Employee Relations

An Example of Employee Relations

You can't define employee relations without delving into all of the ways that workers and their employers function symbiotically, as threads in a web that keeps a business healthy and whole. Employee relations roles and responsibilities include managing interpersonal dynamics between management and staff, providing satisfactory benefits and making sure workers are paid on time. Some business owners see employee relations as a chore, but this area can actually be an engaging, satisfying part of running a business, one whose benefits far outweigh its costs.

Employee Relations Examples

Most states require employers to provide some form of maternity or paternity leave. This means that a business must at least cover the employee's work and allow a new parent up to several months of time off without risking loss of a job. But an employer's responsibility to an employee who has recently become a parent can reach far beyond simply keeping a job open. Maternity and paternity leave are typically unpaid, and a business that is truly engaged in the well being of its staff might also provide some paid time off to ease the transition into parenthood. A new parent will also require a considerable amount of job flexibility through perks such as flex time, and an employer truly committed to employee relations will go the extra mile to accommodate scheduling needs once this employee returns from leave.

Human Resources and Employee Relations

Your human resources department is involved in every stage of employee relations. After all, it's the department's job to take care of employees and also hold them accountable when they're not doing their jobs. These human resources responsibilities include doing paperwork and communicating information about employee benefits such as health care coverage, retirement plans and sick leave. Employee orientation is also the job of the human resources department, as are disciplinary actions such as warning letters and, if necessary, termination and severance pay. In a company that cares about employee relations, these human resources functions aren't just a matter of checking boxes and following protocol. Rather, effective human resources staff treat employees like valued stakeholders, whose satisfaction and well-being are essential for the company's success.

Relationships Among Employees

Employee relations extends beyond the connection between business management and workers. A company's personnel often spend much of their waking time together, and strong ties or aversions can make or break a work environment. Employees who work well together can collaborate to do high quality work that transcends what each individual is capable of achieving alone. A work environment where workers care about and support one another can be an important element affecting employee retention. Conversely a work space poisoned by toxic relationships can sour employee morale and turn motivated workers into disaffected staff.