforts to prevent and/or
mitigate loss, risks to or from personnel, threats to its physical assets,
damage to its technology and intellectual property, or risks of any other
kind arising from all elements surrounding the work environment. It also
includes matters that focus on careers, communications, legal and
regulatory issues, technology, metrics and outsourcing in the safety and
security field, as well as effective safety and security practices and global
safety and security issues. Safety and Security encompasses two
overlapping areas of practice. In the following discussion, safety and
security issues are sometimes treated separately and are sometimes
combined, as appropriate. It does not include matters involving workplace
wellness or health maintenance programs, or Workers’ Compensation,
which are encompassed in the benefits functional area. From an employee
perspective, it helps to keep them safe and productive in your workplace.
You also protect customers and visitors during their time on your premises. 
 
So, your policies are there to prevent workplace accidents. If you don’t pay
attention to your duty of care, it can have an impact on your staff morale. If
employees don’t feel safe at work, the chances are productivity
will drop. The importance of health & safety in the workplace is also to
ensure you don’t face legal action for any accidents. If an incident is down
to your business, this could result in a costly employment tribunal. And that
may also damage your reputation as an employer. This highlights why is it
important to adhere to policies and procedures in the workplace. There’s a
lot of legislation covering workplace injury and safety measures. And it can
be difficult keeping up with them all. To avoid a reputation as an employer
who skips responsibilities, using health & safety software can help you stay
compliant. It also takes a lot of the stress out of the process. 
 
 2. Under what structure in the organization do these areas, fall?  
 
Functional Structure
As a small organization grows, the person in charge of it often finds that a simple
structure is no longer adequate to meet the organization’s needs. Organizations
become more complex as they grow, and this can require more formal division of
labour and a strong emphasis on hierarchy and vertical links. In many cases, these
firms evolve from using a simple structure to relying on a functional structure.
Within a functional structure, employees are divided into departments that each
handle activities related to a functional area of the business, such as marketing,
production, human resources, information technology, and customer service
(Figure 9.9 “Functional Structure”). Each of these five areas would be headed up
by a manager who coordinates all activities related to her functional area.
Everyone in a company that works on marketing the company’s products, for
example, would report to the manager of the marketing department. The
marketing managers and the managers in charge of the other four areas in turn
would report to the chief executive officer.

Functional Structure. There are five branches under CEO: marketing, production,
human resources, information technology, customer service.
Figure 9.10: An example of a functional structure.
Using a functional structure creates advantages and disadvantages. An important
benefit of adopting a functional structure is that each person tends to learn a
great deal about his or her particular function. By being placed in a department
that consists entirely of marketing professionals, an individual has a great
opportunity to become an expert in marketing. Thus a functional structure tends
to create highly skilled specialists. Second, grouping everyone that serves a
particular function into one department tends to keep costs low and create
efficiencies. Also, because all the people in a particular department share the
same background training, they tend to get along with one another. In other
words, conflicts within departments are relatively rare.

Using a functional structure also has a significant downside: executing strategic

changes can be very slow when compared with other structures. Suppose, for
example, that a textbook publisher decides to introduce a new form of textbook
that includes “scratch and sniff” photos that let students smell various products in
addition to reading about them. If the publisher relies on a simple structure, the
leader of the firm can simply assign someone to shepherd this unique new
product through all aspects of the publication process.

If the publisher is organized using a functional structure, however, every

department in the organization will have to be intimately involved in the creation
of the new textbooks. Because the new product lies outside each department’s
routines, it may become lost in the proverbial shuffle. And unfortunately for the
books’ authors, the publication process will be halted whenever a functional area
does not live up to its responsibilities in a timely manner. More generally, because
functional structures are slow to execute change, they tend to work best for
organizations that offer narrow and stable product lines.

 
3. How do you share the responsibility of practicing health,
hygiene, safety, security in the school premises? 
EDUCATION

Students, their parents, faculty and staff should be provided information about
what Staphylococcus aureus is, how it is spread and how staph infections can be
prevented.

HAND HYGIENE

Students, faculty and staff should be instructed about the correct technique for
hand washing, including the importance of washing hands before eating or
preparing food, after touching any skin lesions (“sores”) and wounds or clothing
contaminated by drainage from lesions and wounds, and after using the toilet.
Instructions should include the following:

Turn on faucet and wet hands with running water.

Apply soap and spread across all surfaces of hands.

Scrub all surfaces of hands, including between each finger, for at least 20 seconds
(saying the alphabet slowly will take at least 20 seconds).

Rinse hands under running water.

Dry hands with paper towels or air dryers.

If available, use a paper towel to turn off faucet handles.

HYGIENE

Students, faculty and staff should be provided information about general hygienic
measures, including the following:

Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water. Use an
alcohol hand gel when soap and water are not available.

Avoid sharing eating and drinking utensils.

Avoid sharing unwashed towels, washcloths, clothing, or uniforms.

Avoid sharing personal items (e.g., deodorant, razors).

Change socks and underwear daily.

