CH.13

Part 1: (DONE)

After reading Chapter 13:

And Answered the Discussion Question that:

Why is employee involvement frequently recommended as a strategy for preventing problems?

Part 2:

Respond to three other discussion(I’ll uploaded letter after you done the Discussion ). (Your response must

be of significance, more than just yes or no)

You will need to post your comment as respond to the comments by no more than 2-3 Complete Sentences. I

Looking on the depth, not the length of your comments

Comment to: (Please no more than 2-3 Complete Sentences.)

S. K.

When employees are involved, they strategize their work, act more clearly, make calculated decisions, and

also bring more enthusiasm to their jobs. This results in an increase in productivity and overall growth of the

organization. Employee involvement is recommended for preventing problems because when employees are

involved they truly feel themselves as a part of the organization and become more responsible about their

work and push themselves hard to find better results (Vantagecircle, 2021). It improves their organizational

commitment, motivation, productivity, level of satisfaction, influence positive behavior and they feel that

their input is valued. They are the ones who knows the inner details working of the job as they do it every

day, hence if they are allowed to be involved and to be a part of the decision making process, their

possibilities of innovative thinking, ideas to tackle and prevent the problems in the workplace enhances. It

has been found that the organizations that have an effective employee participation, experience significant

increase in productivity and decrease in employee problems (Fallon & McConnell,2014).

References

Fallon, L. F., & McConnell, C. R. (2014). Human Resource Management in Health Care, Principles and

Practice, 2nd Edition, Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Vantagecircle (2021, January 28). Employee Involvement: Why it Matters in Every Organization. Retrieved

from https://blog.vantagecircle.com/employee-involvement/

https://blog.vantagecircle.com/employee-involvement/

A. A.

Many difficulties can be avoided by employee participation and engagement in decision-making about

programs and performance. Practical employee engagement has the potential to influence behavior and

prevent some possible problems. It requires that employees recognize this opportunity that management is

asking for their input and it is valued. Most employees prefer to be challenged to engage in their job, and

they want to know how they can influence processes and who they will help decide.

Participative management requires management commitment to allow employees to participate in

decisions. It also requires that managers be visible and available and show their interest and respect for

getting their ideas. Managers must have the ability to empower their employees and challenge them.

Effective employee involvement develops trust between managers and employees, and each becomes more

willing to help the other succeed. It will usually experience significant increases in productivity and

noticeable decreases in employee problems. While the more separation between the decision-maker and

people affected by it, the worse will be the outcome. It may lead to a decrease in the level of productivity or

customer dissatisfaction.

References

Fallon L., & McConnell C. (2014). Human resource management in health care. (2nd ed). Jones & Bartlett

Publishers. Sudbury, MA. ISBN: 978-1-449-68883-7.

A. R.

Employee involvement frequently is recommended as a strategy for preventing future problems

because it is a great way for employees to feel involved. Managers should be able to let employees

participate in decisions and have them be involved. If an employee is constantly left out on important tasks,

it would cause them to feel undervalued. Employees must know that supervisors and managers genuinely

want their input and that it is valued (Fallon & McConnell, 2014). When employees feel valued there are

less chances of problems reoccurring. Thus, this leads to a positive, comfortable work environment and the

interaction between everybody is encouraging. However, if a manager does not check up on them and ask

for their input on decisions an employee may feel that they are not being taken into consideration.

The more that employees feel included the more they feel respected and part of their workplace

along with being challenged and constructively utilized (Fallon & McConnell, 2014). Though, not many

employees like to be engaged and just prefer to do what they are told. Nevertheless, the vast majority of

employees like to be challenged and engaged. Therefore, they feel the potential to become engaged in their

jobs and they are more likely to help managers succeed. Manager and employee relationships will help the

department and organizations succeed because if they work as a team-organizations are more likely to thrive.

However, effective managers remember that nobody knows the inner detailed working of a job better than

the person who does it every day (Fallon & McConnell, 2014). This expands on how involving the employee

can be important because they know every detail about their job which can have a big influence on decision

making. If employees feel important, respected and so on, they are most likely to stay and flourish in their

current job position.

Reference:

Fleming L., & McConnell, C. (2014). Human Resource Management in Health Care: Principles and

Practice. (2nd ed). Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Sudbury, MA. ISBN: 978-1-449-68883-7.

FROMTEXTBOOK :

Fallon L., & McConnell C. (2014). Human resource management in health care. (2nd ed). Jones & Bartlett

Publishers. Sudbury, MA. ISBN: 978-1-449-68883-7.

