QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Quality of Work Life is becoming an increasingly popular concept in recent times. It basically talks
about the methods in which an organisation can ensure the holistic well-being of an employee instead of
just focusing on work-related aspects.
It is a fact that an individuals life cant be compartmentalized and any disturbance on the personal front
will affect his/her professional life and vice-versa. Therefore, organisations have started to focus on the
overall development and happiness of the employee and reducing his/her stress levels without
jeopardizing the economic health of the company.
Each organisation has its own way of achieving this. But the most common elements adopted are:

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Integration:
There has been much concern today about decent wages, convenient working hours, conducive working
conditions etc. There is no generally acceptable definition about this term. However, some attempts were
made to describe the term quality of work life (QWL). It refers to the favourableness or
unfavourableness of a job environment for people. QWL means different things to different people. J.
Richard and J. Loy define QWL as the degree to which members of a work organization are able to
satisfy important personnel needs through their experience in the organization.
Quality of work life improvements are defined as any activity which takes place at every level of an
organization, which seeks greater organizational effectiveness through the enhancement of human
dignity and growth a process through which the stockholders in the organization management, unions

and employees learn how to work together better to determine for themselves what actions, changes
and improvements are desirable and workable in order to achieve the twin and simultaneous goals of an
improved quality of life at work for all members of the organization and greater effectiveness for both
the company and the unions.
Richard E. Walton explains quality of work life in terms of eight broad conditions of employment that
constitute desirable quality of work life. He proposed the same criteria for measuring QWL. Those
criteria include:
(i) Adequate and Fair Compensation: There are different opinions about adequate compensation. The
committee on Fair Wages defined fair wage as . . . the wage which is above the minimum wage, but
below the living wage.
(ii) Safe and Healthy Working Conditions: Most of the organizations provide safe and healthy working
conditions due to humanitarian requirements and/or legal requirements. In fact, these conditions are a
matter or enlightened self interest.
(iii) Opportunity to Use and Develop Human Capacities: Contrary to the traditional assumptions, QWL
is improved to the extent that the worker can exercise more control over his or her work, and the
degree to which the job embraces and entire meaningful task but not a part of it. Further, QWL
provides for opportunities like autonomy in work and participation in planning in order to use human
capabilities.
(iv) Opportunity for Career Growth: Opportunities for promotions are limited in case of all categories of
employees either due to educational barriers or due to limited openings at the higher level. QWL
provides future opportunity for continued growth and security by expanding ones capabilities,
knowledge and qualifications.
(v) Social Integration in the Work Force: Social integration in the work force can be established by
creating freedom from prejudice, supporting primary work groups, a sense of community and interpersonnel openness, legalitarianism and upward mobility.
(vi) Constitutionalism in the Work Organization: QWL provides constitutional protection to the
employees only to the level of desirability as it hampers workers. It happens because the managements
action is challenged in every action and bureaucratic procedures need to be followed lat that level.
Constitutional protection is provided to employees on such matters as privacy, free speech, equity and
due process.
(vii) Work and Quality of Life: QWL provides for the balanced relationship among work, non-work and
family aspects of life. In other words family life and social life should not be strained by working hours
including overtime work, work during inconvenient hours, business travel, transfers, vacations etc.

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(viii) Social Relevance of Work: QWL is concerned about the establishment of social relevance to work
in a socially beneficial manner. The workers self esteem would be high if his work is useful to the
society and the vice versa is also true.
Quality Circles:
Quality circles which have been popularized by Japanese firms are being used all over the world because
of the benefits that accrue to the firm. A quality circle involves participation from a small group of
employees doing the same type of work. They meet regularly to identify, analyze and solve the problems

