Workplace Health and Safety

General Notes

• If something does not fit with the rest of the words, it is likely the wrong answer

HRM and Health & Safety

• HRM supports health and safety in the workplace
• The specific government agency that focuses on health and safety should be identified

Key Terms

• Harassment entails unwelcome conduct
• Psychological harassment involves actions that harm an individual's mental well-being

Organizational Responsibilities

• Determine who holds the responsibility for health and safety within an organization
• Specify what responsibilities managers have for health and safety

Workplace Accidents

• Identify which demographic groups are most susceptible to workplace accidents
• The goal of workers' compensation is to provide benefits to employees who experience work-related injuries or illnesses

WHMIS

• WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System is Canada's hazard communication standard

Stress

• Stressors are external demands that cause internal strain
• Stress is the body's reaction to a stressor
• Consider what some common workplace stressors are
• Identify what the major causes of workplace stress are
• Differentiate between good stress which is eustress
• Bad stress is distress
• Bullying is repeated, unreasonable actions directed towards an employee (or group of employees), creating a risk to health and safety
• Workplace aggression refers to a range of behaviors, from hostility to physical violence, that are intended to harm individuals in the workplace
• Workplace violence includes physical assaults, threats, or other intimidating behaviors that occur in the workplace setting

Reducing Violence and Verbal Abuse

• Determine ways to reduce the risk of workplace violence
• Recognize common examples of verbal abuse

Human Capital

• Human capital refers to the economic value of a worker's experience and skills, including assets like education, training, intelligence, skills, health, and other things that employers value such as loyalty and punctuality

Training and Development

• Training focuses on job-related skills and knowledge
• Development is geared toward long-term career growth

Socialization

• Socialization is the process of integrating new employees into an organization's culture and values

Orientation

• Orientation is designed to provide new employees with essential information about the company

Training Methods

• Become familiar with different training methods available

Cooke Patrick's Training Evaluation

• This training method evaluates effectiveness using a four-level model: reaction, learning, behavior, and results

Control Groups

• Understand the purpose of control groups in research and evaluation
• Control groups help isolate the impact of an intervention

Pre/Post Testing

• Pre-tests establish baselines
• Post-tests measure changes after an intervention

Work Performance Appraisals

• Work performance appraisals objectively assess employee performance

Work Performance Appraisal Uses

• Appraisals can be used for feedback, development, and administrative decisions

Criterion Problems

• Criterion contamination is when irrelevant factors affect performance measures
• Criterion deficiency is when performance measures fail to capture key aspects of the job

Measuring Performance

• Identify the different ways of measuring performance
• Decide what aspects of performance to measure

Equity Theory

• Equity theory is the principle that employees expect fair compensation compared to peers

Performance Appraisals

• Determine the different sources of performance appraisal data

Appraisal Biases

• Learn about different biases that can affect performance appraisals

Compensation

• Compensation systems provide monetary and non-monetary rewards

Compensation Systems

• Compensation systems aim to fairly and equitably reward employees

Compensation Types

• Identify the different types of compensation

Reward Systems

• Reward systems recognize and reinforce desired behaviors and outcomes

Compensation Mixes

• Compensation mixes combine base pay, incentives, and benefits

Base Pay

• Strategies for establishing base pay must be determined

Government Benefits

• Become familiar with government-mandated employee benefits

Reward Dissatisfaction

• Focus on how employees react when they are unhappy with rewards

International HRM

• International HRM has additional procedural steps

Canada's Trading

• The top trading partners for Canada include countries such as the US, China, UK, Mexico, Japan, Germany and South Korea

Trading Blocks

• Understand what trading blocks are, such as the European union

Emerging Economies

• Acronyms for emerging economies should be known

Hofstede's Dimensions

• Hofstede's model measures cultural dimensions

Staffing Strategies

• Know different staffing strategies and when to use them

Expatriates

• Consider the reasons to send expatriates abroad
• Differentiate between host and parent company perspectives
• Expatriate assignments may be adjusted in three different ways

Expatriate Failures

• Key reasons indicate why expatriates often fail during their assignments

Expatriate Success

• Strategies that enhance success when expatriating people abroad

Repatriation

• Repatriation is the process of returning employees to their home country after an international assignment