CHAPTER 15

Addressing Problems Before Taking Critical Action

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, readers will be able to:

• Appreciate the value and importance of preventing employee problems whenever possible

• Understand that a manager’s visible attention to chronic absenteeism and tardiness can usually minimize or prevent both

• Recognize issues concerning employee privacy and confidentiality that often lead to conflict between individuals and

organizations

• Know the legal steps that have been taken to protect the privacy of individual employees

• Know how to respond to legal orders such as subpoenas, summonses, and warrants

• Understand an organization’s policies and legal posture concerning searches of employees’ desks and lockers

• Know the parameters governing access to employee personnel records, including the special status of employee health

records

• Understand the actual and perceived hazards of personal relationships in the workplace

• Know the causes and possible means to prevent violence in the workplace

• Appreciate the power of employee participation and involvement in avoiding potential problems

• Understand the uses of counseling as an essential management skill for preventing selected circumstances from

becoming genuine problems and for resolving smaller problems before they become larger

CHAPTER SUMMARY

The best time to address a problem is before it occurs. In terms of time, cost, and aggravation, problem prevention—

finding solutions for problems in their earliest stages or avoiding them altogether—is most effective. A significant number

of contemporary workplace problems involve issues of privacy and confidentiality that have been extensively addressed in

legislation. Sexual harassment, workplace violence, and personal relationships create problems for supervisors and

managers. Many difficulties can be avoided through employee participation and involvement in programs intended to

raise awareness about these issues. Astute managers offer some counseling to their employees or refer them for other

assistance when indications of problems begin to emerge.

Case Study: A Good Employee, Except for—

Supervisor Alice Ross faced a situation that left her feeling uneasy about the action she might have to take. In discussing

the matter with fellow supervisor Ed Wilson, she began by saying, “I have no idea what to do about Jane Lawson. I just

don’t recall ever facing one like this before.”

Ed asked, “What’s the problem?”

“Excessive absenteeism. Jane has rapidly used up all of her sick time, and most of her sick days have been taken

immediately before or after scheduled days off.”

“What’s unusual about that? Unfortunately, we have any number of people who use their sick time as fast as it accrues.

And most get sick on very convenient days. I should say convenient for them, not us.”

“What’s unusual is the fact that it’s Jane Lawson. She’s been here for seven years, but the apparent sick time abuse has all

been within the recent few months. She’s used up her whole sick time bank in six months, and most recently she was out

for three days without even calling in.”

Ed said, “You can terminate her for that.”

“I know,” said Alice.

“Especially when you take her other absences into account. Have you warned her about them?”

After a brief hesitation Alice said, “No, not in writing. Just once, face to face.”

“Is there any record of it? Any form she had to sign?”

“No,” said Alice. “I really hated to make her sign a form. I know I should have taken some kind of action by now, but I

can’t seem to make myself do it.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s always been such a good employee. She’s always been pleasant, always done what she’s told, and always

done quality work. She’s still that way, when she’s here. She’s also a friend. I guess what I’m hung up on is, um, how do I

discipline someone who’s usually a good employee and do it in a way that doesn’t destroy any of what’s good about her?”

Ed said, “Good performer or not, you should be going by the policy book. That’s all I can suggest.”

How has Alice’s failure to take action as troubles emerge or do anything about the signs of impending problems hampered

her ability to take effective action now? What has Alice actually done by allowing matters to proceed as far along as they

have? What impact will their friendship have on the situation?

………………………

PREVENTION WHEN POSSIBLE

The best time to address a problem is before it becomes a problem. Managers cannot accurately anticipate difficulties in

specific forms or at particular times. By developing an awareness of basic behavioral patterns and learning how to spot

signs of trouble, a manager can catch many actual or would-be problems in their early stages.

An example clearly illustrates the value of prevention in a proactive approach to absenteeism. Consider an organizational

policy concerning absences that specifies a supervisor must start disciplinary action after an employee has five instances

of unexcused absence in a 12-month period or less. A supervisor learns that a particular employee has just been absent for

the fourth time in eight months. The supervisor has two options. The first is to ignore the problem but prepare to begin

disciplinary action as soon as absence number five occurs. The other is to have a conference to warn the employee about

the possibility of disciplinary action.

Why simply ignore the issue now? Why let it go further if there is a course of action that can be taken to prevent more

serious consequences in the future? The supervisor should take the employee aside and address the recent absences before

it is necessary to take formal action. Prevention should be practiced whenever possible. In addition to being less stressful

for both supervisor and employee, it improves morale by showing that the manager cares enough to pay attention to

employees and their circumstances and behavior.

Employee tardiness and absenteeism deserve a department manager’s visible attention. If employees see their manager

attending to these problem areas, some will be deterred from abusing the applicable rules. Conscientious and common-

sense management can help to minimize or avoid many problems.

EMPLOYEE PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Issues of employee privacy and confidentiality are pervasive in contemporary organizations. This is especially true in

health care. Human resource professionals are familiar with the debate between employee privacy on one hand and the

right to know on the other hand. In other terms, the conflict usually amounts to individual rights versus business needs.

The rights of individuals to privacy and confidentiality have been a growing concern in contemporary American society.

