EMPLOYEE HEALTH

The well-being of the employee in an industrial establishment is affected by accidents & by ill health- physical & mental. We can examine employee health from following angles –
1. Physical Health:Bad health of employees results in reduced productivity, high unsafe acts, and increased absenteeism. A healthy worker on other hand, produces results opposite to these. Healthy workers are more productive, more safety conscious, & are more regular to work. ( Cheerful, Confident, Asset to the Organization ).
Health Services:-
- Pre-hiring medical check-up for all employees;
- First aid treatment following an accident. Training in First aid to all employees;
- Provision of healthy sanitary facilities;
- Control of Occupational Hazards, - Adequate Ventilation, Good Lighting, Tree Planting, Good Residential Quarters.

2. Mental Health:
Mental Health of employees has engaged the attention of employers. ( - Mental Breakdowns are common in modern days because of pressures & tensions; - Mental Disturbances of various types result in reduced productivity & lower profits for the organization )
Health Services:-
- Psychiatric Counseling;
- Co-operation & Consultation with outside psychiatrists & specialists;
- Education of company personnel in the importance of mental health;
- Development & maintenance of an effective human relations programme.

3. Noise Control:
Noise can only be minimized but cannot be totally eliminated, constant exposure to noise not only impairs hearing ability, it has adverse effects on general health of the employees. ( Changes in blood circulation, sleep disturbances, dizziness etc)
Noise control cal be achieved:-
- At the Source ( Repairing or Redesigning the machines, Substituting noise producing elements with quieter ones);
- Through enclosures
- By absorption
- By ear Protection.

4. Work Stress:
Stress refers to an individual’s response to a disturbing factor in the environment and the consequences of such reactions. Stress is mostly understood to be negative. But it has positive dimensions also. Stress is said to be positive when the situation offers an opportunity for one to gain something. Where stress brings out something better from an individual, it is called eustress. Eustress is often viewed as a motivator since in its absence the individual lacks that ‘edge’ necessary for peak performance.
Stress Experience:- How an individual experiences stress depends on –
Perception, - Past Experience, - Social Support, - Individual Differences.

Causes of Stress:- Job Stress is caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individual’s performance &/or overall well-being of his body & mind.
- Job Stress may be a result of insecurity at the workplace;
- Unrealistic expectations & a demand for high performance by the management also result in stress at the workplace;
- With the continuous advancement of technology & increased competition, there has been more pressure on the workers to perform;
- Not knowing ones duties or what one is expected to do at work, has been identified as one of the main reasons for stress;
- When an employee does not adjust himself to the workplace culture, then it results in stress as he is unable to relate with the co-workers & may enter into conflict situations with them;
- Personnel problems may also add to stress at workplace.

Handling Employee Stress:-
Effective time management techniques, physical exercises, relaxation techniques & counseling help in reducing stress. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of the organization to ensure that it does not subject the employee to excessive stressful conditions. Some of the strategies to reduce stress are encouraging employees to participate in decision making, having effective communication, setting realistic goals etc.

Avoiding Burnout:-

When an individual experiences excessive physical or mental exhaustion because of constant stress, it results in burnout. It is important to identify & eliminate the factors that cause stress before it results in burnout. Severe changes begin to appear in an individual as a result of burnout. It can be change in the health of worker, his attitude towards work & workplace. The employee no longer trusts the management & colleagues.

5) Alcoholism, Smoking & Drug Abuse:
The effects of Alcoholism on the worker & on the work are serious. Both the quality & quantity of decline sharply. A form of “On-the-job Absenteeism” occurs as efficiency declines. An alcoholic worker is more unlikely to observe safety precautions while on the job or off the job. Organizations can use 3 techniques to overcome alcoholism:-
- Disciplining Alcoholics;
- In-house counseling by the HR Department, Supervisor, Doctor;
- Company’s use Outside agencies, psychiatrists, clinics etc.
6) Violence in the Work Place:

Violent incidents at place include fist fights, stabbing, shooting, Physical attacks etc. Those who are at high risk are taxi drivers, retail workers, cashiers at petrol pumps, etc. Violence disrupts productivity, causes untold damage to those exposed & costs employers millions of rupees.

Strategic Human Resource Management

Strategic Planning:
Strategic HR Planning involves designing HR goals in alignment with the goals of the organization, identifying the HR required to achieve the goals & then developing these resources internally or acquiring them from outside. It also includes the conception & implementation of new HR initiatives required to accomplish organizational goals. The essence of Strategic Planning is to ask “ Where are we now as a business, Where do we want to be, & how should we get there ?”.
Strategic HRM:
Strategic HRM is the optimum utilization of HR to achieve the set goals & objectives in the business environment. This has to go with the organizational strategy & with the strategies of other functional areas like finance & marketing.

Strategic HRM refers to the process of developing practices, programmes & policies that help achieve organizational objectives. The nature of strategic HRM becomes more clear when it is contrasted with traditional HRM. In traditional HRM, the responsibility for people management programme rests with staff specialists in an organization but in SHRM the task of managing people vests with the line mangers. In HRM focus is on employee relations, ensuring that employees are motivated, whereas in SHRM focus on partnership with internal & external constituent groups. The role of traditional HRM is of a change follower, whereas in SHRM the role is of a change leader & initiator.

An effective HRM practices can improve performance in 3 main ways:
- Managing with technology:-
Technological applications like those of Web Portals, E-procurement, Electronic signatures etc improve HR’s performance in 4 main ways:- Self service, call-centers, productivity improvement & outsourcing. For. E.g. Using Dell’s HR Intranet, the firm’s employees can self service many of their personnel transactions, such as updating personal information & changing benefits allocations. Technology also enabled Dell to create a centralized HR Call center. Here Dell HR specialists answer questions from all Dell’s far-flung employee, reducing the need for HR Department’s each Dell Location. Firms also install internet & computer based systems for improving HR productivity. Technology also makes it easier to outsource HR activities to specialist providers by giving access to HR database

- Effective HR Practices:
HR Practices can improve performance. For E.g. a recent review of personality testing concluded that screening applicants through personality testing can produce employees who perform better. Similarly, well-trained employees perform better than untrained ones, & safe workplace produce fewer lost-time accidents.

- High Performance Work Systems:
A high-performance work system is an integrated set of HRM policies & practices that together produce superior employee performance. These includes, Employment Security, Selective Hiring, Extensive Training, Decentralized Decision Making, Information sharing, Emphasis on High-Quality work etc.