Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation – your company is restructuring its corporate strategy which will significantly impact the company's enire workforce planning process.

Issue: Which aspects of workforce planning should be considered?

Learning points:

• workforce planning should examine demand and supply on four different dimensions: current and future demandcurrent and future supply
• internal factors and factors external to the organization need to be considered

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation – significant training dollars and productivity are being lost due to a restrictive collective agreement regarding training.

Issue: Do we really understand the issue? does more research/discussion need to be involved? Who needs to be involved?

Learning points:

• Employees will never ratify changes to collective agreement language for an issue they do not understand completely
• involving the union eliminates surprise ideas presented at the bargaining table
  

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation – Your company is adding a new line of business that requires staffing

Key points:

- under a tight deadline

- new organization

Issue: What needs to be involved in developing a recruitment strategy?

Learning points:

Before beginning recruiting, the recruitment strategy needs to:

• be aligned with the business strategy
• include all HR functions (such as job descriptions, compentency profiles, performance measurement, and organization design)
  

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation – A hiring decision has been made without your knowledge and the salary is not in alignment

Issue: Can you address the salary situation? If so how? How do you address management problem to prevent future occurrences?

Learning points:

• It is critical that internal compensation systems and procedures are followed to ensure consistency of approach and to maintain equality
• Red circles policies are used to withhold increases from individuals who are already earning more than the maximum pay rate for their pay grade until the maximum pay rate catches us to their pay rate
  

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation – an employee where's an offensive shirt to work. Management doesn't seem to care.

Issue: How large is the Human rights issue? Is it an isolated issue or company wide? How far up does the problem go?

Key points:

• Management has done nothing about it in the past
• President laughs when you explain the situation to him
  

Learning points:

• The solution should address both the specific situation as well as the company wide issue
• The president, management, and the employees need to be educated on basic Human Rights and sensitivity issues
  

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation 40 – A test pilot training program is being implemented in order to reverse the shrinking market share trend

Issue: how to best evaluate the training program? What comparisons should be used?

Learning points:

An effective evaluation should include:

• the best approach to evaluating the effectiveness of any training program is to follow a pre-test, post-test, control group methodology

• the previous results of those who took the training (pre-test)

• the results of those who took the training (post-test)

• the results of those who didn't take the training (control group)

Situation 41: there is a need to plan for an increase in turnover due to an ageing workforce, however senior management is not current concerned about this issue.

Issue: Do I need management's buy in before moving forward? Do I wait until management says something?

Learning points:

• succession planning needs to be proactive and not reactive

• an analysis needs to take place before the implementation of any programs

• senior management needs to be involved from the beginning

Situation 42: You have just heard that a candidate we are about to hire was given the questions to the interview prior to the interview by one of the interviewers.

Issue: How do I address the allegation? How do I move forward to select a candidate? Who needs to be involved?

Learning points:

• it is important to involve the accused's manager in addressing the serious allegation

• When a selection process goes awry and there are qualified candidates, re-interviewing (2^nd interviews) can be an option. If there are no qualified candidates or the qualified candidate opts out, it is best to start over

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation 11 – two employee's are caught being unsafe at work

Key points:

• you witnessed the event

• the employees are both conscientious workers

Issue: Should the employees be disciplined ?

Learning points:

• safety is a manager's responsibility

• proving due diligence requires that the employer discipline employees when safety procedures are not followed

Situation 12 – an employee you hired 3-month's ago is not working out. He has been previously warned on two occasions. Another employee who desires to fill the position is also disgruntled and not cooperating.

Issue: Is there sufficient evidence to terminate the new employee with cause? Should the disgruntled employee be given an opportunity to fill the position?

Learning points:

• there must be enough groundwork laid in order to terminate with cause

Situation 13 – After a manager is let go, he claims that his manager said he'd be compensated for overtime, even though it is stated in his contract that he is not.

Issue: Should he be compensated for the overtime? Should the money be deducted from his pay-in-lieu notice?

Learning points:

• first step - substantiate the claim

• a written contract does not override a verbal contract, if the verbal contract is made in good faith

• the pay-in-lieu was provided in good faith and should not be taken away

Situation 14 – you are on an open-ended contract at a reduced rate. You have been paid up front and are charging for the hours as worked. It has been four years and the organization still has a credit.

Key points:

• your rate has increased

Issue: should you charge the company at your new rate?

• It would be unethical not to honour the terms of your contract

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation 6 – you need to create a communication strategy to keep anxiety down and maintain morale of employee's during the company merger

Key points:

• 75% of staff either speak little or no English

• large manufacturing plant with employees distributed in 5 locations

Issue: How to communicate the message to employees in all locations and so that they understand?

Learning points:

• communication method should suit the size of the company

• it is not important that the method of communication be consistent, as long as the messaging is consistent

Situation 7 – you are developing a comprehensive learning strategy for a Government Department

Issue: How do I create a learning environment?

