Hr Professionals

Case Study: 1

Q1) Why organizations adopt personnel policies explain the benefits?

Personnel policies are guidelines that an organization or company creates to manage its workers. Personnel policies describe the type of job performance and workplace behavior an organization expects from its employees, and what type of compensation and opportunities for advancement it is offering in return. The rules, requirements, benefits and opportunities outlined in personnel policies are often viewed as a reflection of an organization's values and goals

The Basics

Although personnel policies vary from company to company, most written policies are general rules that apply to all employees rather than specific job requirements for individual workers. Some of the most basic information includes the number of hours employees are expected to work each day, starting times, the amount of time allowed for breaks and lunch, and the number of sick days, personal days and vacation days each worker is entitled to take with pay each year.

Compensation

Personnel policies also describe the pay employees can expect for their work, although often salary or pay levels or tiers are used rather than specific dollar amounts. Payroll schedules and whether employees are paid weekly or bi-weekly, opportunities to work overtime, pay raises, and what a manager may consider during an employee evaluation are also usually included. Companies also explain what types of health care benefits are offered for workers, and how much each individual is expected to contribute for that insurance. Reimbursement for mileage traveled in an employee's personal vehicle, on-the-job expenses such as special clothing, and education that enhances an individual's job performance are usually discussed as part of a company's compensation package.

Supervisors and Grievances

The chain of command or who supervises an employee on the job should also be part of a personnel policy. Many employers clearly state specific actions or behaviors that are unacceptable in a workplace and the types of discipline workers can expect from supervisors if those rules are broken. However, most personnel policies also include a grievance process that explains how employees can appeal a supervisor's disciplinary decision if they feel it is unfair.

Employment Law

Although employers can fill personnel policies with other requirements and benefits, in some cases, policy is determined by federal employment laws. For example, an employer can choose to pay its workers $100 an hour. However, an employer must, in most cases, pay a worker at least the federal minimum wage or the state minimum wage if it is higher. According to the Family and Medical Leave Act, a company with 50 or more employees must allow any worker who has been on the job for 12 months to take a 12-week leave of absence for the birth or adoption of a child, for a serious illness or an emergency involving the military service of a family member. The Equal Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws that prohibit an employer from discriminating against a worker based or her race, sex, religion or national origin.

Goals

Personnel policies are, in part, the result of a post-World War II movement that looked at the emerging field of organizational psychology and tried to apply certain rules to workers to make industry more productive and efficient. During the 1960s and '70s, the field of human resources began paving a more humane and socially aware approach to personnel policies that emphasized a worker's sense of safety, well-being and opportunity as a means to achieve greater productivity.

Q2) What are the sources and contents of personnel policies?

An ideal personnel policy should have the following contents:-

(i) Name of the company: a complete historical review of the development of the company and full details regarding persons in management;

(ii) Sources of recruitment and methods, procedure and techniques for selection:

(iii) A mention of working conditions such as wording hours, leave rules, top-most authority, authority-levels, channels for promotions and rules regarding retirements etc.

(iv) Full details regarding training programs, planning and objectives of training Programs for existing and new employees.

(v) Procedure for handling grievances should be mentioned in detail i.e., to whom should they contact in case of any grievance and when and where?

(vi) Rules and regulations regarding accidents, unfair terminations, maintenance of discipline, standing orders:

(vii) Provision for labor welfare and service activities such as education, entertainment canteen facilities, financial assistance, profit sharing, benefits of provident-fund compensation for accidents etc.

(viii) Full details regarding rules for industrial relations i.e., notice period for strikes, lock-out rules for declaring strike illegal, monetary and other losses of strikes and lock out to workers etc.

(ix) Full particulars regarding, representation in collective bargaining.

(x) Line of communication and authority relationship should be ascertained.

(xi) Method and procedures of joint consultation.

It is clear from the above discussion that personnel policies should be designed in the broader prospective. The items to be incorporated in the personnel policy may be more or less according to needs of the organization but the above items must get a place in the personnel policy of large organization.

Q3) Explain few personnel policies?

Numerous policies are formulated and observed in a business organization. Their classification is made on the basis of their sources and scope.

The understanding of various policies helps in formulating as well as observing them.

1. Source of Policies. As to the source of their formulation, policies may be classified as originated, appealed, implied an externally imposed.

(a) Originated Policy. An originated policy is that which is formulated by the managers in the organization for their subordinate's