PRIVACY AND THE CHANGING TIMES

There is an increasingly strong belief in society concerning the right of an individual to privacy. There is also increasing

apprehension about how the government might use information that it gathers about individuals. This stems from a

number of concerns. Many observers feel that agencies are intruding more deeply into peoples’ lives as the government

enacts new legislation and increases demands for information. Businesses are widely perceived as exercising their legal

right to review computers and electronic documents and to monitor telephone conversations as they attempt to know more

about the people they employ. Advancing and expanding computer technology is simplifying the collection, storage, and

retrieval of personal information. Since September 11, 2001, the government has been responding to a perceived need to

monitor individuals and their movements.

Because employees are becoming increasingly aware of their rights, they are coming to expect that their privacy will be

protected. At the same time, organizations are requesting an increasing amount of information from people when making

decisions about hiring, promotions, benefits, and security. When individuals seek employment, work organizations want

information about past and present employers and other references. Depending on the requirements of a particular job, the

application process may involve detailed security screening. Employees continue to grow more sensitive to the issue of

privacy rights, but at the same time they perceive that organizations are delving continually deeper into their personal

lives.

Many individuals believe that organizations collecting data about them ask for more personal information than is

legitimately needed. Petrocelli (1981) offers a classic definition of the right to privacy: “It is the right to be free from the

unwarranted appropriation of one’s personality, the publicizing of one’s private affairs with which the public has no

legitimate concern, or the wrongful intrusion into one’s private activities, in such a manner as to outrage or cause

suffering, shame or humiliation to a person of ordinary sensibilities” (112).

Consider the rights of privacy and drug testing. Individual rights are continually giving way to perceived needs for drug

testing, especially concerning people in occupations having responsibility for public health and safety. Consider AIDS and

testing for the presence of HIV. This represents a constant collision of individual rights with the need to know information

about people seeking treatment and coworkers. Concern about HIV was largely responsible for adopting universal

precautions under which all bodily fluids are regarded as potentially hazardous.

Many organizations once routinely used polygraph (lie detector) tests to screen potential employees and to make random

checks of existing employees. Adverse reactions to that practice led to passage of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act

of 1988. Most controversies over employee information and management involve business needs compared with

employee expectations of privacy.

Legislation Affecting Privacy

Since 1975, employees have developed stronger voices in the workplace. Government has responded to those voices.

Large amounts of personal information were formerly requested on job applications and in employment interviews. Such

practices were curtailed when antidiscrimination laws restricted the information employers could request.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first major law to have a significant bearing on individual privacy. The

next major attack on this issue resulted in passage of the Privacy Act of 1974. Officially applying only to agencies of the

federal government (but often regarded as a standard for other employers), this legislation stated that an agency may

obtain and retain only information that is relevant and necessary to accomplish its official purposes. Furthermore, it

requires that as much essential information as possible be obtained directly from individual rather than from secondary

sources. The law ensures record confidentiality, guarantees employees the right to examine their personnel files, and

requires that no information be disclosed without the consent of affected employees.

In addition to providing a useful model for most all employers, the Privacy Act has served as a model for privacy laws in

many states. In the majority of states, privacy laws allow employees to know that a personnel file is maintained and to

examine it when desired. Most state statutes permit employees to enter information in their files to clarify whatever they

may consider to be inaccurate.

The Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 proclaimed the practice of routinely administering lie detector tests to be an

invasion of privacy. The act prohibited the use of lie detectors in most screening situations, stated that employees cannot

be randomly tested during their terms of employment, permitted polygraph use if there is a reasonable suspicion of

involvement in workplace incidents resulting in economic loss or injury to an organization, and exempted government

employers from the provisions of the law. The Polygraph Protection Act does allow testing of selected employees in

positions of responsibility for significant dollar value, including armored car employees, employees of alarm and security-

guard firms, and current or prospective employees of firms handling controlled substances.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act limited the extent to which an organization can delve into the personal finances of an

individual. This legislation regulates the conduct of consumer reporting agencies and users of consumer credit reports,

prevents unjust damage from inaccurate or arbitrary information in credit reports, and keeps employers from receiving

reports about employees, with the exception of specifically defined purposes related to work.

Legal Orders

It is a relatively common practice for agencies to serve subpoenas, summonses, and warrants to employees in the

workplace. While many such orders are served at employees’ homes, officers frequently attempt to serve them at job sites

because no one can be found at an employee’s last known home address. If they enter via administration, they will

probably be referred to human resources (HR). In either administration or HR, they will frequently ask for directions to

the employee’s department. Although the practice may vary, many organizations prefer to have HR arrange for such an

order to be served in private and avoid unnecessary embarrassment to an employee.

Managers who become aware of an attempt to serve a legal order on an employee in their department should send the

serving officer to HR. Human resources will arrange for the order to be served in private or may be able to accept it on

behalf of the individual. The latter possibility is usually restricted to an employee being summoned as a witness in a legal

proceeding.

