Industrial Relations Compared to Human Resources
As the field of human resources evolves, the skills of industrial relations and human resources experts broaden, depending on the needs of the organization. The International Labour Organization makes the following distinction between industrial relations (IR) and human resources management (HRM) when it states: "IR theory, practice and institutions traditionally focus more on the collective aspect of relations." The ILO further states: "HRM deals with the management of human resources, rather than with the management of collective relations."
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Labor and Employment Laws
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A recognized definition of industrial relations involves the application of labor-specific laws, such as the National Labor Relations Act, which is the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act protects the rights of workers to engage in collective activity, free from employee retribution or retaliation. Laws upon which human resources professionals rely typically include the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Labor Relations Specialist and Employee Relations Specialist
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Though both disciplines are generally housed within an organization's human resources department, the functions of industrial relations and human resources can be quite distinct. Experts in industrial relations -- or, labor relations, which is another name for the field -- address issues concerning a unionized work force. The labor relations counterpart is an employee relations specialist. The employee relations specialist functions more as a human resources generalist, capable of handling matters involving employees not represented by a third-party representative.
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Duties of an Industrial Relations Specialist
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An industrial relations specialist is typically responsible for interpreting and applying laws that govern collective activity. Industrial relations specialists facilitate labor-management relationships, which includes participating in collective bargaining agreement negotiations, forecasting wage and labor costs, handling union members' grievances about working conditions, and representing management in arbitration matters. When necessary, industrial relations specialists provide interpretations of the collective bargaining agreements for onsite union stewards, supervisors, managers and employees.
Duties of an Employee Relations Specialist
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Employee relations specialists work primarily with nonunion employees, including supervisors and managers. Well-rounded employee relations specialists who have expertise in labor relations matters can also handle union workforce issues. An employee relations specialist's duties include addressing employee concerns about any area of employment -- from benefits to skills training and professional development. Employee opinion surveys, exit interviews and employee engagement matters are among other duties for an employee relations specialist. In addition, components of the performance management system may be assigned to this role.
Considerations
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For employers with both union and nonunion employees, the best approach in a fully-staffed human resources department is to employ a specialist in each area. On the other hand, some argue that one or the other can handle both nonunion and union facility issues. While the term "industrial relations" developed out of human resources-related issues during an industrialized era of the workplace, the skills and competencies of industrial relations specialists are increasingly broad. Therefore, in a human resources department that needs cross-trained specialists, hiring an industrial relations or employee relations specialist with vast expertise is wise for workforce management.
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References
- Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd Edition: Industrial Relations
- International Labour Organization: Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations and Achieving Management Objectives
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists
- IRI Consulting, LLC: Employee Engagement Surveys
- Industrial Relations Consultants, Inc.: Employee Vulnerability Assessments
Resources
- National Labor Relations Board
- Society for Human Resource Management
- The Council on Industrial Relations: Basic Principles
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Institute for Research on Labor and Employment: Industrial Relations: A Journal on Economy & Society
