Fire Drill and Safety Program: Saved life

Mumbai, March 08, 2011 - A fire had broken out in shipping firm building but major loss and any causality were avoided because employees were aware what to do in such emergency. Thanks to management and HR who had had prepared the employees by continuous fire drill and safety programs.

Safety and Security of employees are not only responsibility of HR it is responsibility of each employee. We have to take safety drill and programs seriously they are not just time pass program but they small and basic program which save human life and property in emergencies.

As a HR we must carry out fire drills and safety program at regular interval.

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20110409201104090343219002f6ecf62/Routine-fire-drills-lunch-hour-save-day-for-staff.html

Applicability of ESI Act is extended for Delhi Area

ESIC, Delhi office had issued a notification on March 30, 2011 under Section 1(5) of the ESI Act, w.e.f April 01, 2011 in Delhi ESIC Scheme has been extended to shops, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, preview theatre, road motor transport undertakings, newspaper establishment, Private Medical and Educational Institutions wherein 10 or more persons are, employed, or were employed, on any day of the preceding twelve months.

For more information pls refer www.esic.nic.in/CIRCULARS/PnD30-310311reductionofcoveragelimit.pdf

IR – Bully Union Issue

One of my friend who is working as Executive - HR & Admin in one of the reputed organization his company is into engineering business. The said HR - Executive was used to take round check in that he found that some mathadi workers were not doing their work but rather wandering here & there so he would shout at them as these mathadis are local people so they uesd to do "Gundagardi "

Due to all these complaints the management had decided to sack the mathadi union. By this the Mathadi Union Leader got angry ( Who is a " Local Gunda ") he came to company alongwith 10-15 drunked ruffians he without asking anything to the HR - executive slapped the HR personnel & gave him "Galiz"

So with reference to above this what do you think what should be the take of Management on this???

I am sorry for your friend but these are some ground realities in IR. There are cases where some union mob killed the management persons. So dealing with bully unions are not easy task they are not only having support of workers but political nexus also. Each organization and situation requires different solution and expert persons.

Senior HR person must take lead in this case in place of sending fresh HR in dealing with this sort of cases.

Now coming directly to your question what management should do?

First Management must take action against person who had done such serious misconduct. Manhandling/Slapping must not be tolerated in any form. If today management will not take any action then in future slapping can lead killing of person.

Second Management has to find out long term solution of these issues. They have to do self analysis, engage more and more directly with people, build a free, transparent culture where any employee can raise his concern without any fear and any support of mob and so called leaders.

How to become employer of choice not chance?

How to become employer of choice not chance?

“It is not chance, it is choice which lead to destiny.”

How to become Employer of choice? This is burning question, mission and matter of discussion for the corporate as well as academicians. HR luminaries and top hunks from management are burning there oil to achieve this overwhelming task. Employer of choice it is not one more management funda for discussion and presentations it is need of hour.

We are living in era of GPL and cut throat competition where employees are having choices and they do not hesitate to use it. There is only one thing which differentiates normal company form great company that is right people. Right people not only give competitive advantage to company but this is factor which competitors find difficult to imitate. Problem with right people is they are very difficult to hire and brutally hard to retain. It is challenge for every HR and employer to attract and retain right people but question is HOW? What should they do so that they not only attract right people but retain them by there choice.

There is neither direct answer to this question and nor universal solution which fits to all organizations. Every organization will have to do there autopsy to find out there key to success. There are some core fundamentals which will remain same to all and employer should keep it in mind while framing there HR polices. We can call these fundamentals as F7 for our convenience. They are as following:

1) Financial Rewards

2). Fulfill Social Responsibility

3). Friendly Environment

4). Flexibility

5). Fast learning

6). Feedback

7). Future Growth

Financial Rewards: Some of my readers are thinking why I had given financial rewards so much importance and kept it at top position. Whether we agree or not MONEY matters and beauty of money is it attracts and helps HR in hiring. Employees leave organization because of manager and other factors but while joining they give importance to Money. Money is tangible and employee can quantify it while other factors are difficult to gauze, uncertain and futuristic. In retention also financial rewards play vital role. Right people want differentiation and money is good yardstick for differentiation. Employer must not ignore importance of financial rewards. We should use it carefully so that it become boon for employer and employee.

