In last week’s blog I looked at the benefits of making sure that your staff are safe and happy. But, who is responsible for this?
OK – it’s obviously the owner or Managing Director of the company. But the department that usually has to implement the policies (unless the company is a sole trader) is Human Resources (we used to call this the ‘Personnel’ department).
The relationship between a company and its workers can be crucial to its prosperity. When they are content they will do their best for the company but when relationships are bad, disruption can occur, affecting productivity and customer relations.
The HR department usually employs and dismisses workers – taking care of the legal aspects of drawing up contracts and issuing warning and dismissal letters. It monitors when staff are ill and often conducts ‘back to work’ interviews when staff return from sick leave – to check that they have genuinely been ill.
The department may be involved in negotiating with unions about pay and conditions and is usually responsible for staff welfare. This includes such things as canteen or sports facilities provided by the company, or anything else that might affect the well-being and morale of the workforce.
And it is also responsible for staff training – whether the company carries out in-house training, sends workers on courses at local colleges or (more frequently these days) arranges online/distance courses. So, if you feel that there is a particular course that you would like to study to improve your job performance or to improve your chances of promotion, then why not discuss it with the HR department in your company. Distance learning courses are particularly good value to an employer as it means you don’t have to take time off work to study but you still learn all the skills you need.
So have a look at all the courses we offer and if you feel any of them will benefit your career or enable you to do your job better, then have a chat with your employers to see whether they will sponsor you. After all, a well-trained workforce is a productive one!
Author: Diana Nadin
