Role of HR Managers on Mental Health (Essay Sample)
You are the HR Manager of a large, privately-owned engineering firm. The firm’s executive team has recently announced a plan to relocate the office from the present site in an industrial estate to a CBD location.
The people who will be relocated are:
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer – Design
Chief Operating Officer – Construction and Procurement
Chief Financial Officer
Manager Human Resources
Manager Finance
Manager Marketing
Manager IT
Division Team leaders x 11
Design Engineers x 24
Project Engineers x 33
Engineering Officers x 27
Support staff x 38
Contract staff (eg. draughstpeople, CA– maximum 12 at any one time
At the current location, each of the managers, engineers and engineering officers has their own office. Some support staff members have their own office, others do not. Apart from two support staff members who work at reception, all others work in open plan space in the centre of the floor (the offices are around the walls of the buildings, with external windows). There are always a few 'spare' offices'. The contract staff, some of whom have been working with the firm for several years, have no allocated space. If they are not on site they have to find a place when they come in to work. There are also two meeting rooms and a boardroom, for team and client meetings.
A number of the employees have flexible working arrangements. A number work part-time. Many divide their time between the office and project work-sites. As such, approximately 60% of the 114 available desks at the current office are occupied at any given time.
At the work space there may be some offices - that hasn't been formally decided yet. Consideration is also being given to hot-desking or desk-sharing arrangements at the new premises. This would be require a significant investment in IT hardware and software, as well as in training and creation of new policies and procedures.
The bulk of the firm’s work is project-based, undertaken by project teams. The Executive are, therefore, also considering activity-based working arrangements in an open-plan office, in the belief that it will facilitate collaboration.
ARE HR MANAGERS RESPONSIBLE FOR EMPLOYEE’S MENTAL HEALTH?
Organisation Background
Service industry involves a lot of personal capability as one delivers the knowledge already available to them. Being a HR of an engineering firm, delivery is key and thus all employees need to works towards meeting customers’ expectations and satisfaction (Benson & Dundis, 2003). The nature of work at the engineering firm involves a lot of team playing and due to the high customer demands there are always long shifts to be able to meet deadlines. Toiling at work has resulted to a lot mental strains for a lot of employees. Therefore, managers have a key role of ensuring their employees relax and work under minimum pressure.
The firm intent to move the business to a CBD location. Lack of space to work from coupled with the high IT required has raised a lot of fears with regards to job security among employees as well as straining due to few concentrated working hours. Also these changes have had consequences on bases of mental health. Therefore, leading to mental stress, strain and psychological torcher.
Role oh HR managers on mental health
As recognised from Michael story, enactment of policies with regards to mental health are key thus helping offset some of the workloads that could lead to mental stress. In addition, it is important to take work breaks as well as ensuring policies towards good mental health. Also creation of an environment that lays a platform where employees could communicate their mental health issues would be key as well as ensuring positive perception at work place. This has been also advised by Sonia who was given more breaks from work, given a chance for team working as well as an expression environment. Positive words by managers that engages employees help in mental recovery and help changes as expressed by Len. The overall work of a manager would be to ensure a mental health management program at in place and are operational.
Minimisation of employee’s mental health illnesses during program changes
As revealed by the Australian institute of mental health and welfare, a lot of employers are losing on bases of absenteeism and reduced productivity. HR would take some precautions to remedy against this problems and thus enact a smooth change. For instance, they could embrace the art of positive work culture which will make all employee comfortable whether they have space or not (Elshout et.a, 2013). The need to learn more will lead to embracement of the technologies. In addition, there is need for early preparation. That is the firm would have had sessions to alert their employees on the changes that would ha
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