Strategic HR Issue Research Paper Example

Introduction

The HR director is one of the most important people in any business organization. The human resource is the most important asset of an organization and the HR director is charged with the duty of ensuring that everything is running well with this asset. The HR director helps solve any problems that may arise with the human resources and is also responsible for ensuring the employee wellbeing. Since an organization is a very dynamic entity, the HR director has to come up with different strategies to approach different scenarios involving human resources and ensure that the outcome is one that is aligned with the organization goals.

Question 1

Statistics from the American Cancer Society (2012), show that one in every three people in the country have the likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer at a particular stage of their lives. About 30% of this diagnosis is done to people who are active in the workplace. This therefore shows how important it is for a company to deal with the cancer issue.
The problem that leads to requests such as this one being made for additional money to help pay medical bills is the fact that cancer has a big impact on the finances of patients. The major issue is that the patients have to incur increased expenses for travel, medication and even special feeding programs. This means that an employee is forced to try to get funds from any possible avenue, and the workplace is one of the said avenues.
As the human resource department, it is essential to help the employee safely navigate through the financial hardships. This is because a failure to do so may lead to adverse effects on the company. First, it will aid in reducing possible replacement costs, while also helping the retention of knowledge and experience the employee has gathered over 25 years. It will also help the company in earning the trust and loyalty of the employees. As the HR director for the company, therefore, I would deal with this request by sharing important information and giving all the help I can. First, I would inform the employee of the rights they have under the law. I would also explain how the company benefits can help them. This would mean going through the company’s policies concerning medical conditions and leave policies, in order to establish the employee’s payment levels and even pension entitlements. In offering this help, I would not be tied only to the office, but would also advise the employee about payment falling under insurance policies with special focus on issues such as life policies, income protection and critical illness schemes. I would also inform the employee of their eligibility for state benefits. This can be a major alternative source of income that most people are not aware of. Lastly, I would refer the employee to other financial consultants who can offer help in this situation.

Question 2

Studies have shown that conflicts are inevitable in the workplace, and their effects spread from the individuals involved to impact all other players in the company. The working environment is affected and becomes tense, which can easily cripple operations in the company. The situation becomes even more difficult in this case since the conflict in this department is between employees and the supervisor. This will require my intervention to ensure that the situation does not escalate to unmanageable heights.
Experiences in the human resource field show that the problem in this department is two-edged. The first perspective is that of the supervisor. It has been noted that many new supervisors may feel insecure and inadequate. This creates a problem since they tend to compensate for this by overstepping in order to prove that they are the bosses (Pearson, 2009). Conflicts thus occur since employees are likely to react, question the supervisor’s authority leading to retaliations from both sides. The other perspective on the conflict is through the employee's eyes. In most cases, employees will always have a problem with change in management. This situation is aggravated by issues such as gender, age and the experience of the new supervisors. The employees may result into resisting the change, and this is bound to bring about conflicts.
My approach, to solving this conflict, will first involve calling for a private meeting with the supervisor and the employees to address the issue directly. Here, everyone will be allowed to speak their minds out. The next point will be bringing the reality check upon them. This is due to the fact that sometimes during the conflict, both parties may deviate from the bigger picture. The focus for the company is lost since emphasis is laid on minor issues. Therefore, making both parties see the bigger picture can help in arriving at a quick solution. On reaching possible solutions, I would go further to contract with both the employees and the supervisor on what role they have to play to improve the situation. This document can be used as a checklist for managing the relationship between the two parties and thus help in fostering peace.

Question 3

The issue of termination of employment is inevitable in any company. Dismissal in most cases occurs when an employer decides to terminate the contract of the employee. This may be due to various reasons, but the general agreement is that this kind of formal action is only taken if any other informal method to rectify the fallout between the employer and employee fails. Most companies agree that a dismissal should be the last resort in worker relations.
The problem, in this case, where the lady claims to have been dismissed unfairly and thus calling for rehire is that it is a complex issue that brings together company policies, individual views and even the workers union. Trying to bring the different perspectives into some kind of agreement may prove to be difficult, but me as the HR director would try to arrive at a reasonable compromise.
In establishing the merit of the lady’s demand for rehire, I would first look into the nature of her dismissal and all the factors that are surrounding it. First; I would look into the company’s policy about rehire and employment at large in order to establish whether it is possible.
The major issue though would be looking into the nature of her dismissal and establish whether she has a bargaining point. This would be done while also considering the Employees right not to be unfairly dismissed. I will first investigate whether the lady was given fair warning. If this was given next would come issues of the notice period given to her before the dismissal and whether the required payments were made. I would also investigate on whether the claims, of other employees doing the same mistakes, are true. Depending on what the digging will bring out, the right course of action will be taken in order to prevent dragging the company to the court or infringing on the bylaws and core values of the company.

Question 4

In cases where it becomes clear that a given employee is not performing to the required standards as is the case is here, it is important for corrective action to be taken. As the HR director for the company, it will be my responsibility to determine the extent to which the corrective measure is taken. This will be determined by the seriousness level of the situation. Here, the situation is pretty serious given that it has persisted for over 6 months.
In planning to solve this problem, I would first engage in looking into what transformed the said employee from a performer to a non-performer. Given her medical condition and the time she had been away, a window appears there where a combination of negative factors may have affected her.
Dealing with this issue will be a process that will start by first giving her the platform to talk, be heard and her performance judged accordingly with no bias. All the issues raised against her will then be examined critically to establish the truth. I will then go on to spell out the job performance requirements that she should adhere to. Here, I will notify her what is expected of her and the necessary steps that can be taken if she does not improve. In case the performance does not get better, procedures that are in line with the company’s policy of dismissal due unsatisfactory performance will be initiated.

Conclusion

As observed, there are various issues and scenarios that usually spring up within the organization and that involve the human resource. Ultimately, these scenarios and issues have to be approached carefully and strategically to ensure that the final outcome or result is one that mutually benefits both the individuals involved as well as the entire organization. It is the job of the HR director to oversee and facilitate this process and ensure employee’s wellbeing at all times.

References

American Cancer Society. (2012). Cancer Facts and Statistics. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/index
Pearson, C., & Porath, C. (2009). The cost of bad behavior: How incivility is damaging your business and what to do about it. Penguin.
Performance Management: Create an aligned, high-performing workforce. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from http://www.successfactors.com/en_us/solutions/bizx-suite/talent-solutions/performance-goals.html