Fulfill Social Responsibility: It is human tendency that we would like to associate with organization and persons who we keep in high regards. Organization by fulfilling social responsibility not only helping people and society same time they are building brands for them self. The Brand which people love, respect and want to be part of it. It will give cut edge to employer at a time of attracting right people.

Friendly Environment: Era of bureaucracy and long hierarchy are thing of past. Organization must have employee friendly environment. Where they feel free to have and share there thoughts, believes and feelings. Where they are respected and recognized as a person and not because of post. There must be fun at work employee must not feel bore, frustrated and exploited. When employee will be happy they will make your customer happy and when customer will be happy your report card will be happy and cycle will go on and on.

Flexibility: People policy must be flexible not only in paper but in spirit also. Flexibility in pay, flexibility in timing, Flexibility in leave etc people policy should be such that it give flexibility to employees which enhance there performance and go in hand-hand with company goal and missions.

Fast learning: Change is only constant so continuous fast learning should be integral part of company culture. Employer should motivate and provide diverse source of learning to employees so that they can enhance their performance and potential. Learning will not only provide new challenges to employees it will also prepare them as a future leaders.

Feedback: Proper and continuous feedback is must for every people and organization So that they could know where they stand, how they stand and what to do next. Feedback is mode of communication which keeps people focused and it removes ambiguity. It helps employees in achieving their goals and sends message that employer care for them.

Future Growth: People want growth in personal and professional life. Employer must have growth/Succession plan for employee and he must prepare employee for it without it will be difficult to retain employee.

Leave Balance Issue

I am getting leave one day per month, now I’m in notice period. I have 10 days leave balance. Since I’m in notice period, company is not calculating current month of leave. They are ready to pay only for 10 days not for 11 days…Should I get 10 days pay r 11 days pay?

As per Section 79 Clause 1 and 1 (i) of Factories Act, 1948 if employee worked for a period of 240 days or more in a factory he shall be allowed for leave with wages. In case of an adult leave will be calculated at the rate of one day for every twenty days of work performed by him. There is no direct nexus between notice period and leave falling in employee bucket. According to me you are entitled for 1 days leave if you had worked more than 20 days in month during notice period. (In your case total leave will become 11 days)

Basic purpose of notice period (for employer) is that the organization can have enough time to find a replacement and notice period serving employee can train the replacement for that particular position. Notice period do not give rights to management to discriminate employee and arbitrary make such policy which are against the basic rights of employees.

Organization should [must] not indulge in such practices. It’s not only illegal, unethical but it can lead to culture where employee leave organization without serving the notice period and it can also hamper the image of organization. This will have more devastating effect on organization in long run and I think no management want this.

Whether the additional degrees affect salary increment or not?

I am a Science post graduate working in Pharmaceutical Company as Quality control officer. Now I have another degree i.e. MBA (HR). I want to know, Whether HR dept. would consider me for good salary increment because of this additional degree (MSc.+ MBA) or not? And do you think MBA in Operation Management would be more beneficial than the MBA in HR for me?

First of all, Congratulation for your MBA. It is good you have earned and learned something new. Now directly coming to your question- Whether additional degree will fetch you more many or not. It totally depends on your organization policy. Most of the good pvt organization want and stimulate there employees to go for further education. In short run you might not get direct monetary reward but in long run it will defiantly prove asset for you. As you have done MBA in different filed then your current profile. I believe it will be plus point for you. At top level management want that employee should have diverse knowledge and experience. You have to prove your self and through your MBA you have to add value to the organization. Reading without reflection is like eating without digestion. So through your hard work and dedication you have to show management that you are not only having MBA degree but ample of potential. Believe me forget about HR, top management will run for you.

Money is important but learning is far more important than it. I believe when you signed for MBA your prime concern was to learn something new. You have done it now you have to leverage what you have. Fundamentals of HR are not only helpful for HR. They are very much vital to all of us irrespective of our job profile. So my friend doing in MBA in HR is always beneficial.

I hope you will not restrict or limit your self in one or two fields. You will continue your journey of learning whether there is increment or not. Go for excellence success is the by product. It will come today or tomorrow.