labor relations

Examples of labor relations in the following topics:

• The Evolution of Labor Relations

  • Human resource management must carefully monitor the labor relations and regulations in all of the geographic regions where they hire.
  • Labor relations is a subarea of industrial relations, which is the field of employee/employer relationships.
  • The above chart is extremely useful in understanding labor-relations trends over the past century or so in the United States.
  • This held strong for many years, and the decline of unions is a very recent trend in labor relations.
  • Explain the way in which labor relations and labor unions evolve and change over time, alongside the implications of the negotiation process between employers and employees.

• Unions

  • A labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals.
  • The petition cards must then be submitted to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which verifies them and orders a secret-ballot election to elect union representatives.
  • The other exception is a last resort—it allows the NLRB to order an employer to recognize a union if over 50% have signed cards and the employer has engaged in unfair labor practices, making a fair election unlikely.
  • The labor union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts (collective bargaining) with employers.
  • Describe the function of a labor union in the larger legal perspective of human resource management

• The Mission of Human Resource Management

  • It also ensures compliance with employment and labor laws, which differ by geography, and often oversees health, safety, and security.
  • In circumstances where employees desire, and/or are legally authorized to hold, a collective bargaining agreement, the human resources department will typically also serve as the company's primary liaison with the employees' representatives (usually a labor union).
  • HR professionals engage in lobbying efforts, usually through industry representatives, with governmental agencies such as the United States Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to further their priorities.
  • Finally, HR is involved in employee terminations—including resignations, performance-related dismissals, and layoffs.

• Collective Bargaining

  • A collective agreement functions as a labor contract between an employer and one or more unions.
  • In the United States, the National Labor Relations Act of 1953 covers most collective agreements in the private sector.
  • Unions are also exempt from antitrust law, in the hope that members may collectively fix a higher price for their labor.

• Labor Laws

  • Both types of labor law define employment standards.
  • Government agencies enforce employment standards codified by labor law.
  • Labor laws arose from workers' demands for better working conditions and the right to organize (or, alternatively, the right to work without joining a labor union) and the simultaneous demands of employers to restrict the powers of workers' organizations and to keep labor costs low.
  • This has been the case since the collapse of feudalism and is the core reality of modern economic relations.
  • The National Labor Relations Act, enacted in 1935 as part of the New Deal legislation, guarantees workers the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.

• Employee Compensation and Benefits

  • In addition to base salary, there are other pay elements that are paid based solely on employee/employer relations.

• Defining Decision Making

  • While they are related, problem analysis and decision making are distinct activities.
  • For example, when choosing a place to establish a new business, the criteria might include rental costs, availability of skilled labor, access to transportation and means of distribution, and proximity to customers.

• Causes of Workplace Stress

  • Work-related stress is typically caused by demands and pressure from either within or outside of the workplace; it can be derived from uncertainty over where the job will take the employee, inconsistent or difficult expectations, interpersonal issues, or physical demands.
  • Results showed a time-related trend that suggested an increase in work intensity.
  • According to the Department of Labor, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in work weeks of greater than forty hours by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children.

• Occupational Health and Safety

  • In financial terms, OSH can reduce employee injury- and illness-related costs, including medical care, sick leave, and disability-benefit costs.
  • Department of Labor, is responsible for developing and enforcing workplace safety and health regulations.

• Why Study Organizational Theory?

  • The concept of factory production amplified production as a whole and allowed for the organized division of labor to start.
  • In that case, developments in organizational theory led to stronger government regulations and stronger production-related safety mandates.