Wash bed linens and pajamas regularly, at least once a week if feasible.

Wash soiled bed linens and clothes with hot water and laundry detergent. Drying
clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes.

Bathe or shower with soap each day.

Bathe or shower with soap after every sports practice or competition.

Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with clean, dry bandages until healed.

Follow your health care provider’s instructions on proper care of wounds.

Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or material contaminated by wounds.

HYGIENE FOR SPORTS PARTICIPANTS
In addition to the previously mentioned recommendations, sports participants
should be provided these recommendations:

Do not share towels, clothing or uniforms.

Don’t store wet, dirty clothing in lockers.

Avoid sharing personal equipment.

Keep equipment clean. Follow coach’s directions about cleaning the equipment.

Keep cuts, abrasions and wounds covered with clean, dry bandages. Persons with
draining wounds or infections are not allowed to participate in practices or games
until the wound has stopped draining.

Report any cuts, abrasions or wounds to the coach and school nurse.
 
 
4.  Explain the five essential components you need to pay attention
to while establishing relationships with your employees.  
 
The employer-employee relationship is vital to every company in every
industry you could possibly think of. A strong employer-employee
relationship results in the employee feeling respected, empowered,
and supported. These feelings create passion and engagement in the
workplace, nurturing strong employee morale and a vibrant company
culture. Happier employees are more likely to work their hardest and stick
with their jobs for the long haul, which affects everything from revenue to
employee retention. The employer-employee relationship is at the root of
any team’s success. Here are the five essential components you need to
pay attention to while establishing relationships with your employees. 
 
Respect 
Both parties need to respect each other for an employer-employee
relationship to exist. An employee who disrespects his manager can damage
the hierarchal leadership structure of the workplace and reflect badly on the
company. Perhaps an employee badmouths his boss behind her back at work,
encouraging other employees to develop similarly disrespectful attitudes.
Alternatively, maybe the employee takes his grievances against his boss to
social media, creating a potential PR problem for the company. Either of these
outcomes can be devastating to workplace morale, productivity, and
harmony. Even though the boss is at or near the top of the hierarchy, she has
no right to disrespect her employees. An example is a manager who yells at his
employees, makes threats, or mocks people on the team: these shows of
disrespect and intimidation are not just bad for the employer-employee
relationship, but can also escalate into genuine harassment or abuse. That kind
of issue can lead to everything from low employee retention and bad word-of-
mouth to fines and lawsuits. Issues like verbal abuse and sexual harassment do
not exist in a healthy employer-employee relationship. 
 
Communication 
Open communication is a cornerstone of any successful relationship, and
the employer-employee relationship is no exception. As the employer or
boss, transparency is part of your job description. Make sure all employees
understand their responsibilities and the expectations to which they are
being held. Keep your employees aware of changes at the company, from
new initiatives and goals to overall performance indicators. These details
are important, and keeping your employees in the loop will make them feel
like part of the whole. Employees need to be willing to speak up. Whether
it’s raising a complaint about management style or informing a boss about
a death in the family that might impact productivity, employees are just as
obligated to communicate as employers are. 
 
 
Support 
Employers need to support their employees to establish relationships of trust
and respect. This element can take on a few different forms. For instance, an
employer should take an interest in an employee’s goals. Figuring out what an
employee wants to get out of a job—regarding experiences, new skills,
knowledge, or the like—is one of the first things that should happen after
hiring. From there, the employer should make a conscious effort to help the
employee reach those goals. That might mean assigning the employee to
specific projects or helping her find learning and professional development
opportunities that can benefit both parties. Support can also mean simply
 having your employees’ backs on a day-to-day basis. A manager who throws
his employee under the bus for a mistake or a missed deadline is not being
supportive. Constructive criticism may be warranted, but blaming employees
for things that went wrong instead of identifying areas for improvement is the
antithesis of good relationship-building. 
 
 
 
Boundaries 
There need to be boundaries in every employer-employee relationship. The
first is the boundary between the professional relationship and the personal
relationship. Many bosses like to be friendly or even social with their
employees. However, developing close personal friendships—or worse,
romantic bonds—is messy territory that can lead to allegations of sexual
harassment or favoritism. The second line that shouldn’t be crossed is the
boundary between work life and home life. An employer who thinks it is
appropriate to call, text, or email employees at all hours of the day is not
respecting boundaries. Once the workday ends, bosses should make a rule of
not contacting their employees unless there is a genuine emergency. 
 
Appreciation 
To foster strong employer-employee relationships, employers need to show
that they recognize and appreciate the contributions their workers are
making to the company. This kind of recognition can come in many forms,
from strong evaluations to employee of the month awards to raises,
bonuses, or job promotions. In short, employers should remember that
while criticism is an important part of the professional world, so is praise. 
 
 
 
Strong employer-employee relationships are not built overnight. It takes time
to build trust, respect, and understanding. However, by understanding the
elements that go into effective workplace relationships, you can focus more on
establishing those bonds with your employees. 
5. Page Break