HR Professional Skills - Employee Relations

                                       HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL SKILL AREAS

  7

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

The establishment and administration of policies and practices that foster the desired relationships, both individual and collective, between employees and the company to their mutual advantage, while meeting legal, social and company standards.

n                             Developing Employment Policies

                                Defining within the business context the desired employee relationship; translating international/ Unilever policies into country/company practices; determining personnel information systems requirements and constraints; providing advice to company/line managers on implications of employment legislation; ensuring employment policies and practices (eg contracts) are consistent with employment law.

n                             Building Community Relationships

                                Representing the company to outside community and governmental organisations on human resources matters; cultivating relations with those who can impact upon employment practices/conduct in the company; establishing means of informing community representatives on relevant employment issues; influencing the development of local Human Resource practices.

n                             Assessing and Selecting Appropriate Forms of Representation

                                Constructing mechanisms for consulting with and informing employees; balancing collective representation and relations with individual; where necessary, establishing structures and processes for employee representation and negotiation; interpreting procedural arrangements for representation and mutual responsibilities.

n                             Managing Conflict (individual and collective)

                                Defining the forms of relations with employees; developing communication/negotiation channels; negotiating with employee representatives taking account of legislation on industrial action (eg tribunals, mediation requirements); advising line managers on handling breaches of discipline; ensuring consistency in application of rules.

n                             Operating Employee Communication Systems and Processes

                                Supporting/promoting manager subordinate communication; managing communications/consultative forums (eg site/works councils, team briefings, cascade programmes, induction programmes); utilising different communications media (eg newsletters, notices, videos); monitoring communication effectiveness; promulgating company values and heritage.

n                             Providing Employee Assistance

                                Developing internal orientation and ‘feel’ for employees’ issues; anticipating areas of future difficulty; providing individual advice/counselling; determining applicability of formal counselling mechanisms (eg Occupational Health Unit, third party counsellor).

n                             Managing Restructuring

                                Agreeing rationale; constructing timetable; assessing potential legal and social implications (eg 'minority' profile of departees); communicating to all parties (eg labour unions, employees, press, officials); negotiating redundancy terms and conditions taking account of costs and motivational objectives; meeting legal requirements, national practices;  designing, organising and administering outplacement services/activities; managing contracting out of activities.