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Dealing with Conflict

Discussion and decision making inevitably lead to conflict.But conflict that’s merely smoothed over alwaysresurfaces in a number of different ways, cutting down productivity. Dealingwith conflicts effectively is vital to the well-being both of the company andthe organization.

Companies who effectively deal with conflict:

·   Value high levels of interaction.

·   Tolerate—even welcome—conflict for the airing ofdifferences.

·   Take a problem-solving approach to conflict.

·   Process the feelings behind statements, as well as thecontent.

·   Wait to proceed with a task until conflict is managedsatisfactorily.

·   Realize that moderately high levels of well-managedconflict result in greater creativity and higher-quality solutions.

SOURCE: Steven H. Larson, “The Behavioral Side ofProductive Meetings,” excerpted from the Workforce Classic Reprint Series “Successful Meetings,”April 1980.

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Home Work Area Safety

OSHA won’t be knocking at the average telecommuter’s door anytime in the near future. Still, it’s a good idea to remember that home office space, as well as traditional office space, is prone to fire and other physical hazards. Here’s what to watch for.


Make sure:


  • Pathways are clear and uncluttered. Office furnishings and equipment, file drawers and electrical cords don’t interfere with a fast and easy ability to exit the area.
  • A working smoke detector and fire extinguisher are close by.
  • Adequate electrical outlets are available. A separate circuit breaker may be needed to prevent overloading the existing electrical system. Employees may want to consider a home inspection by their local power utility.
  • Air quality and ventilation are good and adequate means of heating and cooling exist. Home offices can get warm fast with all that equipment buzzing in what is likely to be a small space.
  • Stands and shelves for equipment and reference materials are sturdy and correctly set up.

SOURCE: CCH Incorporated, Riverwoods, IL, January 2000.

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IDear Workforce-I More Salary Sites

Q

 

Dear Workforce:

 

Thanks for referring me to that BLR comp survey. Now I am trying to find a wage range for a Manufacturing Quality Control Manager located in the Bay Area. I have checked BLR but am unable to locate a job in either report. Can you advise where I might find this information?

 

A

 

Dear Bay Blues:

 

Here’s another BLR section you may want to try:
http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

 

Also, here are several other sites to check out salaries for your candidates or yourself.

 

SOURCE: Personnel Decisions International, Minneapolis, MN, January 6, 2000 and Workforce Online Editor Todd Raphael, January 12, 2000.

E-mail your Dear Workforce questions to Online Editor Todd Raphael at raphaelt@workforceonline.com, along with your name, title, organization and location. Unless you state otherwise, your identifying info may be used on Workforce.com and in Workforce magazine. We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to answer every question.

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How is the Internet Used for Relocation-related Matters

Results of Atlas Van Lines’ “1999 Survey of Corporate Relocation Policies.”


29%

Internet is not used by this department.

33%

Internet is used by this department, but not for relocation-related matters.

22%

Internet is used to research relocation-related matters, including survey information, real estate, and trailing spouse assistance.

27%

Internet is used to communicate via e-mail with relocating employees, including pre-move and post-move information.

4%

Other

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Choosing a Behavioral Health Program

The following are guidelines to look for when selecting abehavioral health provider.

  1. As the human resources manager, remember that you are in control of theprocess, not the insurance company or the provider network.
  2. You have to be a very well informed, very aggressive consumer in order toget the best service while containing cost.
  3. Keep your eye on quality first, not the dollar sign.
  4. Consider what the experience of the employee going to be like when he orshe tries to access the benefit. Remember your employee will need a systemthat advocates for him or her.
  5. Are you buying a benefit which the service provider thinks the job is tosave you money or provide service? If the benefits provider perceives thatcost is the main issue, employees who need help will find that the systemprevents them from getting help or sends them to the cheapest help possible,instead of a skilled person on the other end determining what kinds of carethe employee really needs.
  6. Do your homework and learn how to evaluate the service before you buy.Call current clients of the provider and ask what the experience is like forthe employee. When they try to get help, do they access the system rightaway or are they put on hold for a long time? Do they hear a human being oris it a cold, impersonal computerized system?
  7. Educate yourself. Find out as much as you can about the types of services,but also beware that it is a cutthroat, competitive business in which youwant to be sure that what is presented to you is the truth. For example,will your employees actually be able to access in-patient treatment? Or willfacilities be too crowded? Are those who qualify for inpatient substanceabuse programs able to access them or are they put into day treatmentprograms?
  8. Consider hiring a consultant to help educate you. Be sure that theconsultant knows more than just the business angle, that he or she has theexpertise in mental health and substance abuse.
  9. If you’re considering carve-outs, be careful about the plan you choose.Do you buy mental health separately or as part of the overall health carepackage? (A carve-out plan is a managed care approach that provides uniformcare for mental health and substance abuse treatment, regardless of the typeof plan your company provides for general health benefits. They are tightlymanaged and care must be pre-approved by a case manager.) Some carve-outsare like insurance companies, which can be good or bad, depending upon themotivation of the company. So explore first. You don’t want employees tobe caught in a system where the provider is trying to cut corners on yourworkers’ well-being.
  10. Check emergency care benefits and accessibility too. If an employee issuicidal or homicidal, he or she needs care immediately. Some of thesesystems will try to keep people from being admitted to hospitals becausethey’re trying to save dollars.
  11. Offer a wide range of care — for example, care that specializes in eatingdisorders.
  12. You want to be sure the provider network is right for your company. Anational network may seem impressive, but if your employee is located inBoise and the closest therapist is 50 miles away, it doesn’t do youremployee any good.

