As we come to the end of this 3-part series (part 1 and part 2 having been published on April 13 and 21 of this year, respectively), let’s finish with the last three common HR problems that companies are often required to face, and discuss the most effective solutions.
Discrimination
As disheartening as it may be, discriminatory practices do still present themselves in this day and age, and they can be particularly tricky minefields through which only the most astute HR personnel will be able to navigate. However, there are pointers that can be considered in order to reduce the potential fallout from such a situation.
At no time can discrimination – whether cultural, sexual, religious, or otherwise – be permitted within a company that has any interest in maintaining a positive appearance in the public eye, and an equally positive attitude amongst its own workforce.
As such cases are rather delicate and, obviously, differ greatly from one another (given the potential scope of issues), it’s not wise to offer specific advice on how to handle discrimination, but to avoid any panic and rushing to seek a possible resolution, keeping a thorough record of demographic data of each employee – as much as possible that can be extracted from the documents submitted during the hiring process, and that which can be comprehensively updated from the first day of their employment until the current day – so that a full demographic and diversity data set can be called upon should any such negative issues arise. Such a simple tool can be highly valuable when it comes to assessing each case of alleged discrimination as it is brought to the attention of the HR department, making it easier to find a mutually beneficial resolution for all parties involved without the situation becoming unmanageable.
Health & Safety
Perhaps the most important factor referred to in this 3-part series centers on the safety and well-being of the workforce, and each company is responsible for maintaining a comprehensive record of the health and safety information for each employee so that meeting both moral and legal obligations is made that much easier, not to mention more effective (and more appreciated by the workforce and the public eye alike).
Again, as is a common theme in proper HR management, the primary tool at any company’s disposal is the comprehensive keeping of records (company protocols and requirements with regards to health & safety, any documents issued to/received from staff members with regards to their own health & safety, as well as any related courses that have been presented to staff on the same topic, to name but a few), as this will allow a quick and effective recall of relevant information should any health & safety concerns arise. This will both protect the company from any potential queries or disputes, and bolster the confidence of employees in terms of demonstrating to them that the company truly is looking out for them. As previously referred to in the prior instalments of this feature, HR software tools make the storing and retrieval of such information virtually effortless.
Staff Training
No matter how qualified a recent hire may be, there will almost always be some requirement for training so as to integrate the new member of staff into the company more seamlessly and with minimal delay (not every company in any given industry will operate in the same manner or with the same set of guiding principles, so it’s only natural that there will be a learning curve, no matter how short), and this also applies to long-standing members of a workforce who may need to be instructed on new or updated methods of completing a particular task (whether for procedural upgrades, new software releases, and so on), or even on new functions that the company has decided to incorporate into its offered services.
It’s true that some of the responsibility does fall on the shoulders of the employee when it comes to staying abreast with industry standards – both in terms of practices and the tools available – but even in such cases, the HR department are required to once again keep a comprehensive record of these updates for future reference and recall.
Such records – which can of course be made with far greater ease using HR software – should include registration information for exams of other instructional courses, which members of staff/departments will be required to cover the duty of the members of staff/departments that are absent due to taking said exams or courses (whether in-house or external), the status of any induction training that may be required, fire alarm and first-aid training and refresher courses, courses that update internal procedures and the ability to use newly available tools, as well as the costs and times/dates involved in all of these processes, to name but a few.
This concludes our 3-part series detailing the common problems faced by HR managers and departments and the most suitable and effective solutions that can be applied. Should you have any comments on this series, please email us on genius@justpayroll.ph and one of our certified experts will be made available to handle your inquiries.
