Employee and labor relations issues

After spending some time observing the day-to-day operations of Elora Jean & Co., you have noticed a trend in employee and labor relations issues. These issues include perceived unfair treatment from managers, distress over disciplinary actions, and anxiety about new human resources (HR) policies.

Aware of the union and nonunion entities within Elora Jean & Co., you have observed that the production supervisors are unclear on the facility’s union grievance procedures, and the nonproduction supervisors are unclear on how to handle employee concerns in their offices. Employees often feel that they do not have the means to fully voice their concerns. With this level of confusion on grievance procedures, employee morale and performance has begun to decline, affecting Elora Jean & Co.’s ability to stay competitive.

As the HR consultant, you see an opportunity to educate Elora Jean & Co.’s management team on grievance practices. You decide to review guidelines on dispute resolution and grievance procedures and prepare a presentation for the company’s owner.

Prepare a presentation on developing a work climate in which grievances are a last resort and how to properly address them when they do occur. Your presentation should include the following components:

• Include recommendations on a strategy that Elora Jean & Co. can incorporate to proactively avoid grievances. Your recommendation should include a way to create an environment in which employee issues are identified and addressed before they move into a formal grievance process. Recommendations for creating positive employee relations should be discussed.
• Include recommendations for a dispute resolution process for the nonunion offices. Your proposal should include a sample procedure for nonunion employees to follow when complaints arise.
• Present step-by-step guidelines for handling grievances in the production facility. Your presentation should include recommendations for investigating complaints, working effectively with union representatives, and summarizing supervisor responsibilities. Include cautions about actions to avoid when handling grievances.
• Include a proposal for training to educate the line managers on handling grievances and avoiding grievances to ensure violations do not occur. Specifically, discuss the areas that such training should cover.