Any external request for information about an employee should be referred to HR. Occasionally human resources will

receive a legal order calling for employee information required in legal proceedings. With the exception of responding to

legal orders, HR should not release any information to outside persons or parties without first securing a signed release

from the affected employee.

Employee Searches

It is sometimes necessary to conduct searches of areas within a facility such as desks and lockers that legitimately contain

the personal property of employees. Organizations should have a published policy governing such searches. An

organization should publicize the policy so that employees know that searches can occur and the basis for the surveys,

specifically whether they are to occur at random or for reasonable cause or both. Steps should be taken to ensure that the

search policy is justified and that there are good reasons for random searches. All search policies must be applied evenly

and consistently to eliminate any perception of discrimination. No employees should be exempt from a search. Employee

consent should be requested before a search. While it may not be legally required, consent can often avoid charges that

might arise after the fact. Every search should be conducted discreetly and with respect for individual persons and

property.

Access to Employee Information

Employee confidentiality always involves questions of access to information. Once information is collected, who is

entitled to see it? Although arguments can be made about the need to know, legitimate needs can usually be determined by

answering the question: What will be the result if this information is not made available?

Employees have a legally protected right to examine their personnel files and add clarifications they believe are necessary.

Organizations ordinarily have policies governing employee access to records, usually including a requirement that files

may not leave the HR department. Most such policies require that files must be reviewed in the presence of an HR

employee to ensure that no material is removed.

Employee personnel files may be made available to managers who are considering particular persons for transfers. The

need to know in such an instance is a legitimate requirement to review the employment history of persons being

considered for a position in a manager’s own department.

All organizations should have a written policy governing the release of information concerning both employees and

others, such as patients for whom they provide services. Although department managers often maintain files concerning

their own employees, this practice should be publicized. Similar information should be kept for all employees, with no

exceptions. Supervisors are not advised to maintain secret files on selected individuals.

Employee Health Records

Many organizations formerly kept records related to Workers’ Compensation, disability, and the like in employees’

personnel files. Because they relate to employee health or physical condition, these documents and records are now

considered to be medical records and are subject to stricter rules of accessibility. Employee health records are now

customarily filed separately from personnel information, often in a separate office such as the employee health service.

They are commonly retained by the employee health office and are subject to the same rules of access that govern patient

records in a physician’s office.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Some organizations have rules governing personal relationships, particularly those of a romantic nature. The likelihood of

such rules increases as the size of an organization increases. It is not uncommon to have a prohibition against employees

being involved with each other or being involved with employees of direct competitors. Generally, employers can do

nothing regarding the conduct of employees off of the job. They typically do nothing as long as there is no adverse effect

on job performance or on the organization’s reputation. Employees should be encouraged to disclose the existence of

romantic relationships involving coworkers voluntarily to their supervisors. Organizations often require employees to

disclose the existence of personal or romantic relationships with individuals employed by direct competitors.

There are legitimate concerns about the appearance of favoritism and an increased likelihood of sexual harassment claims

and employee unrest when romantic relationships exist between management and nonmanagement employees. Such

relationships may create conflicts between an employee’s right to privacy and the organization’s legal responsibility to

prevent sexual harassment. An organization is particularly vulnerable when a member of management is involved. Courts

have held organizations liable for sexual harassment by a manager even if senior managers did not know about a

relationship. As many organizations have discovered, relationships that begin as consensual can go sour and lead to

charges of sexual harassment.

Many organizations have policies that prohibit having one spouse under the supervision of the other, or even to place both

spouses in the same department or group. Experience has shown that harmful perceptions often arise in the group when

these prohibitions are ignored. Little or no inappropriate behavior may occur; however, because the possibility of

discriminatory behavior is present, perceptions arise. To the perceiver, perception is reality.

A rule against having spouses in a superior–subordinate relationship will ordinarily hold up under scrutiny, but prohibiting

spouses in the same department may be challenged. Generally, a no-spouse rule will prevail if it can be shown that the

rule is designed to avoid aggregation of family members, is applied evenly and consistently, and results in no adverse

impact on either gender. However, inconsistent or uneven enforcement of this and similar rules can result in

discrimination charges. Overall, all rules concerned with personal relationships are especially vulnerable to challenge

under privacy and antidiscrimination laws.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The risk of sexual harassment charges was mentioned in association with personal relationships on the job. In reality, this

risk extends far beyond the boundaries of failed consensual personal relationships.

Under the Civil Rights Act, sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. Many kinds of acts or actions can result in

charges of discrimination against employers. Sexual harassment relates to just one particular area of troublesome

behavior. However, sexual harassment has become one of the two most frequently charged forms of discrimination for

employers in the United States. The other most frequently charged form of discrimination is discrimination based on age.

The increasing number of cases and increasingly large monetary settlements involved make sexual harassment a concern

of every employer. Thus, it becomes important for every department manager and supervisor. Without exception, all

employees of any organization must understand sexual harassment and know about organizational policies relative to it.

