Human Resource Management Review

Today I walk away with so much better understanding of the human resource field. The role HR plays is more than recruiting, hiring and managing benefits, but also a key partner in helping the organization achieve its strategic business goals. Some of the topics I enjoyed most include incentive systems and performance management. Actually I have implemented a performance based reward system at my company using the knowledge I have gained from this course. I have also revised our employee handbook and added some key policies such as social media.   I also greatly enjoyed the board discussions, everybody was on top of his/her game. The discussions were very robust and the knowledge depth of all the participants was amazing. I never thought of ever writing a blog, but guess what..I am doing it and liking it. Last but not least, I think the Professor did a great job in keeping us on track without micro-managing the course too much. I greatly enjoyed this course.

Reasons Why Managers Oppose Public Sector Unions

Author: Dr. John Sullivan

Source:  http://www.ere.net/2011/03/07/reasons-why-managers-oppose-public-sector-unions/

Reasons Why Managers Oppose Public Sector Unions

The ongoing public-sector collective bargain rights controversy in Wisconsin reminds us how emotive this issue can be. In this article Dr. John Sullivan a professor of Management at San Francisco State University takes a non-partisan look on why public-sector managers resist unions. I will highlight some of what I think are very compelling reasons;

1. Long-term contracts can limit flexibility required by public managers to make major changes in response to fast changing economic realities.

2. Work rules can limit reengineering and innovation, strict work rules usually do not allow managers to reengineer their departments and redesign jobs in response to budget cuts or for innovation reasons

3. "Members first" values can limit technology - public-sector unions are by definition advocates of their members. Unions and their members usually engage in efforts to slow down implementation of new technologies, thus sacrificing efficiency and reduced costs in production.

4. In a monopoly situation, strikes can cripple -public sector officials are more pressured to succumb to the demands of unions because government agencies usually operate as a monopoly and strikes can really damage the community.

5.  Job security as a value may reduce necessary terminations - Strong union support may lead to severe restrictions on firing poor performers.

In my opinion Dr. Sullivan has presented a fair case why public sector union representation might not be in the best interest of the Tax Payers.  However I still believe both parties can benefit from a well structured contract, which protects workers rights and also benefits the public sector organizations. This can only be achieved if both sides stay away from emotional arguments and focus on the core issues.

Employers Boosting Work-Life Balance Benefits

I read an article in ere.net a recruiting community website Click Here for Article which talks about the benefits of boosting work-life balance benefits. A survey conducted by hiring managers, recruiters, and human resource professionals found out  "unlike the flashy perks and glitzy giveaways some offered in the frenetic late 1990′s, companies are now increasingly focused on ‘bennies’ that support their employees’ sense of work-life balance."
This JobKite survey revealed that "56 percent of the 263 responding companies have made some significant enhancements to the employee benefits they are offering for retention or recruiting purposes, with most geared toward improving the quality of employees’ work and home lives." Such benefits include increased vacation time, alternative working arrangements such as flex time or telecommuting etc
This survey proves that employee retention and satisfaction can be accomplished not only by offering high perks but also other benefits which boost work-life balance such as telecommuting, flexible scheduling and extended paid time off.
Those employers who will quickly enhance or boost their  work-life balance benefits will reap the benefits of employee loyalty and retention.