that arise during the course of their work and their association with the organization.
The basic objectives of quality circles are to develop and utilize human resources effectively, to develop
quality products, improve the quality of work life and sharpen and utilize an individuals creative
abilities. There are different steps involved in the development of quality circles from getting started to
problem-solving. Communicating the importance of quality circles to the employees is of prime
importance.
The next step is the composition of a quality circle. Then the stage of initial problem solving through
which employee suggestions are presented, follows. The suggestions are then evaluated and the best one,
chosen by consensus, is implemented. Various techniques like brainstorming sessions, fish bone diagram
and sampling and charting methods, are used in quality circles.
Problems arise in the implementation of quality circles because of lack of understanding regarding the
concepts, low education levels and training, delays in execution and operational problems. Most of these
problems can be resolved through effective training of employees and management support.
Industrial Relations:
The concept of industrial relations means the relationship between employees and the management in
the day-to-day working of the industry. But the concept has a wide meaning. When taken in the wider
sense, industrial relations is a set of functional interdependence involving historical, economic, social,
psychological, demographic, technological, occupational, political and legal variables. According to
Dale Yoder, industrial relations is a whole field of relationship that exists because of the necessary
collaboration of men and women in the employment process of an industry.
According to the international Labour Organisaton (ILO), Industrial Relations deal with either the
relationship between the state and employers and workers organizations or the relation between the
occupational organizations themselves. The concept of industrial relations has been extended to denote
the relations of the joint consultations between employers and people at their organizations. The subject
there fore includes individual relations of the joint consultations between employers and people at their
work place, collective relations between em0ployers and their organizations and trade unions and the
part played by the State in regulating these relations.

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Characteristics of Industrial Relations:

Characteristics of industrial rations include:
Industrial relations are the outcome of employment relationship in an industrial enterprise.
Industrial relations develop the skills and methods of adjusting to and co-operating with each
other.
Industrial relations system creates complex rules and regulations to maintain harmonious
relations.
The Government involves to shape the industrial relations through laws, rules, agreements,
awards etc.
The important factors of industrial relations are: employees and their organizations, employer
and their associations and the Government.
Factors of Industrial Relations:
Industrial relations are influenced by various factors, viz., institutional factors, economic factors and
technological factors.
1. Institutional factors: These factors include government policy, labour legislations, voluntary courts,
collective agreement, employee courts, employers federations, social institutions like community, caste,

joint family, creed, system of beliefs, attitudes of works, system of power status etc.
2. Economic factors: These factors include economic organization, like capitalist, communist mixed etc,.
The structure of labour force, demand for and supply of labour force etc.
3. Technological factors: These factors include mechanization, automation, rationalization, computation
etc.,
4. Social and cultural factors: These factors include population, customs and traditions of people, ethnic
groups, cultures of various groups of people etc.
5. Political factors: These factors include political system in the country, political parties and their
ideologies, their growth, mode of achievement of their policies, involvement in trade unions etc.
6. Government factors: These factors include governmental policies like industrial policy, economic
policy, labour policy, export policy etc.
Objectives of Industrial Relations:
The primary objective of industrial relations is to maintain congenial relations between employees and
the employer. And the other objectives are:
To promote and develop congenial labour management relations;
To enhance the economic status of the worker by improving wages, benefits and by helping the
worker in evolving sound budget;
To regulate the production by minimizing industrial conflicts through state control;
To socialize industries by making the government as an employer;
To provide an opportunity to the workers to have a say in the management and decision-making;
To improve workers strength with a view to solve their problems through mutual negotiations
and consultation with the management;
To encourage and develop trade unions in order to improve the workers strength;
To avoid industrial conflict and their consequences and
To extend and maintain industrial democracy.
DISPUTE/CONFLICT
Industrial dispute means any dispute of difference between employers and employers, or between
employers and workmen or between workmen and workmen, which is connected with the employment
or non-employment or terms of employment or non-employment or with the conditions of labour of any
person.

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CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES/CONFLICTS

It not easy to identify a single factor as a cause of industrial conflicts as multifarious causes blended
together result in industrial disputes. Deep seated and more basic causes of disputes can be identified
through in-depth probe, though surface manifestations appear to be responsible for conflicts. The
relative importance of these causes, when more than one present, is often very difficult to gauge.
According to Mukherjee, the development of capitalistic enterprise, which means the control of the
tools of production by the small entrepreneur class has brought to the fore the acute problem of friction
between management and labour throughout the world. Causes of industrial conflicts may be grouped
into four categories, viz.:
1) Industrial factors;
2) Managements attitude towards workers;
3) Government machinery and
4) Other causes.
TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL CONFLICTS:
Industrial conflicts are basically two types, viz. Strikes and Lock-outs.

