The Aspects of Employee Relations and Communications - Report Example

HR Audit (A Clothing Store) Table of Contents Thesis ment 3 Employee Relations and Communications Questionnaire 3 Communication 3 Employee Treatment 5 Work Cited 8 Thesis Statement The objective of the paper is to have a thorough assessment of the aspects of employee relations and communications as well as employee treatment at Gap, Inc. a United States based clothing retail organization. Employee Relations and Communications Questionnaire Communication 1. There is an employee relation manager within the Gap, Inc. who is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all employee relations as well as communications activities. The human resource manager is chiefly responsible to look after various employees related issues in the organization. It has been apparent that the company tends to involve the skills, knowledge as well as experiences of various stakeholders in order to improve the productivity of the employees in the organization and to stimulate smooth flow of communication within the organization. The employee relation manager at Gap does not only deal with the problems of the employees but also involves in administering employee relations to attain better dynamics throughout the organization (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 2. Gap tends to follow set protocols in relation to handling of the relationship with the employees. The company realizes and respects the employees’ right to socialize and have personal relationships with the co-workers. It ensures that employee relations and communications do not negatively hamper the productivities of the employees. The policies of the organization state that the employees possessing intimate relationships with their colleagues need to ensure that they do not create an uncomfortable work environment for others (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 3. The policies explicitly state expected behaviors of employees at the workplace which facilitates to enhance the efficiency of the organization. The company tends to encourage its employees to report violations as well as possibility of violations to their supervisors or the human resource managers. The employees are asked to report regarding their grievances to the HR manager as soon as they take place in the organization. This shall assist the manager at taking instant as well as requisite steps. The employees of the company as well as the director are required to comply with the code of business conduct. The employees of Gap are needed to follow all the laws and the regulations related to the meal periods, rest breaks as well as employment of minors. The employees are required to work to the highest ethical standards (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 4. Gap, Inc offers the employees with the opportunities to share the information with their superiors and gather information being transmitted from the top down. The superiors of the organization help the employees to connect with and hence support them in various ways such as communicating openly and demonstrating appreciation for the job well done, offering benefit programs to the employees and assisting them during the time of crisis. From time to time, the employees of the organization are capable of accessing the confidential information that can never be accessed by people outside the company. The confidential information is generally related to the undeclared product information, strategic plans and financial plans (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 5. There is an employee forum that permits the employees to openly share their viewpoints regarding any matter related to the company. Such a strong internal communication method tends to ensure that the company’s employees are informed in a proper way regarding the objectives of the group. Through such employee forums, Gap, Inc is capable of attaining effective feedbacks from the employees regarding their flexibility with the HR policies of the company. Through the opinions gathered from the employees, the company is capable of improving the policies thereon (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). Employee Treatment 1. It can be observed that Gap evaluates the complaints related to discrimination as well as harassment. The company expects full cooperation from its employees in case of such investigations. Failure to do so might even lead to termination of the employees at the organization. The complaints made by each employee are closely taken into consideration and Gap takes relevant actions immediately for the effectiveness of the employees. It can be mentioned that the union representatives in supply factories who are generally approved by Gap are capable of taking complaints to Gap’s social responsibility manager. The social responsibility manager encourages the union to look into the matters directly with the factory management. It provides necessary follow ups to both the parties. It is the duty of the supply responsibility manager to be well aware of the complaints and other disputes arising in the organization and thus act promptly (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 2. As a leading organization clothing retail sector, Gap tends to play a major role in career development of the employees. Gap assists the employees to reach their career goals and hence motivate the employees to attain best possible outcomes. This further facilitates the organization to stimulate the contribution of the employees towards the attainment of the goals and subsequently helps them in maintaining competitive position in the clothing retail segment. The HR manager of Gap is generally responsible to oversee the growth of the employees at the organization. With proper training programs, the employees are capable of improving their skills and knowledge by a greater extent which can be utilized in effectively implementing the strategies prepared by the organization (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 3. In terms of daily supervision and management of employees at Gap, the supervisors can be rated on a one to seven scale that has been demonstrated in the figure below. It can be stated that the supervisors are effective enough at managing the employees at the organization. They can be ranked as good in terms of daily supervision and management of the employees. Hence, it becomes imperative for the company to pay greater focus upon the supervision of the employees in order to assist the employees at improving the skills and knowledge along with appropriately implementing them at the organization (Gap Inc, “Annual Report 2011”). 4. It can be recommended to Gap that it is required to have stringent HR policies and procedures in order to improve the employee communication in the organization. Furthermore, the company is required to have HR audit on an interim basis for better treatment of the employees at the organization. Focusing upon better supervision of employees shall also prove to be quite effective for attainment of the goals of the organization. Work Cited Gap Inc. Annual Report 2011, 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2012. Read More