Quiz On HR Topics-Last Question On Hot Stove Rule By Lavanya

I missed to post my question.... I thank for all those who are actively participating in this forum. This is a good knowledge sharing activity.. :)

Here is my answer for Skill Level meeting:

WHAT IS A SKIP-LEVEL MEETING?

This meeting is a type of structured interview. The general purpose is to give managers an opportunity to gather employees' thoughts about the organization and to learn of their satisfactions, dissatisfactions, and recommendations for the future. The skip-level meeting is also a way for managers to inform employees about their goals, standards, the type of work culture they would like to establish, and—most importantly—show that they care about the employees.

When there has been a merger of disparate parts of an organization and significant employee problems have surfaced, skip-level meetings can provide detailed, firsthand data that are useful in refining the operation and in improving work relationships. However, employees are quite likely to be a bit suspicious of these meetings and uncertain about how the information will be used. If the manager can ensure confidentiality, the trust level between him or her and the employees will be enhanced.

The human resource professional can assist managers by coaching and advising them on how to interview their newly acquired employees effectively to build a bridge of trust. Here are some guidelines that HR practitioners can provide to managers. What follows is essentially a sequence of events and questions to assist managers in uncovering valuable information about the new employees they have inherited. You or the manager probably will want to add, delete, or modify the questions to fit your style and your organization's needs.

A SKIP-LEVEL INTERVIEW PROCESS

A note of caution should be observed at the beginning of such interviews. It may be difficult and uncomfortable for employees to respond to the initial questions. There are two primary reasons for this reluctance:

1. Employees may not have experienced such an interview before and consequently do not know what to make of the process.
2. For many employees, there has been enough evidence of broken trust and confidence that they fear recrimination—after everything is said and done, they still have to work for some of the people they are providing information on. Be prepared to be supportive and patient.

Hi everybody,

When it comes to Maslow's theory of motivation, he clearly outlines what an "individual" would desire to achieve or would want in general. So if we have to really consider what Preet has asked, I think it is wrong to dismiss all the options. Yet, Option "D," indicating Recognition, can be the most important factor that contributes to self-motivation for an individual.

Dear Mr. Suresh,

Greetings!

Congratulations on inquiring about skip level interviews. A Skip Level Interview is a discussion facilitated by a senior-level manager with an employee or group of employees within the same business group. The term "skip level" applies when a higher-level manager "skips over" his/her managers to meet face-to-face with employees to discuss various business-related issues, rather than relying solely on management feedback.

Hi Banu and John,

Both of them were correct with the answers. I feel that what Banu has posted is more relevant. So, Banu, congrats, you are the winner! Now, shoot out your question.

The Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948

1. Short title, extent, commencement, and application

This Act may be called the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948.

(2) It extends to the whole of India.

(3) It shall come into force on such date or dates as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and for different States or for different parts thereof.

(4) It shall apply in the first instance to all factories (including factories belonging to the government) other than seasonal factories:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to a factory or establishment belonging to or under the control of the government whose employees are otherwise in receipt of benefits substantially similar or superior to the benefits provided under this Act.

(5) The appropriate government may, in consultation with the Corporation, and where the appropriate government is a State Government with the approval of the Central Government, after giving six months' notice of its intention of doing so, by notification in the Official Gazette, extend the provisions of this Act or any of them to any other establishment or class of establishment, industrial, commercial, agricultural, or otherwise:

Provided that where the provisions of this Act have been brought into force in any part of a State, the said provisions shall stand extended to any such establishment or class of establishments within that part if the provisions have already been extended to similar establishment or class of establishments in another part of that State.

(6) A factory or an establishment to which this Act applies shall continue to be governed by this Act notwithstanding that the number of persons employed therein at any time falls below the limit specified by or under this Act or the manufacturing process therein ceases to be carried on with the aid of power.

"Factory" means any premises, including the precincts thereof -

(a) whereon ten or more persons are employed or were employed for wages on any day of the preceding twelve months and in any part of which a manufacturing process is being carried on with the aid of power or is ordinarily so carried on, or

(b) whereon twenty or more persons are employed or were employed for wages on any day of the preceding twelve months and in any part of which a manufacturing process is being carried on without the aid of power or is ordinarily so carried on.

But does include a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act 1952 or a railway running shed.

Thanks & Regards,
Suresh

Suresh,

Congratulations, you are the winner! You can post the next question.