Strikes: Strikes are the result of more fundamental maladjustments, injustices and economic
disturbances. According to Peterson, strike is a temporary cessation of work by a group of employees in
order to express grievances or to enforce a demand concerning changes in work conditions. Under
Section 2(q) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, strike is a cessation of work by a body of persons
employed in any industry, acting in combination or a concerted refusal under a common understanding,
of a number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept
employment. However, prohibiting an individual employee, termination of employment of
retrenchment, termination of service of more than one person are not lock-outs. Strikes are divided into
primary strikes and secondary strikes. Primary strikes are generally against the employer with whom the
dispute exists. They take the form of stay away strike, sit-in, sit-down, pen-down, tools-down, or mouthshut strikes, go slow, work-to-rule, token or protest strike, lightening or wildcat strike, picketing or
boycott.
Stay away strike: In this strike, workmen stay away from the work place. They organize rallies,
demonstrations etc. Stay-in strike or sit-down shut strike: In this strike, workmen come to the place, they
stay at the work place but they dont work.
Tools-down, pen-down or mouth-shut strike: In this strike, the strikers lay down their tools in case of
factory workers, lay down their pens in case of office workers and shut their mouth in case of teachers.
Token or protest strike: It is a very short duration and in the nature of signal for the danger ahead. In this
strike, the workers do not work for an hour or a day.
Lightening or wildcat strike: In this strike, the strikers strike the work without any prior notice or with a
shortest notice.
Go slow: In this strike, the workers intentionally reduce the speed of work.
Work to rule/work to designation: In this strike, the strikers undertake the work according to rules of job
description.
Picketing: It is an act of posting pickets and implies machinery or patrolling of the workmen in front of
the premises of the employer.
Boycott: It alms at disrupting the normal functioning of the enterprise.
Gherao (Hindi): It is a physical blockade of a target either by encirclement, intended to block the regress
and ingress for a limited period or up to the period of settlement of disputes.
Hunger strike: This type of strike is resorted to either by the leaders of the union or by some workers all
at a time or in small batches for a limited period or up to the period of settlement of disputes.
Secondary strike: Secondary strikes are against a third party. These strikes are sympathetic strikes.
SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICTS:

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Investigation:
This is conducted by a board or court appointed by the government. It may be voluntary or compulsory.
If the investigation is conducted on an application by either or both the parties to the dispute, it is
voluntary. If the Government appoints a Court of inquiry to investigate into a dispute without the
consent of the parties, it is compulsory. Investigations do not aim at bringing about the settlement of
disputes directly, but by analyzing the facts, they aim at bringing about an amicable solution. When the
investigation is comp0ulsory, the strikes and lock-outs are required to be stopped and employment. The
result of investigation has no serious effect on the disputes because the general public is least bothered t
make note of the disputes.
Mediation:
Another attempt to settle disputes is mediation. In this method, an outsider assists the parties in their
negotiations. It takes place with the consent of both the parties. The mediator performs the messengers
job for both the parties and he neither imposes his will nor his judgement upon them. The main aim of