Source: Mark Braverman, Ph.D, is founder of Newton, Massachusetts-based CMGAssociates Inc.


Workforce, February 2000, Vol.79, No. 2, p. 50 — Subscribenow!

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Overview of Domestic Employee Relocation Assistance

From the “Survey & Analysis of Employee RelocationPolicies & Costs,” © 1999 by Runzheimer International:

Assistance or Reimbursement Type

1993

1999

Shipment/Storage of Household Goods

98%

98%

Temporary Living

97

93

Househunting Trips

97

91

Homesale Costs

89

88

Moving Automobiles

85

87

Tax Assistance (Gross-Up)

75

83

Home Purchase Costs (New Location)

85

80

Return Trips to Former Location

66

69

Final Move

N/A

69

Third-party Fees/In-house Administrative Costs for Homesale

66

61

Carrying Costs, Loss-On Equity & Other Direct Costs of Homesale Program

57

57

Lump-Sum Payments

38

55

Duplicate Housing Costs

48

49

Orientation Trips Prior to Accepting Offer

32

44

Loss Protection

40

40

Payback Agreements

N/A

38

Spouse Re-employment

22

37

Equity/Advance/Loan

41

35

Cost-of-Living Allowance

39

34

Mortgage Interest Differential

43

27

School-Finding Assistance

N/A

23

Property Management (Rental of Former Home)

16

16

Child-Care Finding Assistance

N/A

15

Elder-Care Finding Assistance

N/A

14

Workforce, February 2000, Vol. 79, No. 2, p. 81.

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Job Classifications of Typically Transferred Employees

From the “Survey & Analysis of Employee RelocationPolicies & Costs,” © 1999 by Runzheimer International:

Job Classification

1993

1999

Middle Management

47%

35%

Sales & Marketing

28

20

New Hires

N/A

14

Engineers, Scientists & Technicians

9

12

Executive Management

8

9

Non-management Personnel

5

6

Service Personnel

N/A

1

Other

3

3

Workforce, February 2000, Vol. 79, No. 2, p. 80.

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HR 101 Relocation

This special monthly section gives you everything you need to know about important HR topics.

This month, learn about relocation Best Practices; Budget Implications, and Technology.

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Guidelines for a Safe Home Workstation

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) quickly rescinded a controversial interpretive letter that said a Texas employer could be held responsible for the safety of its telecommuting employees. However, the agency’s action concerned many businesses in the U.S., which increasingly are allowing employees to work from home offices.


Whatever companies think about governmental regulation or lack thereof in this area, as a good business practice, they should consider encouraging employees to ensure that their home office environments are safe and designed to maximize productivity.


A home workstation should be:


  • In a separate, private and secure area designated for work.
  • Private and quiet—free from family, neighbors or other distractions.
  • Include a place to store office materials where they’ll be secure from children, pets, etc.
  • Functionally efficient.

SOURCE: CCH Incorporated, Riverwoods, IL, January 2000.

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IDear Workforce-I How Do You Make Service Centers Work

Q


Dear Workforce:


We have a service center failing miserably and need help. My company has 2,000 employees worldwide. We have large government contracts and because they are very diverse both organizationally and geographically, the HR service center needs to be able to respond to a large array of issues.


A


Dear Lousy Service:


If the in-house service center isn’t performing well, most likely it is because of insufficient expertise across the wide range of services HR must now provide. Because of the sheer number of services and their growing complexity, most corporations now outsource this difficult task.


These services include medical, eye care, dental, and relocation help, to name a few, and typically a different provider will be used for each need.


If a company has offices around the world, as this one seems to have, there can be additional problems stemming from the big differences in HR policy and practice that exist across borders. Finally, if the service center is staffed by just one person or a handful of professionals, the ability to handle the numerous and varied inquiries effectively is even more compromised.


If you chose to outsource, be aware of the potential downside. What is often sacrificed is flexibility in application of policy in the provision of services. Employees will also have to keep track of the separate service centers, especially if they have more than one inquiry at a time. The upside is the accuracy and in-depth knowledge made available by these specialist providers.


To find the right balance for your organization, begin with specific benchmarking of companies you admire, as well as those that are most similar to the one where you work.


SOURCE: Marilyn Kappel, ARC International, Aspen, Colorado, January 11, 2000.


E-mail your Dear Workforce questions to Online Editor Todd Raphael at raphaelt@workforceonline.com, along with your name, title, organization and location. Unless you state otherwise, your identifying info may be used on Workforce.com and in Workforce magazine. We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to answer every question.