Discussion: Human Resources Challenges

HR management must address challenging situations with employees quickly and strategically. Challenging situations can have profound financial and legal impacts on a healthcare organization. They can also impact public health and safety, as well as concerns regarding ethics, organizational policies, and government regulations.

In this Discussion, you will examine two scenarios that present difficult situations related to employees. You will analyze the roles and responsibilities of HR professionals in addressing challenges with employees and you will propose strategies HR professionals can implement to prevent challenges with employees.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Chapter 15 of the Fallon and McConnell textbook. Focus on the responsibility of the HR department in mitigating conflicts and addressing problems within a healthcare organization.
• Review Chapter 19 of the Fallon and McConnell textbook. Focus on the role of the HR department in facilitating communication between labor unions and consider the legal and ethical implications.
• Review Chapter 20 of the Fallon and McConnell textbook. Focus on the current trends in management styles, motivation strategies, and other employee relations considerations. Consider the role of the HR department in addressing these concerns.

With these thoughts in mind, consider the following two scenarios:

1. James Samuelson, a laboratory technician, entered the Point Clinic on Monday bearing a rainbow lanyard as a symbol and support of inclusion and diversity in the workplace for the LGBTIQ+ movement. By Tuesday afternoon, James received two disturbing email messages from unknown senders. James quickly reported and shared the emails with the head of the clinic’s HR department. James was highly concerned about the incident and how this might affect coworker relationships at the clinic.
2. Samantha Jones, an employee at Point Clinic, shared her concern with the executive leadership on how she felt about recent events that involved poor treatment by management, long work hours, under-compensation, and under-appreciation. Four additional emails similar to Samantha’s were received by the Point Clinic executives on the same day. The executives met with the small Point Clinic HR department to discuss a plan to address these concerns, but financial constraints were a main concern raised during the meeting.

Select one of the two scenarios to focus on for this Discussion. For the scenario you select, respond to the following:

By Day 4

Post a comprehensive response to the following:

• Summarize the financial, legal, and ethical issues related to the scenario you selected.
• Describe one other important issue related to the scenario (e.g., public health/safety concerns, organizational policies, government regulations).
• Explain the roles and responsibilities an HR professional would have in addressing the problem in the scenario you selected. What could an HR professional do to fulfill those responsibilities?
• Describe at least one strategy an organization could use to prevent this type of scenario from occurring. Explain why you think the strategy you selected would be effective.