mediation is the settlement of disputes by bringing about a voluntary agreement. There may be three
kinds of mediation:
(i)
The Eminent Outside;
(ii)
Non-Government Board; and
(iii)
Semi-Governmental Board.
If mediation is conducted skillfully and sympathetically along proper lines, it can bring about the
adjustment of differences that might otherwise contribute to stoppage of work.
Conciliation:
The main objective of a conciliation and arbitration is to reunite and arbitration is to reunite the two
conflicting groups in the industry in order to avoid interruption of production, distrust etc.
Conciliation is a process by which representatives of both workers and employers are brought together
before third party with a view to persuading them to arrive at some sort of settlement. It is an extension
of collective bargaining with third party assistance. It is the practice by which the services of a neutral
third party are used in a dispute as a means of helping the disputing parties to reduce the extent of their
differences and to arrive at an amicable settlement or agreed solution. It is a process of rational and
orderly discussions of differences between the parties to a dispute under the guidance of a conciliator.
Conciliation machinery consists of a conciliation officer and board of conciliations. The conciliator
induces the parties to a course of action. He plays the role of an innovator, protector, discussion leader,
stimulator, advisor, face saver. He acts as a safety valve and a communication link.
The task of conciliation is to offer advice and make suggestions to the parties to the dispute on
controversial issues.
Voluntary Arbitration:
If the two parties to the dispute fail to come to an agreement, either by themselves or with the help of a
mediator or conciliator, who agrees to submit the dispute to an impartial authority, whose decision, they
are ready to accept. The essential elements in voluntary arbitration are:
The voluntary submission of dispute to an arbitrator;
The subsequent attendance of witness and investigations and
The enforcement of an award may not be necessary.

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Compulsory Arbitration/Adjudication:
Where trade unions are weak, the method of Compulsory Arbitration is used. Compulsory Arbitration is
utilized generally when the parties fail to arrive at a settlement through the voluntary methods.
In Kenya, Compulsory Arbitration is enforced because collective bargaining was not used for regulating
wages and other conditions of employment.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
Meaning/Definitions:
The concept grievance has been defined in several ways by different authorities. Some of the
definitions are as follows: Beach defines grievance as any dissatisfaction for feeling of injustice in

connection with ones employment situation that is brought to the notice of the management, whereas
Flippo indicates the grievance as a type of discontent which must always be expressed. A grievance is
usually more formal in character than a complaint. It can be valid or ridiculous, and must grow out of
something connected with company operations or policy. It must involve an interpretation or application
of the provisions of the labour contract. Jucius defines grievance as any discontent or
dissatisfaction, whether exposed or not, whether valid or not, arising out of anything connected with the
company which an employee thinks, believes or even feels to be unfair, unjust or inequitable.
Causes of Grievances:
The causes of employee grievances include:
Demands for individual wage adjustments;
Complaints about the incentive system;
Complaints about the job classifications;
Complaints against a particular foreman;
Complaints concerning disciplinary measures and procedures;
Objections to the general methods of supervision;
Loose calculation and interpretation of seniority rules and unsatisfactory interpretation of
agreements;
Promotions;
Disciplinary discharge or lay-off;
Transfer for another department or another shift;
Inadequacy of safety and health services/devices;
Non-availability of materials in time;
Violation of contracts relating to collective bargaining;
Improper job assignment;
Undesirable or unsatisfactory conditions of work;
Victimization and
Fines.

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GUIDELINES FOR GRIEVANCE HANDLING:

The primary purposes of a grievance procedure are to:
Channel conflict into an institutionalized mechanism for peaceful resolution;
facilitate communication between labor and management regarding problems that arise in a
collective bargaining relationship;
Enable employees to complain with dignity knowing that there is a system of appeals leading to
an impartial decision-maker; and
Enforce compliance with the terms and conditions negotiated by the parties.
Handling Employee Grievance:
The following checklist is provided as guidance when an employee comes to you with a
complaint:
Make sure that meetings with employees to handle complaints are held in accordance with any
contract provisions that regulate the time and/or location for such meetings. Develop good
listening and note taking skills.
Be prepared to spend the time to get the evidence and testimony to support your case and to
refute managements case. Treat all employees fairly and consistently.

