Improving employee morale and managing employee disputes are some of the most time-consuming and emotional roles for Human Resource (HR) professionals. And, oftentimes, employment laws and compliance requirements dictate how you should handle those disputes.
When you are in the thick of developing a new initiative, responding to employees, handling tricky people situations, or researching applicable laws, you may wonder if you are spending too much time on each task. To give you an idea, our team of certified HR experts has weighed in to give you their best estimates of how much time each task may take.
While many initiatives and situations may take more time and involve more people than just one person, here are our estimates for the average time required of an HR Manager for employee relations and compliance tasks:
Most HR professionals spend 10-15 hours each week just responding to employee questions, requests, and disputes. Many of those questions can be answered by providing employees with a self-service platform for their employee information, such as an online HRIS (Human Resources Information System) or an employee mobile app. Others can be rerouted to an outsourced HR provider, particularly when the questions are about benefits or payroll.
Some difficult employee situations can be avoided by doing your due diligence with recommended reference and background checks during the recruiting process, and then hiring right. Having an updated employee handbook with proper workplace policies in place will also help ensure your team is aware of your company’s policies and procedures. This can help minimize confusion about how different scenarios are treated or handled.
Typically, compliance is an aspect of human resources that takes a back seat until there is a problem. If you stay in the know and maintain a regular training schedule to keep employees educated, it is much easier to prevent problems from happening.
However, despite even your greatest efforts, disputes can still happen. When they do, it is easier to work within the law than it is to naively hope there are no complaints that lead to costly (and time-intensive) lawsuits against you as the employer. Contact your certified HR expert for guidance and remember to document everything.
When an HR manager has time to implement morale-boosting initiatives, it strengthens coworker relationships, enhances employee engagement, and boosts overall productivity. Unfortunately, many HR managers are caught in a reactionary role where they are constantly “fighting fires.” Having time to be more proactive can feel impossible until you hire additional staff or find an HR outsourcing partner.
When you choose to outsource to Stratus HR, you gain access to a full-time HR department at a part-time cost. We work in the background to handle the unavoidable administrative tasks and provide guidance to your existing staff to stay compliant with applicable laws and help you handle difficult employee situations. This will, in turn, keep you compliant and provide more time for your internal HR Manager to focus on strategic HR initiatives that align with company objectives.
For more information, book a free consultation today!
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