Contract Negotiation Process with Labor Unions

Contract Negotiation Process Negotiating a contract requires identifying the subjects to be addressed by the agreement. Then, each party prepares its preferred position on each subject. Then the process of comparing those positions begins. Often, dollars are attached to contract…

Conflict Resolution

Conflict-Resolution Techniques. Some amount of conflict will always be present in the workplace. The fact that it exists is not necessarily an unhealthy thing. When it is resolved quickly and effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In…

Industrial Actions and Unfair Labor Practices

Either management or union can initiate retaliatory action in the workplace as a response to the other party’s failure to agree at the bargaining table. Industrial actions are designed to get the attention of the opposite party. Unfair labor practices…

Disciplining Employees

The progressive discipline model is one that has been used in American workplaces for more than a century. It is written into many, if not most, union contracts as a requirement to assure management treats its members appropriately when problems…

Conducting Workplace Investigations

Investigations are appropriate in several circumstances within an employer’s organization. They can be helpful in a grievance-handling effort and are essential in determining the validity of discrimination complaints. Whenever there is a need to determine facts surrounding a complaint, an…

Developing the HR Strategy

HR needs to develop a strategy that is aligned with the capabilities needed to implement the organization’s overall strategy. Becker, Huselid, and Beatty wrote in The Differentiated Workforce that HR must shift its focus from employees to one strategy, and…

Measuring HR Metrics

Metrics There are many different metrics to select from, and the formulas can vary. It’s important to use a consistent formula when benchmarking HR practices. Here are the typical metrics used for measuring the HR value: • Absence rate •…

What Are the Seven Types of Organizational Structures?

There are seven types of organizational structures. • Departmental • Chain of command • Span of control • Work specialization • Formalized • Centralized or decentralized • Matrix Departmental. This is where tasks are divided into separate duties, grouping people…