Do not make judgments about the case to the employee or anyone else until you get the facts.
Keep good records of all transactions, oral and written, that occur from the time a complaint is
brought to you until the case is resolved in the grievance procedure or in arbitration.
Let the employee tell his/her story without interruption. Take notes. Review the employees
description of the case with him/her to make sure you have all the facts. Make sure you get the
answers to the questions who, what, when, where, why and how.
Ask the employee for the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses. Then ask
the employee to tell you what he/she thinks each witness knows about the case. Record this
information. Try to clarify any uncertainties about what a witness is supposed to know.
Ask the employee to give you all of the evidence he/she has concerning the case. Make copies so
that no information is lost. Before the employee leaves, check one more time to make sure you
have all the facts, names of witnesses and evidence.
Refer to the grievance procedure in the contract to make sure the issue the employee has raised is
defined as a proper subject of a grievance. If you are uncertain, ask for help. If the issue is not a
proper subject of a grievance, the best thing to do is to tell the employee and explain how this
affects his/her case.
Check to make sure that the procedural requirements set forth in the grievance procedure have
been complied with. If there is more than one witness who knows about a given event, note
which ones would be best able to present clear testimony under the pressure of examination and
cross-examination at an arbitration hearing.
Verify name, address, telephone, work shift and location.
After you have thoroughly reviewed all of these matters, you may find that a complaint is not
grievable/arbitrable or that the case lacks merit. One way to proceed is to explain your findings
to the employee and ask if there is any additional information he/she has that might have a
bearing on the case. If not, you should be guided by local or international union policy and
perhaps by counsel, in determining how to handle this situation.
Be sure to properly and timely complete the grievance form. This includes such items as: names;
dates; signatures; clear and accurate statement of the complaint; contract clauses alleged to have
been violated; and remedy requested.

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EMPLOYEE COUNSELING
Employees face a variety of uncertainties, issues and problems both at the work and the family. In fact,
the problems are multi-faceted involving economic, social, physical, psychological and religious
considerations. Counseling is one of the efficient interventions to find out work and family related
employee problems that affect the work negatively. Counseling is the process of helping other persons to
find and act upon a solution to their problems, anxieties, uncertainties and issues, the person conducting
counseling is called counselor and the person being counseled is called counselee or client.
Concept of Counseling
A counselor is mostly concerned with client rather than the problem. The counselor helps the counselee
to identify his/her own problem and develop is/her own solution rather than imposing his/her solution.
Counselor helps counselee in reaching a solution. This style involves more listening than talking.
Counselor uses questions and exploring techniques and enable the client to find out his/her own
problem. The counselor further helps the client to learn the problem solving techniques, processes and
methods that helps them to solve their problems on their own in the future. the counselor recognizes the
emotions, feelings, psychological issues involved in the process.
Counseling can assist the employee to resolve difficulties in a supportive and professional setting.
Whether a crisis or something that has been worrying the employee for sometime, counseling can assist
the employee to understand the problem, its impact and to develop strategies to cope with it. As
employees from time to time, we can experience difficulties either in our work or personal life. At these

times, work performance and productivity can be affected. Counseling can result in quicker and less
stressful resolution of the problems with less disruption to the workplace. Counseling is confidential and
private. Generally, no information can be released without employees written authority.
Counseling is provided for work and personal issues such as: Stress , Change, Conflict, Career planning,
Communication, Trauma, Depression, Relationship issues, Family problems, Gambling, Grief and
bereavement, Anxiety, Drug and alcohol problem & Work satisfaction.
Process of Counselling
Counseling is the process of helping other persons to solve their problems. The person conducting the
counseling is known as the counselor and the one being counseled is referred to as the counselee or
client. There are four basic styles of counseling, viz., telling, manipulating, counseling and advising. The
counseling process includes various steps viz., identifying the needs for counseling, communicating
effectively, managing the counseling interview, controlling emotions, and follow-up.
Identifying the needs for counseling: The manager of the department concerned identifies the
counseling needs of the employees. The couselling needs may be obvious, based on permanent lateness,
irregular attendance, absenteeism, poor quality of work, breakages at the work etc. In addition, the
manager can identify the possible and prospective problems. Counseling needs or employee problems
may be classified as personality problems, work and organizational related problems and external
problems and external problems. Personality problems are related to the image people have of
themselves and others.
Communicating effectively: Counselling is mostly done through communication. In other words,
communication plays vital role in counselling. Counselor communicates with the counselee by
practicing a three step-process, which can be repeated in the counseling interview process. These steps
are questioning, listening and responding.The counselor should use oral, written, verbal and non-verbal
communication. The counsellors posture and the counsellees posture matter much in the counseling
process.
Managing the counselling interview: The counselor and the counselee should be prepared physically,
socially and psychologically before counseling interview. The manager of the employee might have
developed good and comfortable relationship with the staff. Therefore, the suggestions of the manager
should be considered by the counselor, if the manager is not acting as a counselor.