To add to your reply about the aid of power:
The term "aid of power" means using power for the manufacturing process on the premises. The term "manufacturing process" has been clarified below.

As per Section 2(k) of the Factories Act 1948, the term 'manufacturing process' means any process for:

(i) making, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, packing, oiling, washing, cleaning, breaking up, demolishing, or otherwise treating or adapting any article or substance with a view to its use, sale, transport, delivery, or disposal; or

(ii) pumping oil, water, sewage, or any other substance; or

(iii) generating, transforming, or transmitting power; or

(iv) composing types for printing, printing by letterpress, lithography, photogravure, or other similar process or bookbinding; [or]

(v) constructing, reconstructing, repairing, refitting, finishing, or breaking up ships or vessels [or]

(vi) preserving or storing any article in cold storage.

Thus, if the activities of any company fall under any of the above-mentioned activities carried out with the aid of power, it amounts to a manufacturing process and attracts the provisions of the ESI Act 1948 as mentioned above.

The ADDIE model is a generic, systematic approach to the instructional design process, which provides instructional designers with a framework to ensure that their instructional products are effective and that their creative processes are as efficient as possible.

ADDIE stands for:

1. Analyze: define the needs and constraints
2. Design: specify learning activities, assessment, and choose methods and media
3. Develop: begin production, formative evaluation, and revise
4. Implement: put the plan into action
5. Evaluate: evaluate the plan from all levels for the next implementation

Each phase of the ADDIE model is an important element of the instructional design process. In each phase, the instructional designer makes decisions that are critical for ensuring the effectiveness of the instructional experience.

Dear Banu Priya,

Greetings!

Answer to your questions:

1. Redundancy:
Redundancy is a form of dismissal. Therefore, in order to claim redundancy, you must normally have been dismissed from your job because you are genuinely redundant; otherwise, you will have been unfairly dismissed.

2. PROCEDURE FOR RETRENCHMENT:
Where any workman in an industrial establishment, who is a citizen of India, is to be retrenched and belongs to a particular category of workmen in that establishment, in the absence of any agreement between the employer and the workman in this regard, the employer shall ordinarily retrench the workman who was the last person to be employed in that category, unless for reasons to be recorded the employer retrenches any other workman.

Dear Bhanu Priya,

Reply according to me is:
An employee is said to be "retrenched" when his or her job becomes redundant and the employer either cannot offer the employee any alternative position, or any alternative position offered by the employer cannot be accepted by the employee. The concept of "retrenchment" is usually linked with "redundancy".

The following is a brief explanation of what redundancy means in practice. An employee is often referred to as "redundant", but a more accurate description is that the job the employee was employed to perform is redundant (that is, the employer does not want the job performed by anyone anymore), and the employee's employment is then terminated by reason of that redundancy. That is, a job becomes redundant, not an employee.

"Retrenchment" is the expression to describe what occurs to an employee whose employment is terminated by reason of his or her job becoming redundant.

Ans is E.

Maslow's Theory consists of 5 human needs:

1) basic needs

2) safety needs

3) shelter needs

4) Ego/esteem needs

5) Self-Actualization needs

It progresses from Step 1 to Step 5.

Hi John and Swati,

Thank you for your reply. Swati's answer is more relevant to the question. You are the WINNER. Please post your question...

Regards,
Banu Priya

Dear Banu Priya,

Greetings! Can you explain what is wrong in my answer? If you have the exact answer, please let me know so I can gain knowledge.

Thank you.

John,

Greetings to you!

"What is 'retrenchment' and 'redundancy'?

An employee is said to be "retrenched" when his or her job becomes redundant, and the employer either cannot offer the employee any alternative position or any alternative position offered by the employer cannot be accepted by the employee.

The concept of "retrenchment" is usually linked with "redundancy" and also with the concept of "severance" or "severance pay".

The following is a brief explanation of what these various expressions mean in practice.

An employee is often referred to as "redundant," but a more accurate description is that the job the employee was employed to perform is redundant (that is, the employer does not want the job performed by anyone anymore), and the employee's employment is then terminated by reason of that redundancy. That is, a job becomes redundant, not an employee.

"Retrenchment" is the expression to describe what occurs to an employee whose employment is terminated by reason of his or her job becoming redundant.

"Severance" is the expression, usually seen as "severance pay," referrable to the amount or amounts an employee receives upon being retrenched.