Sexual Harassment Defined

Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, demands, or requests for sexual favors, or other conduct of a

sexual nature. It is harassment if acceptance of or submission to such conduct is either explicitly or implicitly a term or

condition of employment, if acceptance or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for making employment-related

decisions, or if the conduct can be viewed as unreasonably interfering with work performance or creating an offensive or

intimidating work environment. The latter condition is often referred to as a hostile environment.

Sexual harassment can be as direct and blatant as offensive touching or making direct sexual propositions. Alternatively, it

can be as indirect as exhibiting sexually suggestive posters or calendars, or allowing sexually related humor to be

overheard by parties who find it offensive. Both extremes and any behaviors in between constitute sexual harassment. A

list of concrete examples, specific instances of behavior that could be interpreted as sexual harassment, could easily fill

several pages without covering all of the possibilities. A particular mode of behavior might constitute sexual harassment

at one time but not at another time. For example, it is ordinarily not considered sexual harassment for an individual to ask

a coworker for a date. If the person who is asked declines and the other party repeatedly asks for a date, this may then be

construed as sexual harassment. Often determining whether some mode of conduct is or is not considered sexual

harassment rests with how the conduct is perceived. Much behavior that is judged to be sexual harassment is generally

unwelcome, unwanted, and repeated.

All organizations should have policies that prohibit sexual harassment and also specifically prohibit retaliation against

anyone complaining of such harassment. Department managers and all supervisors have the responsibility to know the

sexual harassment and antiretaliation policy in sufficient detail. They must be able to train employees in the contents of

the policy and the procedures for reporting sexual harassment. Human resources should include a briefing on sexual

harassment in the new-employee orientation. Organizations should also have printed guidelines in their employee

handbooks and their personnel policy manuals. These documents are often available on an organizational Web site. All

employees should be offered copies of the sexual harassment policy or otherwise have direct access to this information. It

is essential that all employees know the process for reporting sexual harassment and be aware of the processes by which

any charges of such behavior are investigated. Most organizations require a complaining employee to report any issues

relating to sexual harassment to the immediate supervisor or manager. Alternative procedures usually allow employees to

make harassment complaints directly to HR or to another point in the organization should an employee’s immediate

manager or supervisor be the subject of the complaint.

It is difficult to say whether sexual harassment is declining overall or continuing at its previous levels. Since the passage

of antidiscrimination legislation, sexual harassment has become more visible because people who once had no recourse to

such behavior now have legal channels through which they are lodging complaints. Sexual harassment has long been

prevalent in business and industry, but before 1964 there was little its victims could do about it. In other words, before the

emergence of legal channels through which to complain, sexual harassment was entirely “underground,” and for the most

part it was shrugged off or deliberately ignored. Surely anyone who has been in any portion of the American mixed-

gender workforce for a few years can attest to the continuing presence of significant sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment remains a major concern throughout business and industry. It must remain a key concern of every

department manager or supervisor in every organization. Sexual harassment cannot be condoned or tolerated. Every

manager in every organization should maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment; to do otherwise is to

leave employers open to the possibility of huge financial penalties and some of the most negative publicity an

organization can experience.

VIOLENCE

Violence in the workplace is often the result of stress. It frequently occurs when individuals become stressed to an

unbearable level. When stress becomes unbearable, some people become ill, some break down, and some walk away from

the situation. Some become violent. Violence is similar to other forms of human behavior in that it is action in response to

a condition, need, or demand.

Every organizational change that alters expectations held by employees becomes fertile territory for anger. Over time,

chronic anger can lead to diminished productivity, reduced quality, increased fatigue, burnout, depression, and violence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2002) reported that on average 12.5 of every 1,000 employees are the victims of

violence in the workplace. Additional information is provided in Exhibit 15-1.

A department manager’s best approach to workplace violence involves awareness and prevention, but this advice

introduces the manager to another potential source of trouble: there is no consistent profile to describe persons who

commit violent acts in the workplace. Individuals who perpetrate workplace violence may be experiencing family

problems; have a history of abuse; have problems stemming from substance abuse involving alcohol or drugs; have a

history of violence; have an aggressive personality; experience mental conditions such as depression, paranoia, or

schizophrenia; or have a poor self-image or low self-esteem.

There are no all-inclusive reasons why people commit violent acts. Reasons behind workplace violence include an

inability to cope with unbearable levels of stress; drug reactions; problems involving job, money, or family; reaction to the

loss of employment; reaction to the loss of a relationship; frustration with long waits or with what may be perceived as

rude or indifferent treatment; confusion or fear; and perceived violations of privacy.

Managers, psychologists, and criminal justice professionals cannot reliably identify persons who may resort to violence.

