MANAGE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

CANDIDATE RESOURCE & ASSESSMENT

BSBHRM604A

Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

9 Koppen Tce, Cairns, QLD, 4870
Email: info@precisiongroup.com.au
Website: www.precisiongroup.com.au
Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd

BSBHRM604A
Manage Employee Relations

ISBN: 978-1-74238-

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Disclaimer
Precision Group has made a great effort to ensure that this
material is free from error or omissions. However, you should
conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before
relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book.
Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd is not responsible for any
injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted
from this material. Information in this course material is current at
the time of publication.

Table of Contents
2
3
4
5
7

Legend
Qualification Pathways
Qualification Rules
Introduction
BSBHRM604A/01 Implement Employee Relations Strategy and
Policies for Own Work Area

Key Points

Ensure employee relations strategy is consistent with organisational strategic objectives

Develop strategies and policies through the application of a risk management

approach and extensive consultation and participation by relevant groups and
individuals

Ensure strategy and policies take account of equal opportunity, family / work

Develop risk management strategies which take account of the withdrawal of labour
and other potential outcomes of disputes

Identify potential areas of conflict (if any) and ensure strategies and policies take
account of the objectives of relevant groups and individuals

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19

relationships and promote the absence of discrimination and / or harassment

True or False Quiz

BSBHRM604A/02 Build and Maintain a Productive Culture

Key Points

Negotiate awards, agreements, and contracts which balance organisational objectives

and employee rights and obligations

Identify and meet all legal and organisational requirements within the conditions of
employment

Undertake regular and timely consultation and communication with individuals and
relevant groups

Develop policies and practices to facilitate employee recruitment, retention and

satisfaction

Provide induction programs and training to develop competence and confidence, and
to ensure work is performed safely and effectively

Provide opportunities for employees to understand their role and how it contributes
to the achievement of organisational objectives

Develop, regularly review and update individual and team development plans

Evaluate and revise employee relations policies regularly

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29

True or False Quiz

BSBHRM604A/03 Resolve Employee Relations Problems

Key Points

Establish processes for early intervention to identify and minimise problems or

grievances

Communicate problem solving processes to, and obtain support from, all relevant
groups and individuals

Provide training to develop competence in conflict management, negotiation and

dispute resolution
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Obtain specialist advice where appropriate

or where formal hearings are required

Ensure processes are fair, equitable and

consistent with all relevant awards
agreements and legislation

Ensure problem solving processes provide

for external mediation and conciliation, and
arbitration where appropriate

33
35

True or False Quiz

BSBHRM604A/04 Manage Diversity

Key Points

Develop plans for the promotion of

diversity within the organisation

Openly promote diversity and its benefits

within the organisation

Develop education and communication

plans to promote and encourage diversity

Develop and implement processes to deal

with events which inhibit the organisation
from meeting its diversity objectives

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44
45
47

Use considered risk taking

in your grey area

True or False Quiz

Summary
Bibliography
Assessment Pack

...and others will

follow you!

Legend
This symbol indicates the beginning of new content. The bold title matches the
content of the competency and they will help you to find the section to reference
for your assessment activities.

Activity: Whenever you see this symbol, there is an activity to carry out which has been
designed to help reinforce the learning about the topic and take some action.

This symbol is used at the end of a section to indicate the summary key points of the
previous section.

This symbol is used to indicate an answer to the Candidates questions or notes to assist
the Facilitator.

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Qualification Pathways

There are always two

choices. Two paths to
take. One is easy. And
its only reward is that
its easy. Source Unknown

This unit of competency is provided to meet the requirements of BSB07 Business Services
Training Package although it can be used in a range of different qualifications. The BSB07
Business Services Training Package does not state how a qualification is to be achieved. Rather,
Registered Training Organisations are required to use the qualification rules to ensure the needs
of the learner and business customer are met. This is to be achieved through the development
of effective learning programs delivered in an order that meets the stated needs of nominated
Candidates and business customers.

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Qualification Rules
Youre either part of
the solution or part
of the problem.
Eldridge Cleaver

Qualification requirements include core and elective units. The unit mix is determined by
specific unit of competency requirements which are stated in the qualification description.
Registered Training Organisations then work with learners and business customers to select
elective units relevant to the work outcome, local industry requirements and the qualification
level.
All vocational education qualifications must lead to a work outcome. BSB07 Business Services
Training Package qualifications allow for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to vary
programs to meet:
Specific needs of a business or group of businesses.
Skill needs of a locality or a particular industry application of business skills.
Maximum employability of a group of students or an individual.
When packaging a qualification elective units are to be selected from an equivalent level
qualification unless otherwise stated.

