Monitor and Evaluate Industrial Relations Outcomes

Monitor and evaluate industrial relations outcomes

Overview

Monitoring and evaluation is the cornerstone to effective industrial relations within an organisation.

The outcomes of agreements must be evaluated and monitored to ascertain that they are working well and if any actions need to be taken to ensure that they are.Key performance indicators provide a means for measuring industrial relations performance.

/ Key terms

Key performance indicators (KPI)

Indicators that measure the effectiveness of the organisation’s industrial relations practices, such as levels of absenteeism and labour turnover rates, as well as time lost through strikes and stop-work meetings.

Performance indicators

As HR manager, you, along with the other managers, need to be accountable for the effectiveness of the industrial relations policies within the organisation. Industrial relations key performance indicators assist in monitoring and evaluation as they are a measure of the effectiveness of the organisation’s industrial relations practices.

Key performance indicators include:

• levels of absenteeism
• labour turnover rates
• time lost through strikes and stop-work meetings
• reported grievances
• accidents and injuries (impact on or result in poor moral and indicate poor processes)
• staff moral (staff moral surveys).

Key performance indicators can:

• help accountability
• help measure the effectiveness of the organisation’s industrial relations practices.

Monitor and evaluate outcomes of agreements

Agreements should be reviewed by managers and employees, or their representatives, at a mutually agreed time.

Workplace/enterprise agreements may specify a nominal expiry date, although this date cannot be longer than three years after the agreement has been signed.

Actions open to employers if employee(s) fail to abide by agreements

Once approved by either the AIRC or the OEA, the agreement is both legally binding and enforceable.

A range of actions is available to employers should the employee or group of employees fail to abide by the certified or approved agreement.

The Australian Workplace Relations Act 1996 prohibits employees from taking industrial action during the life of an agreement. Should employees decide to take industrial action, however, employers are able to:

• refer to the AIRC
• seek damages and injunctions through the supreme courts
• seek damages through the court system.

Monitoring and evaluation – key points

• There is no point in working to a plan if there is neither the opportunity nor the will to ensure that the plan is working.
• Monitoring and evaluation allows you to ascertain if you are achieving your targets.
• For an organisation’s industrial relations policies and practices to be effective, resources must be committed to ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
• Monitoring and evaluation acts as an early warning system for signs of conflict.
• Effective monitoring and evaluation may supply you with the solution to a potential or actual conflict through feedback from the personnel involved.
• Managers must be responsible for industrial relations within their area.
• Industrial relations monitoring and evaluation should be undertaken by a person trained in the area.

Monitor and evaluate industrial relations outcomes: Worksheet1

2002_329_034 July 2003