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Controlling emotions: counseling mostly involves understanding the feelings of the counselee. The
counselor has to gain the confidence and trust of the counselee. Counselling will result in change in the
behaviour of the counselee, which causes pain. The counselee can express his feelings freely when the
interview environment is free and harmonious. In addition, the counselor should also control his/her
emotions and feelings so that the counselee can express his/her feelings and emotions.
Follow-up: The counselor after offering his/her advice provides the methods and step-by-step procedure
to the counselee to practise the advice. The counselor has to get feedback from the counselee and
ascertain whether the counselee is improving or not. If not, he /she has to modify the advice and followup further. Thus, the counselee should ensure the permanent solution to the problem and improvement in
the counselee.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The phrase Collective Bargaining is coined by Sydney and Beatrice Webb. According to them,
collective bargaining is a method by which trade unions protect and improve the conditions of their
members working lives. According to the Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences, collective bargaining is a
process of discussion and negotiation between two parties, one or both of whom is a group of persons

acting in consent. The resulting bargain is an understanding as to the terms and conditions under which
a continuing service is to be performed. More specifically, collective bargaining is a procedure by which
employers and a group of employees agree upon the conditions of work.
Functions of Collective Bargaining
Collective bargaining plays an important role in preventing industrial disputes, setting disputes and
maintaining industrial peace by performing the following functions:
Increase the economic strength of employees and management.
Establish uniform conditions of employment.
Secure a prompt and fair redressal of grievances.
Lay down fair rates of wages and other norms of working conditions.
Achieve an efficient functioning of the organization.
Promote the stability and prosperity of the company.
It provides a method of the regulation of the conditions of employment of those who are directly
concerned about them.
It provides a solution to the problem of sickness in the industry and ensures ole- age pension
benefits and other fringe benefits.
It creates new and varied procedures for the solution of the problems as and when they ariseproblems which vex industrial relations; and its form can be adjusted to meet new situations.
Since basic standards are laid down, the employee is assured that he will be required to work
under the stipulated conditions incorporated in the agreement and the employer is protected from
unfair competition by those who are engaged in a similar industry.
It provides a flexible means for the adjustment of wages and employment conditions to economic
and technological changes in the industry, as a result of which the changes for conflicts are
reduced.
As a vehicle of industrial peace, collective bargaining is the most important and significant
aspect of labour management relations, and extends the democratic principle from the political to
the industrial field.
It builds up a system of industrial jurisprudence by introducing civil rights in the industry. In
other words, it ensures that the management is conducted by rules rather than by arbitrary
decisions.

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Collective Bargaining Process:

There are two stages in collective bargaining, viz., (i) the negotiation stage and (ii) the stage of contract
Negotiation
a) Identification of problem: The nature of the problem influences the whole process-whether the
problem is very important that is to be discussed immediately or it can be postponed for some other
convenient time, whether the problem is problem is minor that it can be solved with the other partys
acceptance on its presentation and does not need to involve the long process of collective bargaining
process etc.
b) Preparing for negotiations: When it becomes necessary to solve the problem through collective
bargaining process, both the parties prepare themselves for negotiations.
c) Negotiations of agreement; Usually, there will be a chief negotiator who is from the management side.
He directs and presides over the process. The chief negotiator presents the problem, its intensity and
nature and the views of both the parties. When a solution is reached at, it is pt on the paper, taking
concerned legislations into consideration. Both the parties concerned, sign the agreement which, in turn,
becomes a binding contract for both the parties.