In cases of termination by reason of redundancy (that is, retrenchment), the law requires an employer to treat the employee fairly and lawfully. For example, an employer is not allowed to single out an employee for retrenchment as an easy means of avoiding a process of performance review of the employee or to avoid a claim of unfair dismissal by the employee.

Swati had not posted her question yet. Hence the turn is passed to you. Please post your question.

Happy weekend,
Banu Priya

Hi,

According to Maslow's theory of motivation, the topics mentioned come under self-actualization or higher-order needs. A person will first try to fulfill their basic, social, and safety needs. All the mentioned topics are job-related, and Maslow never spoke about any job-related satisfaction. However, these topics come under the higher-order needs.

Thanks,
Lalitha

Here is the corrected text with proper paragraph formatting:

According to the A.P. Shops and Establishment Act, how should an employer maintain attendance registers and records?

Banu Priya

Hi,

Maintenance of registers and records and display of notices:

1. Every employer shall maintain a register of employment in Form XXII.
2. Every employer of an establishment other than a shop shall exhibit in his establishment a notice in Form XXIV specifying the day or days of the week on which his employees shall be given a holiday.
3. Every employer shall maintain a register Form XXV for the leave granted to persons employed.
4. The registers, records, and notices relating to any calendar year shall be preserved for a period of three years after the last entry is made therein.
5. Every employer shall maintain a visit book in which an inspector visiting the establishment may record his remarks regarding any defects that may come to light at the time of his visit or give directions regarding the production of any documents required to be maintained or produced under the provisions of the act and the rules.
6. The visit book shall be a bound book more or less of size (18cm*15cm) containing 100 pages.

Regards,
Suresh:icon1:

I would like to bring in my perspective in the interpretation of Maslow's Theory. I agree with Seema in terms of the theory being related to reward. However, if we closely examine the theory, we tend to see a lot of linkages to various systems in HR. "His main emphasis was on what motivates a human being" - I would like to borrow this from Seema. Let us look at some examples:

1. Recruitment - an offer from a lower band to a higher one. We observe a lot of bundling into the compensation package such as perks, ESOPs, car, club membership, housing, and more. Can we relate this to the theory?
2. Policies in the organization - for various bands (self-explanatory).

I think I have cited some examples. In the same manner, we can look at each of the HR systems. What do you say about this perspective?

Cheers, Sujesh

Is there a need to design and develop HR processes, policies, and practices so that they "impact the life" of an individual working in an organization...

Open for discussion...

Maslow's theory is related to motivation and rewards, not with the mentioned options.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an organizational development process or philosophy that engages individuals within an organizational system in its renewal, change, and focused performance.

Appreciative Inquiry is a particular way of asking questions and envisioning the future that fosters positive relationships and builds on the basic goodness in a person, a situation, or an organization. In doing so, it enhances a system's capacity for collaboration and change. Appreciative Inquiry utilizes a 4-stage process focusing on:

1. DISCOVER: The identification of organizational processes that work well.
2. DREAM: The envisioning of processes that would work well in the future.
3. DESIGN: Planning and prioritizing processes that would work well.
4. DESTINY (or DELIVER): The implementation (execution) of the proposed design.

The basic idea is to build organizations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't. It is the opposite of problem-solving. Instead of focusing on fixing what's wrong, AI focuses on how to create more of what's already working.

Hi All,

Though I started this thread some time back, I was not able to continue due to a busy work schedule. Thanks to the people who have continued it. Now, I think it has totally stopped. Let us continue this.

To start again, I would like to post the question: In your opinion, which of the following factors contributes more to stress:
1. Personal Reasons
2. Work pressure
3. Society and its surroundings
4. Technology
5. Others

Please reply with your answers by ordering the most influential factors from first to last.

Preet

Hi,

I vote for Recognition as it contains everything:

- Verbal recognition: Say to the employee in case he did a good job. Praise him in public. This will be a great motivation.
- Reward the employee for his achievement: This is the next level of Recognition. Providing some monetary benefit to the employee will fill his mind to reach greater heights.
- Appraisal: One way of evaluating performance. That means for his achievement, suitable recognition will be awarded along with training for development.

If we recognize a person 'that reflects in all respects', say... Psychological, physical, strategic thinking, etc., everything in a total life.

Hence, I vote for recognition.

Srinivas

Dear Preet,

Greetings!

As per my views:

1. Work pressure
2. Personal reasons
3. Society and its surroundings
4. Technology
5. Others

Thank you.