Learning points:

• There are 5 characteristics that describe a learning organization:

1. Systemic problem solving

2. Experimentation to support innovation

3. Learning from experience through action learning

4. Learning from others by benchmarking others in the industry; and

5. Transferring knowledge throughout the organization through such things as rotational assignments

Situation 8 – There is a high turnover of part-time staff because they are led to believe they can obtain full-time position fairly quickly

Key Points:

• morale is decreasing

• training costs and service disruption is increasing

Issue: How do I deal with this false perception among PT employees? How do I fix the hiring process for future PT employees?

Learning points:

Think about the order of things (ie first step)

• listen to and address employees concerns

• deal with misperceptions about career mobility opportunities

• assess potential solutions

• discipline hiring manager for misleading candidates

Situation 9 – An employee survey has indicated some areas which need improvement

Key points:

• target the one that needs the greatest attention

Issue: Which area needs the greatest attention? How do we improve that area?

Learning points:

• the smaller the standard of deviation, the more people that agree with the statement

• make sure enough information is gathered before moving forward with a strategy

Situation 10 – In a company of unionized and non-unionized staff, the unionized staff receive a $500 signing bonus.

Key points:

• non-unionized staff are currently ineligible for any bonuses

• non-unionized staff are unaware of the bonus

Issue: Do we tell the non-unionized staff about the bonus? What if the non-unionized staff find out about the bonus? How will we deal with the situation?

Learning points:

• communication in a proactive manner is critical in order to manage the situation in a positive manner.

• it is important to at least match the gains made by unionized employees

• tying a larger bonus to performance is a good strategy to reinforce achievement

Situations, Issues, & Learning Points

Situation 1- an employee has been hurt and damage has been done to production as a result of an unsafe action

Key points:

• employee is long-term with a good record

• employee belongs to a union

Issue: What disciplinary action should be taken? Who should be involved?

Learning points:

• always ensure the safety of the employee first

• always involve a union representative in the investigation for union employees

• discipline the employee to show due diligence

• file a report with appropriate regulatory authorities

Situation 2 – a minority employee is breaking a rule and claiming he is being discriminated against if disciplined

Key points:

• the supervisor has met with the employee

• the unwanted action is still taking place

Issue: Can we discipline the employee without the employee successfully filing a Human Rights claim?

Learning points:

• make sure an investigation is done to substantiate any false claims

• don't involve the whole team unless the investigation shows the practice is wide spread

Situation 3 - employees are telling off-color jokes but nobody's complained.

Issue: do you approach the individuals or the company, as a whole?

Learning points:

• since there was a group of people involved, it is better to address the whole company

• you need to get buy-in from the top. Start with the leader.

Situation 4 – an employee on STD was denied LTD and wishes to return to work on a PT basis

Key points:

• the company has not facilitated PT work requests in the past due to legitimate operational reasons

Issue: does the company need to accommodate the employee's request?

Learning points:

• the organization has a responsibility to investigate the possibility of accommodation without undue hardship

Situation 5 - a candidate a filed a complaint based on the decision that she was not hired because of her lack of typing skills despite it not being a requirement

Issue: is the employer justified in its hiring decision?

Learning points:

• there must be a bona fide occupational requirement for candidates to function successfully in areas being tested

HR and terminating for or without cause

Most HR professionals find employee dismissal difficult, regardless of the reason of the dismissal. However, when a dismissal is necessary HR professionals should examine each case carefully to determine whether to terminate for or without cause.

Key points to remember:

• in termination for cause, you must ensure that enough groundwork has been laid. (ie. the employee has been specifically advised, in writing, of the consequences he or she would face if they did not change their behavior)
• termination without cause is possible for any reason that is not discriminatory
  

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Termination with cause: occurs when an employee is dismissed for a serious reason related to the employee's conduct.

Termination without cause: employee is being terminated for reasons that are not related to misconduct and notice of the termination and possibly severance pay is required as outlined in the employment/labour standards.

Notice: amount of time between informing an employee in writing that s/he will be terminated and the date upon which the termination will take effect.

Payment in lieu of notice: an employer may choose to have the termination take effect immediately, and pay the employee for the weeks of notice required by the legislation or as agreed to in the employment contract.

HR and Merger communication

During a merger, HR Professionals may encounter scenarios where communication with employees may present challenges. For example, not all employee may have English as their first language. Some employees may be assigned to a remote location or be frequently traveling on business.

Key points to remember:

• It is not important that the "method" of communication be consistent, as long as the "messaging" is consistent
• Different methods of communication may be suited to one group over the other
• Supervisory communication is good, but only if you can ensure consistency of message
  

HR and OHS

As an HR Professional, you may come across scenarios where employees are working unsafe or using equipment unsafely. It is important to involve the employee in correcting the action. In addition, speaking with the supervisor will serve as a reminder that it is their responsibility to enforce safety procedures and provide the necessary training. Bringing the incident to the attention at the next health and safety meeting will also help to ensure others are aware of the steps.