Contract Administration
Implementation of the contract is as important as making a contract. Management usually distributes the
printed contract, its terms and conditions throughout the organization. The union takes steps to see that
all the workers understand the contract and implement it. From time-to-time depending on changing
circumstances, both the parties can make mutually acceptable amendments.
Causes for the Limited Success of Collective Bargaining
Problems with unions: Collective bargaining process mainly depends on the strength of unions.
Unions are marked with multiplicity, inter and intra-union rivalry, weak financial position and
non-recognition. Weak trade unions cannot initiate strong arguments during negotiations. There
is usually no unanimous decision among workers to be presented at the negotiating table.
Problems from Government: The Government has not been making any strong effects for the
development of Collective Bargaining. The Government has imposed many restrictions
regarding strikes and lock-ours, which is an obstacle for the development of collective
bargaining process.
Legal Problems: Now adjudication is easily accessible. As such now collective bargaining
process is losing its importance.
MAINTENANCE OF HR:
Organisation provide a variety of fringe benefits. Dale Yoder and Paul D. Standohar classified the fringe
benefits under four heads as given hereunder:
For employment security: Benefits under this head include unemployment insurance, technological
adjustment pay, leave travel pay, over for maternity, leave for grievances, holidays, cost of living bonus,
call-back pay, lay-off pay, retiring rooms, jobs to the sons/daughters of the employees and the like.
For health protection: Benefits under this head include accident insurance, disability insurance, health
insurance, hospitalization, life insurance, medical care, sick benefits, sick leave, etc.
For old age and retirement: Benefits under this category include: deferred income plans, pension,
gratuity, provident fund, old age assistance, old age counseling, medical benefits for retired employee
traveling concession to retired employees, jobs to sons /daughters of the deceased employee and the like.
For personnel identification, participation and stimulation: This category covers the following
benefits: anniversary awards, attendance bonus, canteen, co-operative credit societies, educational
facilities, beauty parlour services,housing, income tax aid, counseling, quality bonus, recreational
programmes, stress counseling, safety measures etc.

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Employee Security:
Physical and job security to the employee should also be provided with a view to promoting security to
the employee and his family members. The benefits of confirmation of the employee on the job create a
sense of job security. Further, a minimum and continuous wage or salary gives a sense of security to the
life.
Safety and Health:
Employees safety and health should be taken care of in order to protect the employee against accidents,
unhealthy working conditions and to protect workers capacity., the Factories Act, stipulated certain
requirements regarding working conditions with a view to provide a safe working environment. These
provisions relate to cleanliness, disposal of waste and effluents, ventilation and temperature, dust and
fume, artificial humidification, over-crowding, lighting drinking water, public utility and spittoons.
Provisions relating to safety measures include fencing of machinery, work on or near machinery in

motion, employment of young persons on dangerous machines, striking gear and devices for cutting off
power, self-acting machines, easing of new machinery, probation of employment of women and children
near cotton openers, hoists and lifts, lifting machines, chains, ropes and lifting tackles, revolving
machinery, pressure plant, floors, excessive weights, protection of eyes, precautions against dangerous
fumes, explosive or inflammable dust, gas etc. Precautions in case of fire, power to require
specifications of defective parts of test of test of stability, safety of buildings and machinery etc.
Welfare and Recreational Facilities:
Welfare and recreational recreation include: (a) Canteens: (b) Consumer societies: (c) Credit societies:
(d) Housing; (e) Legal aid: (f) Employee counseling: (g) Welfare organizations; (h) Holiday homes; (i)
Educational facilities; (j) Transportation: (k) Miscellaneous.
Old Age and Retirement Benefits:
Industrial life generally breaks the family system. The saving capacity of the employee is very low due
to lower wages, high living cost and increasing aspirations of the employees and his family members. As
such, employers provide some benefits to the employees after retirement and during old age, with a view
to create a feeling of security about the old age. These benefits are called old age and retirement
benefits, these benefits include: (a) Provident Fund; (b) Pension; (c) Deposit linked insurance; (d)
Gratuity and (e) Medical benefit.
Corporate Social Responsibility:
Corporate social responsibility is becoming an increasingly important priority for many CEOs across the
world, and HR has a vital part to play, writes Robin Kramar, Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and
sustainable development is gaining increasing prominence in the global business culture, as many
businesses attempt to accommodate the CSR agenda. The concept of corporate sustainable development
is still the subject of controversy and therefore the indicators used to measure CSR continue to be the
topic of debate. However, no matter what indicators are used, the notion of responsibility includes
responsibility for people in the collective sense (such as communities) and also for individuals.