Employee Rights

• Determine what rights employees have in the workplace

Federal vs. Provincial Law

• Differentiate between federal and provincial workplace rights

ESA

• The Employment Standards Act (ESA) establishes minimum employment standards in Ontario

Sources of Law

• Identify different sources of laws affecting employment

Due Process

• Due process requires fair treatment and procedures when enforcing company policies

Disciplining Employees

• Establish the key steps in disciplining employees

Privacy Laws

• Become familiar with workplace privacy laws

Employment at Will

• Employment at will permits termination for any non-discriminatory reason

Job Rights

• Articulate the job-related rights employees have

Employee Discipline

• Identify common ways employees are disciplined
• Consider why managers should take disciplinary actions
• Establish who primarily holds responsibility for disciplining employees
• Constructive dismissal is when employer makes unilateral changes to employment contract, employee can resign and sue employer for wrongful dismissal

Occupational Health and Safety (Week #7)

• Occupational health and safety is designed to protect workers from hazards on the job
• Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) was enacted in 1779 and amended in 1990, outlining duties and rights for all workplace parties
• The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) provides for prevention of occupational injury and disease

Scope

• The act applies to almost all workplaces in Ontario
• Enforcement can result in significant fines and imprisonment for individuals and corporations

Employee Rights

• Under the Canada Labour Code, employees have the right to know about hazards, take part in safety activities, and refuse unsafe work

Employer Responsibilities

• Employers must report accidents, provide first aid, prevent injuries, create safety policies, and establish health and safety committees

Defining Occupational Health and Safety

• Occupational Health and Safety includes the identification, evaluation, and control of hazards in the work environment

Potential Health Hazards

• Hazards are categorized into physical, biological, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors

Physical Agents

• Physical Hazards include noise, temperature, lighting, vibration, and radiation

Biological Agents

• Biological Hazards involve exposure to natural organisms, such as parasites, bacteria, and viruses

Chemical Agents

• Chemical agents involve exposure to chemical compounds

Ergonomic Injuries

• Ergonomic Injuries relate to the physical interaction of workers with their environment, often resulting in repetitive strain, stress, and back injuries

Psychosocial Hazards

• Psychosocial hazards relate to job characteristics and the work environment

Workplace Stress

• Workplace stress involves exposure and reactions to stressors
• The general stress model distinguishes between stressors, stress, and strain
• Eustress is positive stress, while distress is harmful

Burnout

• Burnout is the most severe stage of distress, manifesting in depression and loss of productivity

Stress Model Components

• The stress model includes stressors, stress response, strain, and moderators
• Moderators influence the stress process

Major Workplace Stressors

• Major work stressors include workload, role issues, work scheduling, career concerns, job content, and interpersonal relations

Workplace Aggression & Violence Definition

• Workplace aggression is behavior intended to harm workers physically or psychologically

Workplace Aggression Sources

• Sources of aggression can include coworkers, supervisors, subordinates, or the public

Workplace Aggression Forms

• Workplace violence includes physical harm; hostility includes verbal abuse; incivility includes gossip; and work obstruction includes resource withholding

Workplace Violence Classifications

• Workplace violence is classified by the assailant's relationship to the target

Type I Violence

• Type I violence involves perpetrators that have no legitimate relationship to the workplace

Type II Violence

• Type II violence stems from interactions with clients or customers

Type III Violence

• Type III violence involves current or former employees

Type IV Violence

• Type IV violence involves perpetrators with a prior relationship with an employee

Individual Predictors

• Individual predictors of violence include trait anger, revenge tendencies, negative affectivity, low self-control, and alcohol consumption

Situational Factors

• Situational predictors include physical conditions, perceived injustice, layoffs, strict supervision, and lack of policy enforcement

Experiencing Aggression

• Job-related predictors of experiencing aggression include responsibility for others, control over others, and interactions with volatile individuals

Workplace Violence

• Job-related elements of workplace violence include denial of service, working alone, working nights, home visits, and handling valuables

Aggression Consequences

• Aggression has physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences

Healthy Culture

• Promoting employee health and safety is supported through organizational culture

Socialization vs. Orientation (Week #8)

• Socialization is the long-term adaptation to an organization
• Orientation is a short-term program informing new employees

