Employee-Employer Relations

• Conflict is disagreement or dispute between individuals or groups in an organization.

Causes of Conflict

• Unfair worker treatment leads to conflict.
• Unfair dismissal can cause disputes.
• Discrimination is a source of conflict.
• Health issues can initiate conflict.
• Wage and benefit problems lead to conflict.
• Management styles are also cause conflict.
• Competition for resources creates conflict.
• Poor communication leads to disagreements.
• Personality clashes are a source of conflict.
• Conflicting duties result in confrontations.

Employee Strategies to Gain Upper Hand

• "Work to rule" involves strictly following job descriptions.
• "Go slow" sees employees working at a slow pace.
• Strikes involve employees walking out until resolution.
• "Sick out" describes many employees calling in sick simultaneously.
• "Sit-in" is when employees show up but don't work.
• Overtime bans involve refusing to work overtime.

Trade Union Role

• Trade unions aim to ensure better wages and conditions.
• Unions protect workers from arbitrary disciplinary actions.
• They address grievances through established procedures.
• Collective bargaining is an agreement process between employers and unions.
• It involves union representatives and management negotiating employment terms.

Employer Strategies

• Lockouts prevent disputing employees from entering the workplace.
• Scab labor involves hiring temporary replacements.
• Scare tactics use threats against questioning employees.
• Refusing negotiation aims to deter employee protest.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

• A grievance procedure is a formal issue resolution process.
• A worker can complain about unfair treatment, safety threats, or contract violations.

Grievance Procedure Steps

• Step 1: Employee discusses the complaint with their supervisor.
• Step 2: Escalation to the department head if unresolved.
• Step 3: Discussion with top management involving union delegate.
• Step 4: Union seeks conciliation or mediation from an independent body/Ministry.
• Step 5: If needed, matter goes to arbitration where the court makes a final decision.

Mediation

• Mediation involves a neutral third party to facilitate communication.
• Mediators help parties understand each other.
• They enable parties to find solutions respectfully.

Arbitration

• Arbitration involves a third party whose decision is binding
• They listen to both sides and make a judgment
• Both parties agree to uphold the arbitrator's settlement.

Motivation

• Motivation is crucial for good employee performance.
• Companies use financial and non-financial strategies.

Financial Methods

• Financial rewards motivate employees through monetary benefits.
• Examples are salary raises and bonuses for accomplishments.

Non-Financial Methods

• Non-financial rewards are fringe benefits like company cars or health benefits.
• These benefits motivate and improve job attraction.

Teamwork

• Teamwork involves cooperative effort to achieve results.
• Many businesses require employees to work in small teams.
• Formal teams are organized to achieve specific goals.
• Informal teams develop interdependencies and shared interests.

Team Member Guidelines

• Listen to others and consider their ideas.
• Accept constructive criticism.
• Offer help and support.
• Act as peacemakers.
• Think respectfully before speaking.

Considerations for Group Formation

• Common goals are a consideration.
• Member interests should be considered.
• Also consider age of members.
• Length of task completion and personalities of team members are considerations

Advantages of Teamwork

• Builds camaraderie and belonging.
• Shared responsibilities reduce workload.
• Group discussions lead to better decisions.
• Output quality improves through group effort.
• Teamwork provides learning experiences.

Disadvantages of Teamwork

• Effective team formation can be time-consuming.
• Group discussions can create conflicts.
• The decision-making process can be slow.
• Some team members may not contribute fairly

Communication

• Communication is the process of passing information.
• External communication involves those outside the organization.
• Internal communication involves staff members inside the organization.

Formal Communication

• Formal communication is official, documented, and professional,.
• Formal communication examples are meetings, memos, and emails.
• Advantages include clarity, documentation, and professionalism.
• Disadvantages include time, less flexibility, and impersonality.

Informal Communication

• Informal communication is unofficial and spontaneous.
• Relies on relationships, social interactions, rumors, and conversations.
• Advantages include speed, team bonding, and innovation.
• Disadvantages include inaccuracy, lack of records, and conflicts.

Mediums of Communication

• Verbal, Written, and Visual

Communication Barriers

• Language differences are communication barriers.
• Cultural or religious beliefs are communication barriers.
• Communication method choice can be a communication barrier.
• An emotional state could be a communication barrier.

Good Communication Practices

• Clarify the message being sent.
• Determine the purpose of communication.
• Practice active listening.
• Consider the environment.
• Select the proper medium.