Information About Employee Relations

Distinct sections within human resources include compensation and benefits, recruitment and selection, workplace safety, training and development, and employee relations. Employee relations is one of the human resources disciplines; however, the very nature of employee relations requires that specialists in this area be familiar with other areas of human resources as well. Employee relations specialists address a wide variety of issues related to human resources management strategy and the employer-employee relationship. In fact, many say the primary function of an employee relations specialist is to improve the employer-employee relationship.

Reach

The employee relations section of a human resources department probably has the broadest reach of any section or discipline. Employee relations matters involve anything that has to do with the workplace and employment; therefore, employees can seek guidance from an employee relations specialist on a variety of issues. When employee relations matters involve other human resources disciplines, there's usually a combined effort between employee relations and the other discipline in achieving a resolution that's satisfactory to the employee and the organization. It's not uncommon for an employee relations matter to require input from two or more human resources staff members in different disciplines.

Perception

An area where employee relations expertise is absolutely necessary in the workplace is improving the perception of human resources throughout the organization. Personnel administration of the 1980s evolved into the human resources strategic partner in a span of about 25 years; however, some employees and even executive leadership still see human resources as purely an administrative function and nothing more. Employee relations managers and specialists address misconceptions and underestimations about human resources departments through interacting with executive and departmental leadership, developing methods to improve the value of human resources and becoming the face of HR for employees whose limited knowledge of human resources goals fuels their misconceptions.

Employment

Employee relations managers and specialists typically have a professional background and expertise as a human resources generalist, which is why they are well-versed in many human resources disciplines. Although an employee relations specialist could be competent in all of the HR disciplines, she must also be proficient in areas of human resources management that involve employment legislation, workplace laws and fair employment practices. In addition, employee relations specialists with deep knowledge of industrial and labor relations are capable of handling workplace issues for both union and nonunion employers. Given the broad range of expertise most employee relations specialists have, it's not uncommon to see them move into human resource manager, director or executive positions.

Industrial Relations

Large organizations and companies with very specialized human resources functions sometimes support both employee relations and industrial relations. When the two areas function separately, employee relations typically addresses matters that involve the nonunion workforce while industrial or labor relations specialists handle matters concerning a unionized workforce. Specialists with expertise in both employee relations and industrial relations often function in dual roles for an organization without the need to hire additional staff for negotiating labor contracts, resolving grievances and interpreting collective bargaining agreements, which is what industrial relations generally entails.

Duties and Responsibilities

For people who do not understand the purpose of human resources or what it means for employee relations specialists to be primarily responsible for strengthening the employer-employee relationship, specific duties can aid in learning more about what employee relations does to improve the working relationship. Typical job duties for employee relations managers and specialists include developing and implementing performance management programs and providing one-on-one guidance to supervisors and managers who need assistance conducting performance reviews. Employee relations specialists also identify, investigate and resolve employee complaints. Employee complaints range from allegations of unfair employment practices and discrimination to workplace safety complaints and interpersonal communication issues with coworkers. Employee recognition and rewards are another function of employee relations. Employee relations specialists develop incentive programs and plan recognition and awards events for the workplace.

References

• Stanford University: Employee Relations Information
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition: Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists
• National Labor Relations Board: Employer/Union Rights and Obligations
• Society for Human Resource Management: Introduction to the Human Resources Discipline of Employee Relations
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: What Is Employee Relations?

Resources

• U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Employee Relations
• Society for Human Resource Management
• National Labor Relations Board
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc.
• The American Society for Training & Development