Conflict, bargaining, involvement and well-being

Based on Chapter 20 of Human Resource Management (4th Edition) by Alan Price - published by Cengage

Contents

Objectives

The purpose of this section is to:

• Discuss the role of conflict in the workplace.
• Provide an overview of mediation and tribunal systems.
• Evaluate the relationship between employee involvement and workplace productivity.
• Discuss the role of HR practitioners in matters such as work-life balance, health and safety and stress reduction.

• Employee relations as an activity
• Conflict
• Tribunals and arbitration systems
• The negotiating process
• Models of bargaining
• Employee involvement
• Employee involvement in practice
• Work-life balance
• Health and safety
• Stress

Summary

This section focuses on employee relations as an activity extending through negotiation and bargaining, discipline and employee involvement. These activities involve a number of skills crucial to human resource managers. HR specialists are also involved in issues which are considerably legislated and touch on home life and health as well as more familiar workplace topics such as discipline and conflict. Competitive pressure has placed extra burdens on employees, especially those with career aspirations. These burdens can cause health problems, particularly those that are stress-related. HR practitioners have at least a moral responsibility to deal with such matters and encourage the setting up of supportive mechanisms such as employee assistance programmes.