Employee Relations in the Public Sector - Essay Example

?Employee relations in the public sector have generally been conflict ridden for some time. Discuss the reasons for this and what the implications for the future are. Introduction Employee relations in the time and age of today are marred with serious difficulties and troubles. This is because the organizations have not focused on developing the employee relations within their domains but concentrated solely on how to exponentially increase their respective profit margins. Employee relations are important as this outlines the need for remaining one step ahead of the competing organizations in the way they deal with their respective employees. The interaction of employees with one another is an undertaking that will bear fruit for the organization at large and make the industry realize the true potential of these employees in essence. This paper shall discuss the exact reasons why the employee relations are coming down with the advent of age, and how solutions could be found for the problems that have marred the organizational philosophy for such a long time (Gianaris 1996). What is needed is to inculcate feelings of tolerance and organizational harmony so that employee relations would bolster and the organization would grow and develop with the changing times. It will also examine the different issues which have cropped up and how these would pose as serious difficulties in the coming times. The role of the human resources management department and the top management is also essential because it would bring in sanity and a soothing feeling within the minds and hearts of the employees, which shall transpire automatically within the organizational realms. Discussion on Employee Relations One must understand that employee relations in the present day and age would bring in the much touted value and quality for the sake of the employees and the organization in the long run. Employee relations have been hit badly due to lingering issues which have hampered within the public domains. The public sector has been the worst hit because the people who are hired within the public sector are usually incompetent and lack the knack to learn whilst being a part of their jobs. They have usually fallen short of the expected count because they lack the vision to grow on their jobs and serve the masses but sadly this is a harsh reality as far as the public sector individuals are concerned (White & Corby 1999). The employee relations also become a point of serious trouble when there are issues within the trade unions and the trade regimes which keep on coming up every now and then. This is a fact that employee relations would have to be improved and enhanced in order to make sure that the public views the entire domains of the public sector as a genuine one and which can deliver value and quality in the form of services for them, without any compromise. Since employee relations are dependent on how the rules and policies of the human resources management department are drafted, it is essential to know that the employee relations should always be understood from a balanced perspective more than anything else. What this suggests is that more or less it is the relationship amongst the employees and the employers themselves which shall be affected in a number of different ways if the entire phenomenon of employee relations comes to a standstill (Singh 2006). Employee involvement is seen as a negative element more than anything else and thus employee empowerment is in essence absolutely missing within the business processes, tasks and activities in the organization. When an employee comes out clean with regards to his respective undertakings, it signifies his stance within the domains of the organization and not within the terrains that he is looking forward to having. One must not forget that this is his work and more than that his attitude and the capacity to turn ideas into concepts which will bring him success at the end of the day. On the other hand, all these elements would seem to be a missing element when the employees are not given their due share to be a part of the organization in terms of their participation and to get involved within the different processes and systems which are going on within the organization. Employee relations with participatory influence discuss the most significant factors which take care of the participatory role of the employees in an organization (Rose 2008). Employee relations usually look at increasing the political, economic and the social capacities or strengths of the workers and employees which would essentially assist in building up relationships with the different communities as well as the stakeholders. Correctly put, empowerment is therefore one aspect which takes a look at ensuring that the confidence gets developed during this while as well as the building up of the individual capacities (Striplin 2006). Unions provide emancipation to the workers as they feel that they are not unduly under the supervision of the employers. They start to believe that they have their own right within the context of the organization that they work for. Unions usually provide them the cushion to exert their influence and have their say within the employers’ dealing with the employees and workers on a regular basis. The unions have largely been criticized as employers believe that these unions bring in more trouble for the organization than any benefits (Heaton, Mason & Morgan 2000). The debates seem to hot up each time the word ‘union’ is used within the organizational contexts. These debates have centered on the phenomenon of cultivating growth and development within the ranks of the workers so that their lives could improve and their working conditions enhance with the changing times. These unions have existed for a long time now as the gap between the management and the workers has increased. Industrial relations do take their basis from the employee relations’ regimes as well. This is because industrial relations are usually one step ahead of how employee relations are shaping up, and how success has been envisaged by the trade unions and bodies from a long term standpoint. Much significance has been paid on the fact that these trade unions and bodies should manifest the true meanings and implications of the people who are a part of these trade unions in the first place. However more could be done to suggest success for such quarters in the changing times and future looks all set to be dazzled with new inventions and innovations coming into the fore of the industrial realms (Calo 2006). If industrial relations are within the public sector domains, these should be handled in such a way that success becomes a part and parcel of the linkage between the stakeholders who are indeed the public and the relationship that is derived from the quarters of the industrial domains. There must be significant understanding for employee relations to come about in a manner where there is immense room for growth and development. However if these growth regimes are not tackled in a way which is seemingly fit with the philosophy of the organization, there would be a lot of problems for one and all, and thus the dictum of employee relations would come down quickly (Blyton & Turnbull 2004). Thus it would not be wrong here to suggest that employee relations need to make the rounds of different kinds of business hierarchies so that power transfer is ensured in a hassle-free way. It is under such circumstances that the employees would be taken as being more accountable than they usually are from time to time. Within the same discussion, one must realize that the implications linked with employee participation, their empowerment and the eventual involvement are connected with one another and thus the eventual perspective is to set a goal which suits the dictum of the organization under consideration. Such philosophies of employee