Key points to remember:

• Under Occupational Health and Safety Legislation, in the event of an accident, an employer is deemed to be guilty until proven innocent
• Proving due diligence requires that the employer discipline employees when safety procedures are not followed
• Supervisors are responsible for employee's safety; to provide proper equipment, information and training on workplace safety

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Due Diligence: employers shall take all reasonable precautions, under the particular circumstances, to prevent injuries or accidents in the workplace

HR and Employment Equity

As an HR Professional, providing equal opportunities is not only ethical, it is the law. However, providing equal opportunities does not mean not hiring the most qualified candidate, even if that candidate is not within one of the designated groups (ie female, disabled, Aboriginals, visible minority).

Key points to remember:

• compliance with Employment Equity is not quota based
• ensure the recruiting process is targeting designated groups
• provide targeted internal candidates with additional development opportunities so that they are more likely to be successful the next time a suitable advancement becomes available

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Employment Equity Plan: outlines the policies and practices that an employer proposes to use in order to hire, train, promote and retain members of the designated groups

Employment Systems Review (ESR): examines the impact of an employer's human resource policies and practices on designated groups and includes an analysis of all reasonable steps taken to accommodate the special needs of these group membersRepresentation

Representation: refers to the percentage of all employees in a particular occupation, salary range, industrial sector, etc. who are members of a particular designated group

Harassment and Hesitant Employees

As an HR professional, you may encounter scenarios where an employee has been harassed, but is hesitant to make a formal complaint. Regardless of whether or not the information was obtained confidentially, harassment is serious and in claims of harassment, nothing is confidential that is made known to a manager.

Key points to remember:

• There are serious implications to ignoring a harassment claim
• The law requires that the employer take immediate action upon any indication of harassment
• The obligation to provide a safe environment overrides any privacy concern
• Requiring an individual to confront their harasser is a violation of Human Rights
  

HR and Benefits

In order to keep costs down, yet remain competitive, HR Professionals may find themselves in scenarios where they need to present benefits plans for consideration. The following article provides more depth on benefits.

Key points to remember:
- typical cafeteria type plans tend to encourage plan participants to choose the benefits they are most likely to use, therefore countering the fundamental insurance principle of pooling for risk
- This behavior is assured to increase the cost to the employer, but it is difficult to predict by how much
The spending account allows the employer to control the flexible-benefits costs by capping the costs of the flexible plan

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Pooling for risk: the handling of an uncertain risk posed to or by a single person by combining it with the same risk affecting a large group, which can be calculated

HR and Pensions

HR Professionals may find themselves in scenarios where they need to implement a benefits plan. Prior to gathering information regarding related services from financial services organizations and then developing a defined benefit pension plan, the following initial step should be considered first.

Key points to remember:
- clarify how a pension plan will support the organization's business and human resource strategy

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
A mandatory earnings-related pension plan implemented January 1, 1966 to provide basic retirement income to Canadians between the ages of 18 and 70 who work in all the provinces and territories, except in the province of Quebec. Quebec operates its own pension plan similar to the CPP for persons who work in that province.

HR and Restructuring

When restructuring, HR professionals may come across scenarios where there is a surplus of employees who may not fit within the company's new strategy.

Key points to remember:
- conduct systemic evaluation of new business needs to ensure right changes are being made
- identify critical work activities and job specification through job analysis
- evaluate internal and external candidates to fill new roles
- proceed with layoffs, as necessary

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Job Analysis: the process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. This information is used to put together a job description.

HR and Expatriates

Human Resource Professionals dealing with relocating employees for an overseas assignment may come across scenarios where employees are reluctant to accept the assignment.

Key points to remember:
- diagnose problem
- obtain input from expatriate and manager
- develop career goals and expectations on an individual basis

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Expatriate: An employee working in a unit or plant who is not a citizen of the country in which the unit or plant is located, but is a citizen of the country in which the organization is headquartered.
Repatriation: The process of bringing expatriates home.

Skills Gap and Employees

HR Professionals may come across scenarios where new employees lack sufficient skills due to flaws in the recruitment process or employee career planning. This article describes how they implemented a system to address their gap and was able to succeed with an return on investment.

Key points to remember:
- the skills gap needs to be determined for each individual
- a plan should be developed on an individual basis
- involve the employee who is lacking skills and management

Key Terms
This week’s HR terminology includes:

Skill gap analysis: compares a person’s skills to the skills required for the job to which they have been, or will be, assigned. The result is an improved understanding of exactly which skills employees need to develop further.

HR and Privacy Laws

HR Professionals need to know how privacy laws applies to the workplace and be able to communicate the privacy policies to employees. This article discusses the effects of B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act, which governs the collection, use, retention, and disclosure of personal information by businesses, non-profit organizations, and charities

Key points to remember:
- educate yourself about privacy as it relates to your direct responsibilities
- ensure peers are aware of privacy concerns