THE EMPLOYMENT CYCLE:

1. Establishment phase

- staff planning in line with business strategy

- job analysis

- recruitment

- selection

- employment arrangements and remuneration

2. Maintenance phase

- induction

- training & development

- performance management

3. Termination phase

- termination management - retirement, redundancy, resignation & dismissal

- entitlement and transition issues

Benefits of training for employees:

- opportunity for promotion and self-improvement

- improved job satisfaction through better job performance

- a challenge - the chance to learn new things

- adaptability - greater ability to adapt to & cope with changes

Benefits of training for business:

- higher productivity through better job performance and more efficient use of human resources

- goals & objectives more effectively met

reduced costs due to less labour turnover and absenteeism , and fewer errors and accidents

- a more capable, 'mobile' workforce

Advantages of on-the-job training:

- the most cost-effective alternative, as no travel expenses or other costs are incurred

- employees are often actually working while training, so are more productive

- trainees uses the actual equipment that is required to do the job

- employees are in a familar environment, with colleagues they are used to working with

- immediate feedback from more experiences colleagues is available

Disadvantages of on-the-job training:

- quality of the trainer may vary - not everyone has the ability to teach others

- bad habits of older staff may be passed on to younger employees

- the learning environment may be noisy, with distractions from other work activities

- if real tools and equipment are used, it may disrupt production

- the trainer may have to leave their own duties to carry out the training

Advantages of off-the-job training:

- availability of a wider range of skills and qualifications than those in the workplace

- outside experts and specialists can provide broader experiences

- usually more structured and organised, with clear assessment processes

- can provide a formally recognised qualification for employees

- can be more intense without workplace distractions for both trainer and trainee

Disadvantages of off-the-job training:

- may be too theoretical without access to workplace tools or equipment

- more expensive, with fees charged, travel costs, etc.

- lost working time while the employee is absent from the workplace

- employees with an externally recognised qualification may be tempted to leave to find a better job

- may not relate directly to the exact skills required in the workplace.

Development:

- job rotation

- mentoring

- formal business training

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Performance appraisal:

1. to provide feedback from management to employees regarding work performance

2. to act as a measurement against which promotion and pay rises can be determined

3. to help the business monitor its employee selection

4. to identify employees' training and development needs

5. to identify new objectives and put a plan in place to improve future performance

Common methods of appraisal:

- essay method - journal on each employee

- critical incident method - records exceptionally good or bad aspects of work performance

- comparison method - employee is ranked according to a list of predetermined performance characteristics

Management by objectives:

1. business objectives are clearly defined

2. individual employee goals are negotiated

3. regular monitoring of progress

4. performance feedback

5. performance appraisal on achievement on goals

Employee self-evaluation:

- involves employees carrying out a process of self-assessment, based on a set of agreed criteria

Employee observation:

- 360 degree feedback relies on observations from fellow employees

Termination of employment: Entitlement & transition issues:

- employees are now expected to warn employees if their work performance is not satisfactory, and to provide training opportunities to help them improve.

- employees must be given proper notice and employers must comply with procedures established in law

Unfair dismissal:

- absence from work due to illness or injury

- either belonging or not belonging to a trade union

- race, colour, sex, sexual preference, age, disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinions held, or nationality.

WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Employers:

- employers handle employee relations issues on a daily basis, including their involvement in developing programs that focus on improving business performance

- we have moved away from a centralised system where most worker in a particular industry would be given the same working conditions under what was known as an 'award'

- we now have a more decentralised system where negotiation can occur at enterprise level.

Employees:

- the increasing practice of negotiating employment agreements at the workplace level means that employees will be more closely engaged in the process of developing new or changed agreements

- employers are likely to want improved productivity, or the achievement of specified objectives, in return for improved wages or conditions, so the process may involve employees having to modify existing work practices to achieve those objectives.

Human resource managers:

- negotiation of employment agreements with employees and their representatives

- training of staff and other managers

- dealing with disputes

- implementation of the agreement

Governments & government organisations:

1. legislator

2. employer

3. economic manager

4. administrator of government policies on employee relations

5. representative of Australia in the international arena

The Fair Work Commission:

- to deal with the resolution of industrial disputes, and to act as an independent umpire in setting minimum wages and employment standards

- approves agreements reached at the enterprise level

- resolves disputes between an employer and the employees when no agreement can be reached

- sets a minimum wage level for the lowest paid workers

Industry-wide awards:

- the significance of industry-wide awards today is that they provide a set of minimum employment standards for employees working within an industry

Collective & industrial agreements:

- even though many employees will sign an individual employment contract when they commence work with a new employer, the terms and conditions of the contract will generally be based on the enterprise agreement that has previously been negotiated

Collective:

- a collective (enterprise) agreement, may be made between an employer and a union, acting on behalf of its employees, or between the employer and a group representing the majority of its employees.

Individual:

- all individual employment contracts must comply with the relevant award, and must be consistent with the 10 National Employment Standards

- such contracts may provide conditions that are better than the relevant Award, but cannot exclude any Award condition, or reduce the relevant conditions or benefits

- the only cases in which a common law employment contract can exclude relevant Award conditions is when the employee is guaranteed an income that is above the high income threshold

Industrial action:

1. strike

2. lockout

3. picket lines

4. work bans

5. work-to-rule

6. absenteeism, vandalism & sabotage

Causes of conflict:

1. disputes relating to the negotiation of Awards and collective/enterprise agreements

2. disputes relating to outside Awards and collective/enterprise agreements

Resolution of disputes:

- negotiation

- mediation

- grievance procedures

- conciliation

- arbitration

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