However, there are steps that can be taken to prevent violence. Treat everyone, including employees, patients, visitors,

and customers, with respect and consideration. Managers should keep all objects that could be used as weapons stored out

of easy access. Employees should remain beyond the reach of patients and visitors in tense situations and should take

threats seriously and report them immediately through proper channels. All supervisors should know the organization’s

security procedures, alarms, and warning codes.

Employees and supervisors should be extra alert to the possibility of violence if a person appears to be under the influence

of alcohol or drugs, appears to have been in a fight, is brought into a healthcare facility by the police, or is already being

restrained. Visible indicators of potential violence include obvious possession of a weapon; nervousness; abrupt

movements; extreme restlessness, pacing, or obvious agitation; hitting walls or objects; or breaking things.

When observing an individual who appears to be on the edge of losing control, supervisors should notify other staff and

call the security department. They should stay alert but remain calm. All employees should maintain a safe distance and

give an agitated person plenty of space. People nearby should not turn their backs. Under no circumstances should an

untrained employee touch an agitated or upset person. Obstacles between an upset person and others provide some

protection. Untrained employees in the vicinity of an agitated person should be certain to have a clear way out. Dead-ends

or corners are especially dangerous. Untrained personnel should listen and never display anger or defensiveness. They

should not argue. Rather, they should speak using voices that are calm, slow, and quiet.

Some departments, such as emergency rooms, are more relatively likely to experience violence. However, violence is

possible anywhere in any facility or organization. Therefore, all employees should receive training in how to react to

violent behavior. If violence does occur, employees should protect themselves to the extent necessary. They should sound

an alarm or call the appropriate code, or call security. Employees should help remove others from the vicinity, if

necessary. Employees who lack specific training should not try to disarm or restrain an agitated person. If possible, they

should give potentially violent persons what they are demanding, if the demands are within reason.

EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

True employee participation has the potential to influence behavior positively and avoid some potential problems.

Participative management is not a program with a beginning and an end. Rather, it is an ongoing state or relationship

between a manager and the employee group. It requires management commitment. Individual managers and supervisors

must be willing to allow employees to participate in decisions. Employees must know that supervisors and managers

genuinely want their input and that it is valued. Involving employees requires that management listen to them. Managers

should be both visible and available. Walking around and visiting with employees at their workstations is valuable. The

more employees feel that managers are interested in what they do and in their thoughts, the more they will feel respected,

challenged, and constructively utilized.

A few employees prefer to just do as they are told, put in their hours, and go home. The majority of employees, however,

usually prefer to be challenged. They have the potential to become engaged in their jobs. Many people are capable of

managing their own work if they are provided with a supportive environment and given the opportunity to perform.

Effective managers remember that nobody knows the inner detailed workings of a job better than the person who does it

every day. This is the source of knowledge that a manager should try to access through honest participation and

conversation.

The primary factor in employee involvement is supportive managerial behavior. Managers must be able to empower their

employees. They will not necessarily always get to make the decisions or develop the solutions, but employees must

understand how they can influence processes and whom they will help decide. Decisions that relate to individual jobs are

usually best made by the people who perform the jobs. The more levels of supervision that separate a decision maker and

the person affected by it, the worse the outcome will be.

Effective employee involvement requires a gradual transition as mutual trust develops between managers and employees

and each becomes more willing to help the other succeed. An organization or department that can achieve effective

employee participation will usually experience significant increases in productivity and noticeable decreases in employee

problems. Interested, stimulated, and challenged employees constitute the best possible means of preventing problems.

COUNSELING

Counseling is appropriate for addressing problems and potential problems at their early stages to keep them from

becoming larger problems. Sometimes counseling is informal guidance and work-related advice that is provided by a

supervisor. Overall, counseling may be employed to identify problems in their early stages and attempt to resolve them

before they become overwhelming. Counseling can be used to strengthen weaknesses in employee performance and

provide ongoing guidance. Counseling may enable a manager to recommend developmental activities for an employee or

improve communication between supervisor and employee.

Supervisors should try to counsel employees when problems appear to be developing rather than letting them continue to

grow until disciplinary action or other corrective action is required. A need for counseling may be signaled by a noticeable

decline in an individual’s performance or a person’s failure to continue meeting job standards. A decline in performance,

especially in an employee who has performed well for an extended period, often indicates the presence of a personal

problem. A counseling session can afford employees the opportunity to talk. This provides a manager the opportunity to

make an appropriate referral. Employees should not be allowed to continue on a path toward disciplinary action when a

friendly one-to-one counseling session may be able to head off further trouble. Changes in individuals relative to their

jobs are often indicators that counseling may be appropriate. Changes in interpersonal relationships are another indicator

of potential trouble. Complaints about an employee from other people, especially those involving alleged rude or

inappropriate behavior, are often indicative of personal problems.

