New HR Executive Struggling with Poor Management: How Can I Support My Team?

Seeking Guidance as a New HR Executive

My name is Sima. I do not have much experience. Currently, I am working as an HR executive in a company. I do not have any senior HR personnel who can assist me. However, the management here is not good. So, how can I help the employees?

Regards,
Sima

Try to convince and educate them about the consequences. Even after that, if the management is not changing their approach, then instead of helping employees, you need to help yourself by looking for an alternative.

Regards,
Kamesh

The management is not ready to spend a single penny on employees. All employees are receiving their salary after the 15th. How can I convince the employees? It is their right to receive their salary on time. Please suggest how to handle the employees and the management.

The employees form unions and associations because of this type of attitude from employers. One day, the employees themselves may go to the labor department and lodge a complaint against the management under the Payment of Wages Act. Once the employees decide to form a union, only then will these types of managements realize, but by that time, it is too late, and nothing can be done.

I believe that it is not the right place for professionals to work; hence, it is better to look for alternatives.

Regards,
Kamesh

In this kind of situation, you can learn Industrial Relations (IR) in-depth. You have to encourage the workers to file a complaint against the management. At the same time, the management should not know that you are the cause of all this, so that the government officials will send a correspondence against the management. That will be a fear factor for the management, and then the management will seek your help to solve the problem.

Subsequently, you can do justice to the workmen as you wish.

In a small organization, this type of problem occurs, but as you say, you are alone as an HR personnel. This is a great opportunity for you. If you handle these types of problems, it will be a great achievement for you. Think about what you have to do according to the priority of work. Plan it and execute it. Especially ask management for at least one more personnel for the HR department.

Best of luck.
Pardeep

Challenge for Addressing Employee Concerns

This is a challenge for you. In this case, write an anonymous letter to your employer stating that the employees are forming a union and are approaching the Labour Office due to delays in payment and the lack of basic facilities.

After sending this letter, observe if the employer is not taking the issue seriously. If that is the case, send an anonymous letter to the Labour Office, Shop & Establishment Inspector, and HRD Ministry, while also cc'ing your employer.

I believe this approach will apply pressure, leading to a resolution of the situation. Always utilize different strategies to implement the right practices and ensure a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

Regards,
Johnson P

Dear Sir, the number of employees is very low (10). Although there is a need, the management does not want to hire anyone. However, the performance of each employee is good. There is actually a need for new employees. The problem is that I can only contact my boss through the phone as he stays in Canada. I have to manage everything, and for that, I need permission from his father, who is very old and not aware of the current organizational structure. I have to seek permission from him for even the smallest amount of money, and he is located here. How can I manage this situation?

Thank you.

This is a challenge for you, Sima. Even I am facing the same kind of problems as you are, but that's the duty of an HR executive. It's our responsibility as HR professionals to manage the work, employees, and employer. If you take any serious actions against your employer, it may be possible that he will terminate you from your job. So, it's my kind request to you not to take any negative steps that could affect your career.

Thanks & regards,
Ashish
HR Executive

Your case is quite interesting. List the various issues which, in your opinion, are not correct from the statutory point of view and also ethically not justifiable. You haven't yet disclosed the name of your organization or the segment that your company is in, and the location of your factory/organization. Further, you also have not mentioned the total number of your workforce (both the blue-collar workers on the shop floor and the white-collar office staff). A critical evaluation can be done only after you have all this data with you. Also, look into the company's performance for the last 5 years in terms of overall turnover and the bottom-line revenue.

Resorting to a union or creating pressure on the management indirectly are tactics to be used as a last option because, once you start indulging in these activities, you lose your focus on real-time action, which you as HR need to do to bring the situation under control.

If most of these issues are a result of ignorance of the top management, then you can definitely work your way out. Otherwise, it's better to gracefully quit and look for a different employer who is professional.

I think it's not a time to run away from your situation. You are lucky to have such an interesting and challenging organization at the start of your career. I would suggest that you first try to initiate HR activities that do not require money but are helpful for both employees and management. Sometimes, management may take time to adopt a welfare approach, but HR must continuously make them aware of potential problems and solutions. We are here to provide support to employees and employers. I disagree with Mr. Kamesh and Mr. Anand; it is not the right way to handle such a situation as it may create problems for you. It's better to analyze small issues and work on solving them gradually. Whenever you get the chance, present solutions to these issues to the management. Once you earn the confidence of your management, there will be no limit to what you can achieve. You can change the system in a professional manner.

Best Regards,
Satish

I completely disagree with your advice that you gave to Ms. Sima. I don't think that as HR professionals, we should take such steps because HR personnel play a role as arbitrators, always considering the benefits of both employees and management.

I agree that Ms. Sima is facing a problem, but that doesn't mean she should take action against the management. She should consider having a one-on-one meeting with management to discuss the employees' issues.

Regards,
Madhur Jain

I would like to share a few things on this matter. Please, don't take it personally.

Handling Management as an HR Professional

Being an HR person, first of all, don't make any negative comments about management; ultimately, you are also a part of management.

Though it is a very tough situation to handle, you have to learn a few things from this. If you are managing and controlling an organization anywhere, such conditions will definitely arise with less or excess. But you should be calm and firm in your suggestions to management.

