Carrie's Promotion: Reviewing Employee Issues for HR Director - Essay Sample

Introduction

Congratulations - you are the Director of HR. Review these employee issues and complete the table to prepare for action.

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Employee Issue Federal laws to consider when handling this situation Motivational theory/theories to consider when addressing the issue - explain. Recommendations for compensation and benefits options that could be used as motivators/solutions.

Carrie is applying for a promotion at her college for which she is fully qualified. She has been offered the job with a starting salary of $80,000, which is the entry-level starting salary for the position. She knows quite well that the last person who had the job, Chuck, was also promoted internally and was offered a starting salary at the mid-point - $100,000. (This is a community college where salary information is public.) Carrie wants to accept but knowing this information is unhappy and is at your door. Equal Pay Act of 1963

This federal law ensures the protection of both women and men from sex-based discrimination in their wages and salaries. Furthermore, this law applies in situations where both the victims perform substantially equal work (Pynes, 2013). Adam's Equity theory: the Equity theory states that if an employee believes that their output is not proportional to or greater than their input, then the employee will be demotivated (Jahan, 2019). Furthermore, this theory indicates that to identify the level of fairness in the outputs the employee is receiving, the employee is more likely to compare their inputs and outputs with those of their colleague who was in a similar level in the organization as in the case of Carrie and Chuck. To achieve employee satisfaction, the human resource manager could develop accepted systems that would ensure Carrie is rewarded equally with Chuck.

The reward system may not necessarily involve an increase in salary but can comprise of other forms of motivators and compensation. For instance, Carrie can be assured of bonuses, prizes as well as recognition of her contribution to the organization. In addition to that, Carrie can also receive annual leaves that she can take at her convenience as well as the possibility of work appraisals.

Employee Issue Federal laws to consider when handling this situation Motivational theory/theories to consider when addressing the issue - explain. Recommendations for compensation and benefits options that could be used as motivators/solutions.

Derrick works as an hourly picker and packer in the warehouse of a small, start-up web-based pharmaceutical/drug store company. Lately, there has been little to no money for new safety equipment or maintenance for the forklifts. He has been working very long hours and recently witnessed an accident which caused his friend, his supervisor, to go to the hospital. He has been doing his job and supervising other employees. He is feeling tired and discouraged and wants to know what your plan is for his future.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

This labor Act states that the employees must receive overtime pay for the extra hours that they have worked in every work week (USA.gov, 2019). The law also states that the overtime rate should not be less than one-half of their regular rates of pay

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

This Act empowers the employees as well as their representatives the right to file for a complaint and request for an Occupational Safety and Health inspection at their workplace if they believe that their employer is not following the required safety and health standards (USA.gov, 2019). Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory

The two-factor theory claims that there are two factors: hygiene and satisfiers bring about the motivation of an employee. Though these factors are not immediate determinants of success, their absence results in underperformance of the employee (Jahan, 2019). Hygiene factors in Derrick's case include working conditions and salary. Hygiene can also include organizational policies as well as job security. Satisfiers also called motivators, in this scenario include growth opportunities, responsibility, and recognition. As human resources management, it is imperative that Derrick receives feedback for him to understand how he can grow despite the financial hurdles that the company is facing.

The human resource manager can also offer Derrick and the other employees the best working conditions as well as providing the employees with fair pay since they work very long hours. Also, the human resource team could try and form supportive relationships with Derrick and the other employees that will make them feel as though they are part of the organization and not just a means to an end.

Employee Issue Federal laws to consider when handling this situation Motivational theory/theories to consider when addressing the issue - explain. Recommendations for compensation and benefits options that could be used as motivators/solutions.

Mara is the best administrative assistant that this company has ever seen. She has been with you for five years. Now pregnant with her third child, she is struggling to get to work on time and to stay past her usually scheduled hours. When she had only one child, she would work all of the extra hours that "just happened" regularly. The work is piling up, and her boss is thinking about taking disciplinary action. Mara is worried that she will be fired and wants to discuss her situation with you.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978

This federal law prevents any employment activities that will result in the discrimination of employees based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions (Pynes, 2013). This Act further protects Mara from being fired or denied a promotion or a job because she is pregnant. This law also prevents the Mara from being forced to take a leave of absence as long as she is capable of completing her duties.

Under this law, employers are expected to treat pregnancy similar to any other disability. For instance, just as employees on disability leave have the freedom to return to their previous post, Mara, as a pregnant woman should also be allowed to return to her last position. The Hierarchy of Needs theory.

This theory claims that individuals must first meet their basic needs before they become motivated to accomplish higher-level goals or needs (Jahan, 2019). The hierarchy comprises of five levels:

1. Physiological - these needs include the necessities for survival such as food, water, and shelter.
2. Safety - these needs include personal and financial security, health, and wellbeing.3. Love/belonging - the need for friendships, relationships, and family.
3. Esteem - this is the need to feel confident and be respected by others.
4. Self-actualization - the desire to achieve everything and become the most that you can be.

As human resource management, the first recommendation would be to show recognition for Mara's contribution to the company as the best administrative assistant. This display would recognize the value of Mara's role and therefore show respect to her. As a result, Mara would be motivated to work harder. As the management, it would be beneficial to show support to Mara in other aspects of her life such as recognizing the fact that she is going to have another child. This recognition and support would help to motivate Mara as she will feel like a valued member of the team. Another recommendation would be to offer Mara flexible working hours to give her time to focus on her family as well as ensuring that she is paid fairly to maintain her financial stability during her pregnancy.

References

Jahan, S. (2019). Theories of Motivation. Retrieved from https://hrmpractice.com/theories-of-motivation/

Pynes, J. E. (2013). Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Strategic Approach. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

USA.gov. (2019, March 29). Labor Laws and Issues. Retrieved from https://www.usa.gov/labor-laws#skiptarget