relations need to be followed and thus implemented within the different work related environments as one can think of these aspects within a broad standpoint. Building up an organizational climate which is response to having good and cordial relations amongst its own employees is the need of the hour as this is pertinent to managers manifesting their actions in a manner which is duly adopted by their sub-ordinates and hence there seem to be no expectations linked with the performance of the right deeds by the employees. The emphasis must always start from the domains of the managers themselves as they seek to give out a message of hope and commitment to the ones working under them (Brandon 1995). This would put the employees at ease and they will feel valued at work as their work domains would get appreciated for all the right reasons. This will ensure that the efficiency and the effectiveness levels of their work tasks get exponentially increased where the ultimate result would be to make the organization proud due to their efforts and endeavors. Similarly, the role of the human resources management department within the employee relations domains is pivotal towards understanding how employees interact with one another, and how they are treated under the aegis of the organization. One should believe that if the organization does not quite know what importance the employee relations has on the public sector in meticulous, it would mean that there are certain grey areas which need to be resolved at the earliest. This would manifest proper and sound growth and development amongst the employees and would make them feel elated and satisfied with their respective work domains. The new recruits within the organizations should know beforehand what to expect of them and what is in store as per their work tasks (Gall 2001). This would mean that they have to give their cent percent when it comes to the performance of their duties and work regimes. They should have a principled stance embedded deep within their work philosophies so that nobody can take them for a ride. They would know exactly what the public sector organization asks of them and how they would be giving in their very best. Hence the responsibility of the organization with the incorporation of sound policies and regulations by the human resources management department is of utmost essence as it would embody the basis of growth and development in a proactively consistent way. The public sector labor reforms bring to light the importance of understanding that public sector policies would do some good for the stakeholders at large and the employees in essence. The relations with these employees would considerably improve if they are given a chance to showcase their true talents, while appreciating how they bring to light the notion of a positive change – a change that is good for the betterment of the employees and thus the industry in general. The labor laws should also be amended every now and then so as to make sure that the negativities within the system could be removed, and the positives are highlighted with a sense of purpose and doing something constructive for the employees, who again bank on the organization for meeting their needs, goals and objectives (Gillis 2004). The labor reforms would bring in the much needed sanity which is important for instilling pride and confidence within the employees, so that they know beforehand that they are being valued for the work they do and the tasks they complete within a set period of time. The future is made secure if such incorporations are the order of the day because what this would do in essence is to make sure that the employee relations get bolstered and the employees see themselves moving ahead professionally as they continue to prosper. In order to prosper, there is a dire need to set things right and this can only happen when there are concerted efforts to follow the proper hierarchies within the heading of the employee relations. Within the public sector, employee relations have been conflict ridden because these are not defined in the most proper sense. What is important is to understand that employee relations shall bring in the much needed value for the employees so that they could establish positive links with the organizations that they work for, as well as create room for improving their respective work conditions. These elements are deemed as significant because these will change the basis of organizations in the coming time and age, as well as transpire confidence into the minds of the employees that they are being valued for all the right reasons. There is a dire need to comprehend the fact that employee relations should be kept at the most superior position because this is testimony to the success of the organizations, the employees and the overall industry of work environments which have come up with the passage of time (Bach 2002). When one thinks of the partnerships that develop between the organizations and their employees, the talk of employee relations comes to the fore, and quite rightly so, as there is a need to find out where one is going wrong and what he needs to do in order to bring sanity within the related ranks of the organization. Under the domains of employee relations, managing conflicts within organizations is a very important task because these conflicts could increase if proper attention is not paid upon them. What this means is the fact that conflict management is indeed an art in the time and age of today, within the domains of the organization. There is immense significance laid upon the understanding that conflict management will resolve and take care of nearly all the issues that crop up at the workplace (Muir 1993). Now it is the duty of the top management as well as the human resources management department to bring positive solutions, which will essentially take care of the workplace dynamics as well as bring all of the employees on a single platform, as and when needed. There is a dire need to comprehend where the employees are going wrong as per their work domains and what needs to be changed in order to bring sanity within the organization. If the human resources department feels that there is a lot of negativity at the workplace and that the employees do not feel motivated to do their respective chores, then issues could arise which could turn into potential conflicts at the workplace (Madsen 2003). Now is the time to make sure that these conflicts would get settled in the best manner possible and that too with utmost ease and understanding on the part of the people who are assigned the very tasks in essence. Conclusion One needs to understand employee relations could only be gauged when there are proper and adequate measures in place and when there is a need by the top management to check for their role in the management and organizational activities and processes. This indeed is very significant for the actual basis of running a business in the most fitting manner possible. In the end, it is up to the employee himself as to how well he performs under pressure for his own good as well as that of the hospitality organization. This would reap rich dividends for not only him but also the people related to his working basis (Dibble 1999). In the end, it is a fact that motivated employees do help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees as per their performance regimes. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivation is the most difficult one. This is due, in part, to the fact that what motivates employees’ changes constantly. Bibliography Bach, S. D. (2002). “Public-sector Employment Relations Reforms under Labor: Muddling through or modernization?” British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol.40, no.2 Blyton, P. & Turnbull, P. (2004). (3rd edition) The Dynamics of Employee Relations Basingstoke: Macmillan Brandon, Michael C. 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