Convincing Senior Management

Try to convince your senior management by presenting the pros and cons of every situation you are facing. Also, try to convince them of the benefits of good HR practices in terms of performance, production, etc., as well as the losses of the bad practices going on and their effects on employees. Positively, slowly, they could try to understand, and things can be changed accordingly.

According to the situation mentioned by you, almost all the employees are aware of the ongoing practices of the organization, so they may also try to misguide you into taking any unauthorized steps. As an HR person, you should be very balanced in your approach. So I suggest you not to involve in processes like complaining against management or making others do so. This may seriously affect your career. So be careful and stay away from such things.

Don't take any emotional burden on yourself because no organization will be forever for any employee; everything is changing by itself.

If things are not in your hands, let them be as they are, and don't ever blame yourself for not completing things. In such a panic mode, you need to be more perfect rather than a frustrated person.

Despite this, if you are still unsatisfied, it's better to consider another option, not with negative intention but for your better career only.

This is just a gentle piece of advice... after all, the decision is yours.

Regards,
Atul Malve
Manager- HR & Admin

Batul and Johnson Ji, your advice is very nice. One perspective is from HR as a management representative, while the other is about giving a jolt to management to make them aware and concerned. It's really a difficult job to manage all HR statutory and non-statutory practices when management is not interested.

Dear Sima, I think you are taking things too personally. Please try to step back from it. As an HR professional, take the initiative to create awareness among your employees and management. Try to convince your management by explaining how good HR practices can create a positive working environment. Maintain good communication with your Canadian boss. It's really hard to convince an old, traditional kind of gentleman. You are fortunate as a fresher to have the opportunity to handle overall HR issues. Make the best of it. If you are really not comfortable with management, please consider alternatives.

Some of the answers are truly unbelievable! I think some of you are confused between HR and IR. You are also confused between being an employee-friendly HR and a Union Leader. My suggestion is, please do not instigate your younger friends to do something that is not correct. Instigating employees against management is the work of a union leader, and you cannot be both a union leader and HR at the same time. Decide what you are and then act, but think before you act because you might be getting yourself into trouble unnecessarily.

SWOT Analysis for Organizational Insight

Sima, make a SWOT chart of the current situation in your organization. I'm sure not everything is bad, so put all the good things in S (Strengths), put everything that's not good in W (Weaknesses), things you feel can be improved in O (Opportunities), and why you are unable to improve, like the old man in T (Threats). Take your time. Do it and redo it again. By the time you redo it the third time, it will reflect the true situation. Send this document to your boss in Canada and ask him for a time to discuss the same.

Creating an Atmosphere of Effective Feedback

Just so that people understand what is being done here in this case better, I will elaborate. What you are doing is creating an atmosphere of "Effective feedback." You are not complaining, but you are still bringing all your real problems in front of him. Our natural reaction to criticism will always be negative, but when the same thing is given in a new avatar (feedback), we take it very positively. As they say in Marketing, it's all about Packaging! LOL

Have fun...

Cheers!

Regards,
Navneet Chandra

After seeing all the suggestions from our team members, I would like to suggest that you first analyze the situation and conduct a SWOT analysis; i.e., list out the things to be implemented to run the company successfully. Share the same with your boss, explain the situation, and request him to discuss the matter before it gets out of hand.

Thanks,
Shirisha

Are you still in the company rendering your services as an HR personnel? If so, please contact me at [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]. It is really very tough to handle such situations. Try to find out "WHY" the salary is being given late, analyze, talk to your seniors (not boss), draw a tentative map on "how to overcome this problem," get everyone's view, put that together, then fix up an appointment with your boss and tell him that you have something very brilliant to discuss with him. Make it clear that you have played your card. If the boss doesn't give any attention to your suggestion, warn him about the employees' reaction to the delayed payment and how they could take legal action. Surely the boss will listen or will ask you to arrange a meeting with the employees. Be polite during the discussion, share the credit with your fellow colleagues. Hope this will work.

Thank you.

I have been facing this problem for 1.5 years in my current company as management always provides us salary almost a month late. For example, September salary shall be payable at the end of October. Bonus is paid from our own cost to company (CTC) with no extra ex-gratia.

Leave and Holiday Policy

The company allows only 12 paid leaves and 2 paid holidays (26th January and 15th August, with one on Diwali). There is no contract engaged with labor license or PF registration. Overtime is paid at a single rate. We have followed all management decisions, but all of a sudden, they are scrutinizing me (as I am alone in the department) for not preparing any factory registers. They have given me only 2 days at most.

Please help me out as our company follows the hire and fire system (on the spot). I fear for my job. What explanation should I give for not preparing:
- Fine/Advance/Adult Register
- Adult Worker Register

Please guide me on whether I should resign or what explanation I should provide to management?

Thank you.

In this case, the employers are uneducated, and they work only for money. People who are not thinking about management are in very small-scale industries. Here, you can learn some admin-related activities, try to handle the employees pleasantly, convince them, and take this issue to management when they are in a good mood. Sometimes, it will help you with management. Learn all labor laws to boost your career.

Regards,
Sudhir

Dear Sima,

This is exactly my situation, and like many fellow members who suggested, the solution is what my mentors and HR friends recommended. The pity at my organization is that such letters have reached our management, but to my dismay, nothing positive came out of it. I am also quite lost with this kind of situation.