Socialization and Climate

• Socialization involves adapting to values and learning the organization's climate
• Climate is the shared perception of expected behaviors

Socialization Stages

• Anticipatory (Pre-arrival) is the stage where expectations are set
• Encounter is the stage where new employees learn the ropes
• Settling in/change is when employees become comfortable and make adjustments

Importance of Socialization

• Socialization reduces anxiety, clarifies expectations, and affects performance and outcomes

Training vs. Development

• Training focuses on current job performance, while development focuses on long-term growth

Training Process

• The initial step focuses on assessing what training is needed
• Training and development looks at organizational and individual gaps

Training Objectives

• Training objectives require a determined behavior, condition, and criteria

Program Content

• Content must align with needs, objectives, audience, size, and time availability

Cost & Format

• Key factors to be determined here include cost, training format, and learning principles

Delivering Training

• Traditional lectures offer a direct route of learning new concepts
• Role playing, case studies, simulations, computer-based training, and virtual environments, such as virtual reality (VR) are useful to show concepts in practice

Learning Principles

• Essential learning principles include participation, repetition, relevance, transference, and feedback

Factors Affecting Learning

• Important influences include individual characteristics and situational climate

Evaluating Training Effectiveness

• Training is traditionally evaluated across reaction, learning, behavior, and results

Training Evaluation - Measures

• Training is tested to ensure reactions and tangible changes in skill

Pre/Post Testing

• This measures changes due to training

Control Groups

• Control groups determine if changes occurred due to training or other factors

Performance

• A strong performance management system is one that will enhance an employees performance

Appraisals

• Employee feedback enables development
• Motivation is strengthened

Criterion Problem

• The criterion problem makes it difficult for companies to measure performance effectively

Criteria Problems

• Deficiency and contamination impair measurements

Absolute vs. Relative

• Absolute performance measures compare individuals against benchmarks
• Relative performance measures compare worker's against one another

Traits vs. Outcomes

• Traits assess personal characteristics
• Outcomes assess what was produced

Methods of Appraisal

• Both checklists and field reviews are key appraisal methods

Scales

• Graphing rating, standard and forced choice scales rate employees in different ways

Multi-Rater Feedback

• This feedback should address blindspots

Potential Problems

• Feedback may have potential conflicting opinions

Distorting Ratings

• Halo and leniency impact performance measurement

Politics Influence

• Self-interest frequently affects performance management

Compensation, Week #10

• Compensation is designed to enhance relationships
• Willing personnel can get key tasks done
• Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards enhance motivation and performance

Organizational Success

• Systems attract and retain workers
• Improved compensation is designed to increase overall productivity

Total Pay

• Key components include base, performance and benefits

Establishing Pay

• Job evaluation and base figures rely on analysis

Compensation Components

• Knowledge, skills, ability and conditions influence compensation

Compensation Factors

• Labour, location and legislation must meet standards

Benefitting Employees

• Plans improve performance

Benefit Plans

• Employees need plans to fit individual requirements

Strategies

• Compensation needs may be led, matched or lagged

Pay Transparency

• Performance may be boosted by clarity

International HRM, Week #11

• Planning and prep are essential

Key Trends

• Globalization and expansion are key trends

Cultural Relativity

• Cultural consideration must be made for HRM

Dimensions Explored

• Hofstede's dimensions include power, individualism, and avoidance
• Hofstede's newest factor includes long term orientation

Orientations

• Different cultures take different perspectives on short and long term goals

Staffing Models

• Models include various nationalities
• HCNs, PCNs and TCNs can all play a role

Expats Overseas

• A variety of assignments are frequent in international rotations

Overseas Work

• These roles boost performance

Expat Failures

• Understanding the reasons for this failure is essential

Success

• Adjustments and effectiveness boost success

Assistance

• Assignments can be enhanced

Legal Aspects

• Employment standards provide workplace rights
• Wages, overtime and breaks are regulated

Disconnecting

• Policy is set for disconnecting from work

Jurisdictions

• A policy should be set for jurisdictions

Employee Relationships

• Management has rights that affect operations

Expectations

• Employees have fundamental legal rights

Discipline

• Rules must be upheld at all times

Dismissal

• Dismissal must occur for just cause