Discussing a need for counseling with a subordinate is not easy for all managers. Managers should remember that they are

primarily conduits to trained professionals. Effective counseling requires training. However, managers can provide basic

advice and guidance to their employees. A first rule is to understand the boundaries. Supervisory counseling encompasses

coaching on job-related topics or on behavior relative to policies or work rules. Counseling must never become

personal—that is, involve intrusions into private lives.

Many common obstacles to counseling success may be overcome. Practice and experience should overcome uneasiness

and a lack of experience. Lack of time can be addressed by making appointments and clearing a calendar for 30 to 60

minutes at a time. Friendships are more difficult. Counseling friends is not much easier than disciplining friends, so many

managers tend to avoid both activities. Counseling a person with more seniority than the counselor is often awkward. If

awkwardness at counseling is not overcome with practice, it will likely not disappear with the passage of time. A

reasonable fear of making mistakes is healthy and helps managers respect appropriate boundaries and guidelines. Fear of a

lawsuit should reinforce the directive to refer people with problems to qualified professionals.

To provide effective advice in appropriate settings, managers must be knowledgeable and credible. Managers must know

what they are talking about and avoid trying to bluff their way through unfamiliar situations. Managers should keep their

advice consistent from person to person. Effective counselors stick to known facts and avoid generalizations. Timeliness

is appreciated by all concerned. As with delaying disciplinary action, delaying counseling until a later time dilutes the

message and diminishes its impact.

Effective managers are alert for employee defensiveness and do not argue. Some employees will interpret any effort at

counseling as direct criticism and will immediately become defensive. Should this occur, hear an employee out and avoid

contradicting the person. Successful counselors are as positive as possible. Counseling may indeed contain elements of

criticism, but a positive direction to a discussion is always helpful. Effective counselors listen, really listen. When an

employee is speaking, they provide their undivided attention and focus on what is really being said.

At all times, department managers must remember that their primary goal should be focusing on the results of behavior,

not the causes. In talking with subordinates, managers should not attempt to infer the cause of behavior and should not

attempt to look for it. Focusing on the results of behavior and correcting inappropriate behavior helps managers to avoid

entering an employee’s personal life.

Wise managers should document each counseling session briefly and informally, making note of employee name, date,

and the nature of the discussion. The aim of such informal and personal notes is to capture the essence of the discussion

objectively and using anecdotes. These notes are not considered to be permanent records but should be retained for one to

two years in the event the problem recurs. These personal notes should be destroyed if the problem has not recurred within

two years.

CONCLUSION

Many employee-related problems can be prevented by timely and appropriate interventions by supervisors and managers.

Employee confidentiality and privacy must be respected and protected. Recent legislation has reinforced this need.

Personal relationships involving colleagues or supervisors present significant problems. Most organizations have

established policies to address such situations in an attempt to protect all concerned. Sexual harassment is one of the most

serious problems facing workers in contemporary organizations. All employees must understand and follow

organizational policies and procedures that relate to sexual harassment. Zero tolerance for such activities is the only

defensible position that an organization can adopt.

Violence has become more common in the workplace. All employees must be instructed in how to respond to threats of

violence because violence is possible anywhere in any type of facility or organization. Employee involvement can

facilitate and improve organizational operations. Supervisors should be able to provide advice or limited counseling to

their employees.

Case Study Resolution

Returning to the initial case study, Alice Ross has made additional work for herself by allowing the situation with Jane to

continue without intervention. Alice faces a sticky problem because she did not use early opportunities to head off the

worst before it could develop. She has made a classic error by avoiding a confrontation. Alice does not wish to antagonize

an employee who is otherwise doing a decent job. Maintaining a personal friendship with a subordinate complicates the

situation.

It is likely that there is a reason behind Jane’s behavior. She may be experiencing a personal problem. If so, privacy issues

must be considered. An element in Jane’s personal life could be causing her frequent absences, but as a supervisor Alice

cannot ask about personal issues. While she could ask about personal issues as a friend, her supervisory responsibilities

should take precedence. Alternatively, the pattern of Jane’s absences might suggest that she is simply playing the system

for time off, possibly having lost interest in her job. Alice should offer to listen to anything Jane wishes to talk about and

then refer Jane to sources of help such as an employee assistance program.

Because she has not taken any formal action on the apparent problem, Alice has little choice but to start over with Jane

and to apply the organization’s disciplinary policy. However, Alice should first tell Jane exactly where she stands and

explain the consequences of continued absenteeism.

Alice’s colleague Ed pointed out that the prescribed response to three days of unexplained absences is discharge. This

circumstance, commonly referred to as “three days no-call no-show,” is identified as job abandonment in many

organizations’ personnel policies and calls for immediate termination. Alice must watch the breaks she gives to any

individual. Policies must be applied consistently, and Alice cannot be allowing Jane to slide by without consequences for

doing something for which others would be discharged. The fact that their friendship interferes with operations is the basis

for organizational policies restricting personal involvement with coworkers.

