National Labor Relations Act
Line managers need to take into account that interference with unions and collective actions by employees is illegal hence the legal obligation to give employees the right to express their grievances.
Line managers need to understand that it is illegal to discriminate against employees who take part in collective activities since such interference interferes with the freedom of employees at their work place and are also common causes of conflicts.
Line managers should also give employees the right to file against unfair labor practices since such actions are in line with the need to improve the workers’ well-being.
It is also imperative for line managers to ensure that they involve union representatives in identifying issues affecting employees and coming up with better framework for bargaining.
Line managers also need to avoid incidences where they try to frustrate representation of employees by unions through exerting domination over workers representatives.
Fair Labor Standards Act
Line managers should ensure that employees receive their overtime pay in case they work for over 40 hours in a week.
There is also a great need to ensure that employees’ records in terms of the hours worked and the pay are kept in a way that promotes easier reference in case of complaints from workers.
Line managers should be able to identify the ages of the employees to avoid incidences of child labor. The need to avoid child labor is to ensure minors are not exposed to conditions that could adversely affect their health.
Line managers should also be fair when it comes to performance appraisal since it is through impartial evaluation of employees’ productivity that aspects such as equal promotion and delegation of authority are possible.
Line managers need to strive to eliminate incidences of sexual harassment and discrimination by laying down work rules and procedures aimed at making employees aware of the measures to avoid sexual discrimination and the consequences for violation.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
Employees need to be provided with a formal notice in advance in the event where a firm is planning to lay off some of its workers.
It is also important to formally notify employees 60 days in advance in case of intentions to close down the plant.
Managers need to understand that violation of notification results into legal liability on the part of the employer to the employee for a financial equivalent of the payment entitled within the period of perpetrating the violation.
It is also imperative for managers to understand the formal procedures that need to be followed including notifying representatives of the state, workers representatives’ relevant elected officials of the intentions to close down a plant.
Managers also need to understand that WARN only applies to employees who have been in the service for a period not less than half a year within the 12 months immediately before the date of serving the notice.
Difference between diversity management and affirmative action
Affirmative action implies the legal rules requiring employers to come up with measures that ensure their workforce is a reflection of the community in which an organization operates. The fact that affirmative action originated from historic discriminatory employment practices implies that its key mandate is to ensure minorities and women are given equal opportunities when it comes to recruitment and promotions. Affirmative action therefore focuses on the need to remind employers that they have to shift from past discriminatory practices that limited the rights of women and minorities hence the need to get specific groups of individuals into the organization. Diversity on the other hand is more concerned with the need to create a cultural change in an organization. This implies that with diversity, organizations realize the need to accommodate diverse workforce that includes employees from different backgrounds and varying cultures which include varying sexual orientation, religions, races, ethnic groups, political ideologies and experiences. Diversity is therefore a broader concept that involves organizations valuing the need to have individuals with different skills, talents, knowledge and abilities and not just accommodating specific groups like the case of affirmative action. Diversity is therefore more important for an organization since it influences management to take action in terms of training employees to adopt a philosophy that improves effectiveness through creativity and innovation.
References
Traylor, K. (2004). Affirmative action vs diversity: What is the real difference? Berkshire : Berkshire Associates Inc.
U.S Department of Labor. (2010). Human resource laws and regulations. Washington, D.C: U.S Department of Labor.