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Introduction
Whether as an
individual, or as part of
a group, real progress
depends on entering
whole-heartedly into
the process and being
motivated to make you a
more deeply satisfied
human being.
Source Unknown

This unit of competency is all about being able to develop and manage employee relations in
your workplace. It will help you with the skills you need to demonstrate competency for the
unit BSBHRM604A Manage Employee Relations. This is one of the units that make up Advanced
Diplomas in Business.
This manual is broken up into four distinct sections. They are:

1. Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area
2. Build and Maintain a Productive Culture
3. Resolve Employee Relations Problems
4. Manage Diversity
At the conclusion of this training you will be asked to complete an Assessment Pack for this unit
of competency. The information contained in this resource will assist you to complete this task.
On competent completion of the assessment, you will have demonstrated your ability to
establish, maintain and evaluate the organisations employment relations strategies and
processes in your relevant work area.

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Candidate Resource BSBHRM604A Manage Employee Relations

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PART 1:

Implement Employee Relations

Strategy and Policies for Own
Work Area

Key Points Section 1

An employee relations strategy must be consistent with your overall
organisational strategic objectives.
Consultation is a critical part of developing strategies as it ensures that your
staff are involved in the process.
When developing strategies, consider how risk will affect the process.
Objectives of individual workgroups are an important consideration.

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Employee Relations Strategy

Employee relations are about attempting to get your staff to work effectively towards your
businesss goals and objectives. It may involve very challenging situations and requires you and
your staff to act in a manner that reflects both the law and effective workplace relationships.
Employee relationships should form a major part of your organisations strategy and should also
have their own strategy in place to ensure that everyone is fully aware of what is required of
them. When developing such a strategy, you need to spend time looking at all of the strategies,
policies and processes that your organisation has in place to ensure your team works effectively
together. The commitment you are trying to maintain or establish should include all of the
following:

Take chances, make mistakes.

Thats how you grow.
Pain nourishes your courage.
You have to fail in order to
practice being brave.
Mary Tyler Moore

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Your management at all levels of the organisation, both inside and outside a
specific branch or department.
Your individual employees, when you are dealing with employment problems.
Your employees as a group when dealing with union issues.
As a manager, it is likely that you will be expected to work with supervisors and other frontline
managers in order to ensure that all staff are working towards a common goal. This goal should
allow staff to work alongside their employees to ensure that any employment relations strategy
that is put in place will allow the team as a whole to work effectively with one another.
The Employee Relations Strategy must allow the individuals concerned to allow the team
members to understand what is required of them in terms of the way they work and how the
organisation will help them achieve these goals. Those involved in this development include:
All staff within the organisation, especially the human resources section. It will be
their role to actually understand how the personnel section operates, as well as
what is required of the team members concerned. All staff should be consulted
during this stage.
You may find it useful to hire consultants to provide advice on the necessary
sections of any such policy.
The overall strategy should allow the organisation to have information on how management
can:
Work towards a strategic direction for the way that employee relations is handled.
Provide advice to staff members of various topics which may concern them, as well
as provide advice on how to implement new programs.
Spend time working within a team that facilitates organisational change within the
department or organisation.
Know the processes involved when communicating information to other team
members or seeking information through consultation.
Attempt to monitor the effectiveness of programs that have been put in place
for employee relations and ensure that processes are effectively implemented to
improve any such processes.
Allow team members to resolve any differences that may have occurred between
them and management, as well as working with employees on a group basis for
group problems.
Allow for appropriate advice to be provided regarding both their rights and their
obligations as an employee, according to the legislation applicable to them and
their employment agreements and contracts.
Ensure management is in a position to draft policies with regards to discipline,
resignation, grievances, redundancy, or any other area related to employee
relations

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Allow for the management to be involved in preparing for cases regarding

employment issues.
Revise OHS requirements and policies and ensure all members of the workplace are
kept safe in their positions.
Provide advice on changes to the employee relations landscape and how this affects
workplace operations.
Such a policy needs to be developed by looking at:
How employee relations decisions are made within the workplace. There are a range
of methods that may be adopted, so the policy needs to look at these in detail and
decide which are most appropriate.
The context within which the organisation is operating. This may include looking at
other organisations, other countries and how they are doing things and how things
may change for you.
Factors within your organisation that may have an effect on the way that things
operate. This may include culture or other factors that place pressure on the way
that things operate in the organisation.
How organisational change will affect the way that employee relationships will be
conducted or changed.
Unions how they are likely to be effective in altering the way that you undertake
your workplace operations.
The employment contracts used within the organisation.
Workplace policies and procedures for promoting and achieving a healthy and safe
workplace.
The strategy should also ensure that your management and front line management staff have
appropriate skills in:
Dealing with grievances
Workplace discipline
Problem solving
Managing change
Fixing problems
Negotiation.
As well as examining all this information, your strategy must also consider the law and how it
impacts on workplace operations. There are a range of different areas which are affected by
legislation and they include:
Parental leave
Hours of work
Minimum wage

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Discipline
Redundancy
Occupational Health and Safety.