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The criteria used to measure workplace practices relate specifically to HR practices. The criteria include:
employee involvement; fair and reasonable rewards and conditions; a positive commitment to diversity
and work-life balance; industrial relations arrangements based on mutual respect; occupational health
and safety arrangements; executive remuneration that is fair and reflect the concerns of internal
stakeholders; independently verifiable performance measurement and evaluation systems and training
and development policies. These criteria indicate that an organisation that is seen as socially responsible
creates a culture that is perceived as open, fair and attractive to potential and existing employees.
Research demonstrates
CSR initiatives have a positive impact on employee morale, motivation, commitment, loyalty, training,
recruitment and turnover. Benefits in these areas have been found to improve the bottom line of
companies. Three surveys across Europe, the USA and a survey involving 25 countries found employees
felt greater loyalty, satisfaction and motivation when their companies were socially responsible.
A recent survey of 257 CEOs by Korn/Ferry shows that 65 per cent of CEOs are taking responsibility for
managing company reputation. Almost three-quarters of the CEOs regarded recruitment and retention as
the main business objective of corporate reputation and almost the same percentage identified the hiring
and retaining of key and talented people as one of the three top objectives of corporate and social
responsibility initiatives. These HR concerns were regarded as more important than more commercial
and business outcomes.
Therefore, corporate initiatives can contribute to the branding of organisations in the labour market.
These initiatives can make the organisation attractive to employees with similar values and so assist the
organisation to become an employer of choice for these potential employees. And, if it lives out the

values and initiatives on a daily basis it will assist the retention of desirable employees.
Global HRM :
Global HRM refers to Human Resource Management practices that deal with managing a diversity of
workforce from all around the world. The following challenges are being faced by HR managers in
terms of globalization:
Managing diversity of workforce.
Managing pressures for more labor rights in third world countries.
Managing Outsourcing of employees.
More part-time and temporary work
Managing productivity and Quality
Downsizing the workforce
Coping with flexible working hours
The globalization of Business has had a significant impact on human resource management. Even though there
has been large scale regional integrations, such as the European Union, human resource manage across borders is
very different and can be quite difficult for a Human Resource Professional un-accustom to cross border
management. The purpose of this course is gain insights into employee relations from a cultural and international
perspective. One would tend to think that Human Resource management in one country would be much like it is
in another country. There are similarities in the human resource function from one country to another however;
due to cultural differences the human resource function can also be quite different. We must first define the Field
of Human Resource Management. According to Peter Dowling in International Human Resource Management,
Human resource management is those activities undertaken by an organization to utilize its human resources
effectively.
These activities include but are not limited to, human resource planning, staffing, performance management,
training and education, compensation and benefits, and labor relations. We must consider what, if any, changes to
the above definition occur when a company goes international or global. When the human resource activities are
spread across different countries therefore, different types of employees must be considered. Employees from the
parent company or Parent Company Nationals (PCNs), this is the expatriate manager or technical professional
assigned to a different country. The next type of employee is the Host Country National (HCNs), this is an
employee of the company form the country which hosts the subsidiary. The last type of employee is a Third
Country National (TCNs), these employees are from a country that is neither the host nor the parent country. This
expatriate also may be from another subsidiary owned by the parent company.

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These multi-country nationals lead to issues generally not associated with Human Resource Management (HRM),
such as international taxation, international relocation, administrative services for expatriates, and government
relations. For example D.L. Pinney discusses tax reimbursement for expatriates because expatriates are subject to
international tax and often have domestic tax liabilities; it is therefore incumbent on a company to provide tax
equalization. If there is no tax equalization much of the incentive and motivation for the overseas assignments
would be lost.