How to Prevent Unions
Survey your employees about their happiness., Institute a grievance process., Explain unpopular decisions., Recognize employee contributions., Stop if you learn there is a union drive.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Survey your employees about their happiness.
One good way to head off a union drive is to investigate how satisfied employees are with your workplace.
You can send out a questionnaire and ask for anonymous responses to the following questions:
How responsive is management to employee concerns? How happy are employees with their compensation level? Are there health and safety concerns that they want addressed? -
Step 2: Institute a grievance process.
You should have some formal process employees can use to make complaints.
You should also include the grievance process in your employee manuals and handbooks.
By providing for a grievance process, employees will feel like their voices are heard at work.Make sure that supervisors and managers have an “open door” policy.
State that no retaliation will take place for lodging a complaint.You might also create a grievance committee.
This committee is then tasked with investigating and resolving disputes.Create a flowchart of who the employee should contact.
State clearly the steps an employee must take.
For example, you might require that the employee try to work out the dispute on their own before contacting their direct supervisor.Then you could instruct the employee to contact the grievance committee if the direct supervisor does not resolve the dispute. , Every business has ups and downs.
If you need to make an unpopular business decision—such as cutting employee benefits, laying people off, or no longer giving employees free coffee—you should be transparent as to your reasons for taking the action.
Employees want to be treated fairly.
They also understand that businesses sometimes have to make difficult decisions.
The worst thing you could do is try to hide the reason why you made the unpopular decision.
Explain why the action was necessary for the business’s health and future.If you fail to explain the actions, then employees may speculate and think the worst of management. , You can try to prevent disgruntled employees from forming a union by creating bonus/incentive plans.Bonus plans include lump sum bonuses for employees who hit certain targets.You can also award other productive behavior, such as perfect attendance.
Let the employee know why he or she is receiving the bonus.
In this way, the employee feels like their efforts have been recognized.
You also create an incentive for the employee to continue the good behavior.
Think about creating an employee of the month award.
You probably see these every time you go into your grocery store.
Usually, the store has a picture of an employee on the wall.
These awards are a good way of recognizing the contributions of your employees and cost very little money. , You should try to address employee concerns as a way to keep them from forming a union.
However, once you find out that your employees are actually unionizing, you should stop all attempts to change the workplace.
This may sound irrational.
After all, you simply want to make things better for your workers.
However, federal law prohibits employers from trying to “coerce” employees during a union drive.
Your attempt to improve employee wages, for example, could be interpreted as an attempt to induce employees to reject the union.You should contact your attorney and ask how to proceed. -
Step 3: Explain unpopular decisions.
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Step 4: Recognize employee contributions.
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Step 5: Stop if you learn there is a union drive.
Detailed Guide
One good way to head off a union drive is to investigate how satisfied employees are with your workplace.
You can send out a questionnaire and ask for anonymous responses to the following questions:
How responsive is management to employee concerns? How happy are employees with their compensation level? Are there health and safety concerns that they want addressed?
You should have some formal process employees can use to make complaints.
You should also include the grievance process in your employee manuals and handbooks.
By providing for a grievance process, employees will feel like their voices are heard at work.Make sure that supervisors and managers have an “open door” policy.
State that no retaliation will take place for lodging a complaint.You might also create a grievance committee.
This committee is then tasked with investigating and resolving disputes.Create a flowchart of who the employee should contact.
State clearly the steps an employee must take.
For example, you might require that the employee try to work out the dispute on their own before contacting their direct supervisor.Then you could instruct the employee to contact the grievance committee if the direct supervisor does not resolve the dispute. , Every business has ups and downs.
If you need to make an unpopular business decision—such as cutting employee benefits, laying people off, or no longer giving employees free coffee—you should be transparent as to your reasons for taking the action.
Employees want to be treated fairly.
They also understand that businesses sometimes have to make difficult decisions.
The worst thing you could do is try to hide the reason why you made the unpopular decision.
Explain why the action was necessary for the business’s health and future.If you fail to explain the actions, then employees may speculate and think the worst of management. , You can try to prevent disgruntled employees from forming a union by creating bonus/incentive plans.Bonus plans include lump sum bonuses for employees who hit certain targets.You can also award other productive behavior, such as perfect attendance.
Let the employee know why he or she is receiving the bonus.
In this way, the employee feels like their efforts have been recognized.
You also create an incentive for the employee to continue the good behavior.
Think about creating an employee of the month award.
You probably see these every time you go into your grocery store.
Usually, the store has a picture of an employee on the wall.
These awards are a good way of recognizing the contributions of your employees and cost very little money. , You should try to address employee concerns as a way to keep them from forming a union.
However, once you find out that your employees are actually unionizing, you should stop all attempts to change the workplace.
This may sound irrational.
After all, you simply want to make things better for your workers.
However, federal law prohibits employers from trying to “coerce” employees during a union drive.
Your attempt to improve employee wages, for example, could be interpreted as an attempt to induce employees to reject the union.You should contact your attorney and ask how to proceed.
About the Author
Jerry Gibson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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