Alice should have recognized signs of a developing problem before Jane hit the threshold for an initial warning under the

progressive discipline policy. An ideal course of action would have been counseling at an earlier stage in an effort to

avoid a more serious problem.

Some managers will allow an employee to wander deeply enough into trouble for disciplinary action to apply before

starting to deliver warnings. Thoughtful managers, however, will take reasonable steps at the earliest signs of trouble to

prevent small concerns from becoming full-scale problems.

………………………

SPOTLIGHT ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer Service and Addressing Problems

Prevention is synonymous with taking steps to avoid an unwanted or undesirable consequence or outcome. The concept is

well known in health care. Clinical providers offer advice and counseling to their patients. The goal of their activities is to

maintain or improve their patients’ health. Immunizations are used to prevent disease. Public health personnel work in

communities and schools to present information about healthy personal habits, food sanitation, and avoiding diseases.

Sanitarians inspect restaurants and similar establishments to ensure that appropriate methods and procedures are used by

individuals preparing and handling food.

This chapter has focused on a different form of prevention: trying to address employee behavior problems before legal or

other actions become necessary. Managers should gather data and review facts before contemplating disciplinary or other

corrective actions. Because they should not act in anger, supervisors are advised to simply wait (assuming that other

people or organizational assets are not in danger) and reflect before initiating any form of punishment.

Customer service is also a form of prevention. People appreciate being treated well and with respect. However,

unintended consequences have been documented. Physicians and other healthcare providers who treat their patients with

respect and take time to provide explanations about diseases and treatments have a lower than average incidence of

malpractice suits. In states that allow voter-approved tax levies for supporting public health, agencies that provide good

customer service are more likely have their levy requests approved than are agencies that do not back their stated

commitment to the public with good customer service.

References

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2002). Workplace violence. Available at http://www.fbi.gov/publications/violence .

Accessed March 21, 2006.

Petrocelli, W. (1981). How to avoid the privacy invaders. New York: McGraw-Hill, 112.

Discussion Points

1. Why should supervisors and managers be most interested in the results of employee behavior? Why should they not

try to eliminate the causes of such behavior?

2. How do the needs of an organization and the privacy rights of an individual differ? When do these needs conflict?

3. How could a department manager prevent excessive absenteeism among employees?

4. Under what circumstances is polygraph testing of employees legal?

5. Why is it advisable to maintain documentation having a bearing on employee health issues separately from regular

personnel files?

6. When may a department manager be granted access to the personnel files of employees of other departments?

7. Why is employee involvement frequently recommended as a strategy for preventing problems?

8. Why should supervisors take time to counsel employees when a disciplinary problem appears to be developing? Why

should they not wait until definitive disciplinary action is permissible under an organization’s policies?

9. How should managers prepare their employees to react to violence in the workplace? Why is the preparation

necessary?

10. Why must an organization obtain an employee’s written permission before releasing any information concerning that

employee? When may such information be released without employee permission?

Resources

Books

Elliott, C., & Turnbull, S. (2005). Critical thinking in human resource development. New York: Routledge.

Ghodse, H. (2005). Addiction at work: Tackling drug use and misuse in the work place. London: Ashgate.

Goldsmith, J. (2005). Resolving conflicts at work: Eight strategies for everyone on the job. New York: John Wiley.

Joy-Matthews, J., & Surtees, M. (2004). Human resource development. London: Kogan Page.

Kaye, B., & Jordan-Evans, S. (2005). Love ’em or lose ’em: Getting good people to stay (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA:

Berrett-Koehler.

MacLennon, W. (2005). Counselling for managers. London: Ashgate.

Periodicals

Brotheridge, C. M., & Lee, R. T. (2002). Testing a conservation of resources model of the dynamics of emotional labor.

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 77(1), 57–67.

Hogan, R., Hogan, J., & Roberts, B. W. (1996). Personality measurement and employment decisions. American

Psychologist, 51, 469–477.

Huffcutt, A. I., Conway, J. M., Roth, P. L., & Stone, N. J. (2001). Identification and meta-analytic assessment of

psychological constructs measured in employment interviews. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 897–913.

Huffcutt, A. I., Weekley, J., Wiesner, W. H., DeGroot, T., & Jones, C. (2001). Comparison of situational and behavior

description interview questions for higher-level positions. Personnel Psychology, 54, 619–644.

Munn-Giddings, C., Hart, C., & Ramon, S. (2005). A participatory approach to the promotion of well-being in the

workplace: Lessons from empirical research. International Review of Psychiatry, 17(5), 409–417.

Riolli, L. (2003). Optimism and coping as moderators of the relation between work resources and burnout in information

service workers. International Journal of Stress Management, 10, 235–252.

Talbot, T. (2005). “Working interviews”: The human resources perspective. Journal of the Michigan Dental Association,

87(5), 17–20.

Van Wezel Stone, K. (2001). Dispute resolution in the boundaryless workplace. Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution,

16, 467–490.