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Employee Relations Policy

An Employee Relations Strategy is aimed at attempting to get the workplace harmonious and
will look at the relationship between:
Management
Unions
Staff members
The Employee Relations staff in an organisation are responsible for:
Working with the unions
Monitoring changes
Developing strategies

Objectives of the Strategy and Policy

The specific employee relations strategy aims to:
Ensure that consultation and communication is effective
Ensure that staff are committed to the organisation
Ensure the workplace is healthy and safe
This means that your specific strategy should be aimed at:
Improving communication
Identifying areas of concern among staff
Eliminating and resolving conflict
Providing a manner for staff to feel that management is concerned about them.

Employee Representation
A sound policy and strategy should recognise the principle of freedom of association. That is,
where staff members choose to have a trade union represent them, your organisation should
make arrangements for recognition, collective bargaining and dispute resolution. All staff
members should have the right to join the representative body of their choice, but this does
not mean that the organisation will recognise all such bodies for collective bargaining or other
purposes. Staff members should have the right not to belong to a representative body. The
organisation should not therefore agree to membership of a representative body becoming a
condition of service or appointment.

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Victimisation / Coercion
A strategy developed by your organisation should examine how your employees are treated
within the workplace - particularly in relation to how they are treated because of their
membership of a representative body. Such a section may be along the lines of:
No staff member shall be victimised by [name of business] management as a result of his
/ her membership of a representative body.
Management will seek to protect staff members from being coerced into membership of
any association against their wishes, or from being coerced in any way as a result of their
non-membership of any association.

Such recognition should be formalised in a recognition (or procedural) agreement with the
representative body. This agreement should include details of the following:
The bargaining unit - definition of the common interest group.
Procedures - how negotiations, disputes, grievances, disciplinary matters etc. will be
handled.

Grievance Resolution
There should be a section of the policy that states how grievances will be handled. This is
addressed further in a later section. However the policy should state:
Our organisation believes that in order for its staff to feel empowered and effective, all
staff members should feel that management will resolve any conflict when there is any
element of dissatisfaction.
This dissatisfaction may arise from
Their workplace relationships
Their job.
Any form of dissatisfaction will be resolved as quickly as possible by management and
other representatives. A full procedure for dealing with grievances is provided.

Communication and Consultation

There should be a section of your policy that states how communication and consultation are
to take place.

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Our organisation understands that open communication and consultation among

staff and management is critical to the success of any employment relationship.
The organisation and its management will therefore ensure that ideas are able to be
exchanged freely, that the views of all staff are considered and that any concerns are
addressed as quickly as possible.
Informal systems
Informal communication and consultation should always be provided for at all levels of
the organisation. This may include all managers and supervisors encouraging matters of
concern being discussed among its staff members.
Consultative committees
When change is to occur within an organisation, managers and supervisors will ensure
that consultation takes place. Any such consultation will be between all staff members
concerned and members of the management and human resources staff.
Consultation will allow communication between management and staff members to
be properly conducted and ensure that everyone is fully aware of what is occurring
throughout the organisation. Management is committed to always gaining the views of
staff members before major decisions concerning their positions are made.

Discipline
Discipline should also be addressed in your policy so that all staff members are aware of how it
will be implemented.

All staff members within the organisation are expected to perform to the best of their
abilities. If a staff member does not achieve this specific level of performance or act in
a manner that does not fit with their specific employment agreement, the organisation
may initiate disciplinary action against that employee. In serious cases this may warrant
immediate action such as dismissal. In other cases, disciplinary action should be aimed at
improving overall performance.

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Employee Relations Training

The organisation provides staff training to promote informed and sound employee relations
practices.
Staff Induction Course
All staff members who join the organisation will receive full training in specific
organisational policies and procedures with regards to employee relations.
Management / Supervisory Training
Managers and any other staff members who work supervising staff members will receive
specific training with regards to their specific areas of need. This may include negotiation
and communication training.

High achievement always

takes place in the framework
of high expectation. Jack Kinder

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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Activity One
What are some of the strategies that could be included in organisational stratagies and policies?
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Part 1: Implement Employee Relations Strategy and Policies for Own Work Area

Section 1 - True or False Quiz

Please tick

True

False

Freedom of association is not a valid policy.

Change in an organisation has little effect on employment

relations.
Employee relations are concerned with how to gain peoples
commitment to the achievement of the organisations business
goals and objectives.
Personnel and development professionals are expected to play
their part alongside line managers in maximising the contribution
of people to the achievement of current and evolving business
objectives.
Employment relations strategy is not relevant to external
consultants.
You must develop your employment relations strategy in
isolation.
There is only one means to resolve all employment relations
issues, the courts.
Strategy must allow management to participate in negotiation
processes.
Employee relations strategy need not concern itself with managing
change programs.
A strategy developed by your organisation should examine how
your employees are treated within the workplace.

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