EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A list of issues was listed down and they included: time taken off by employees due to strain injuries, use of internet by employees for personal use, the new employee who is on a wheelchair, how to retain employees, on site day care, alcohol during parties and the business culture of Kenya.
A comprehensive research was carried out and some solutions were arrived at. It was discovered that at work massages would help with strain; monitoring employees internet use; getting a new office down stairs for the employee on the wheelchair; motivating the employees would retain them; an onsite daycare was more of an asset than reliability; monitoring service of alcohol during parties was needed and the culture was listed down.
INTRODUCTION
The following report was compiled for the Hotel Lambada; the business has needed some changes so as to upgrade it to the normal and required standards. The management of the hotel came up with a list of the issues that needed to be handled, a research was done and a number of results were found. These results will be the main topics in this report and also how to implement them as required by the Canadian authorities.
FINDINGS
Time off due to repetitive strain injuries
Repetitive strain injuries are a common form of injuries in our business. They are mainly caused by repetitive work in an environment that is stressful. Most of the organizations in Canada are advising their staff to get regular exercises when they are at home like taking a walk. Another way is to have them eating a balanced diet to reduce inflammation. Also the staffs are advised to take a small break from work and roll their neck and shoulder and take some water. Maintaining the proper posture when working; for those in the kitchen and restaurant having the right type of shoes is highly recommended (Anderson, 2002). Therapies like massages, acupuncture or a chiropractic help to keep the body in shape. A work place massage is what many companies are adopting to minimize the effect of RSI’s. Providing comfortable chairs for the ones in the office also is being adopted. One benefit of this service is that it will improve the morale of the employees.
Employees use of the internet
Due to the high usage of the internet for non work related information the management decided to monitor the employee’s use of the computer. There are two primary legal issues that are involved; potential liability and privacy. In potential liability the employer is held liable for any actions that their employees undertake or are involved in the internet like pornography or sexual harassment. While in the privacy issues involves the concern by the employees on their right to privacy. The employer is then meant to create policies that are clear and concise. The policies on e-mail and use of the internet are to be communicated to the employees in a way that the employees understand the policies and also the consequence of breaching the policy.
New special employee
Recently the hotel has employed someone who needs to use a wheelchair; this has obliged the management to consider a few changes in the work place so that they can accommodate the new employee (Michael, 2009). Also it was necessary to have his office on the ground floor for easier accessibility. For easier movement his office will also have a special washroom inside for convenience. A space for parking will also be created and it will be reserved for him. This will also that he feels comfortable and appreciated in the company.
Retaining employees
Due to the high cost of training new employees the hotel has to adopt the following strategies as adopted by Bob Macdonald, President and CEO of Maritz Canada. His advice is that ensuring that your employees are inspired by motivating them and rewarding them will keep them loyal to the company. Motivation can be done by giving them learning opportunities, show them that you value them by simple actions like remembering their birthday, rewarding good results and goal attainment. The company should create a culture of dedication and passion that way the environment for hard work is inspiring and also fun to be in. also giving the staff time off to relax after a hard job they have done so as to keep the balance in their normal life (MacDonald, 2004).
Day care service at the work place
Starting a daycare centre is going to come along way to making the employees appreciated by creating convenience for them to have their children close to them. This means on their part it will reduce the costs of looking for a nanny to take care of the children or taking them to daycare. With the children close by, they are more content and their attention is on their work it will reduce absenteeism. When interviewed, the CEO of Syscon said that a childcare was not only the responsibility of mothers but of the business. Creating an onsite daycare is going to help reduce the stress of the employees and it will imply to the clients that the organization is a good one. So he begun Syscon’s Valentine Anderson Child Care Centre n the other hand the company will have to get insurance policy for the children’s safety. They include insurance against property and bodily damage, accidents, medical payments and personal injury.
Alcohol during parties
The law in Canada on serving alcohol in parties is stated by the Supreme Court of law. It advices the employer who is the host to take necessary action to prevent any risks that can be foreseen by a drunk employee. To ensure they are not held reliable the host should serve plenty of food, have someone to pour the drinks for the employees, have a means of transport or a designated driver for your guests back home, stop serving alcohol like 3 hours before the party ends and don’t drink much so that you can keep eye on yours guests.
Partners from Kenya
In Kenya they use English in most of there business communication although knowledge of Swahili would be a great ground breaker. Also in Kenya there is no specific time for ending a meeting so have enough time allocated for a business agenda. Greetings are of great importance and you will be required to ask about the person’s health or family. Look the person in the eye when conversing it show interest and attentiveness. Do not shout unnecessarily it is a sign of rudeness. Relationship is strictly official although non work related activities help build a strong working relation. Inviting them for dinner is appreciated and will help in closing any deals. Women should dress modestly and should not reveal too much of their body.
RECOMMENDATIONS
From my own point of view the most crucial issue is on our new employee who is using a wheelchair and the day care. The management should conduct a meeting with the staff and discuss other issues like the internet and the parties and any other that is affecting them. All other issues should be addressed so as to improve the hotels working environment; that way we can continue giving quality service to our clients.
CONCLUSION
The following report took a while to compile due to the large amounts of issues at hand. The problems were from fields that were not related although most of them involved the relationship of the hotel and its stakeholders.
REFERENCE
Macdonald, B. (2004). Organizations strain to retain high performers: tips for motivating employees. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article
Anderson, B. (2002). Stretching in the Office. California: Shelter Publications
Michael, M. (2009). Disability Rights in Canada. Retrieved from http://blog.lawyerahead.ca
