Workplace issues are not just all over the current news cycle, they are the current news cycle. Sexual harassment, assault, bullying, communication breakdown and discrimination are topics of conversation and condemnation from Hollywood to Washington to major corporate boardrooms.

This article will explain how employee relations training can help ensure a healthy work environment for everyone in the office.

What is employee relations training?

Employee relations training is professional coursework offering a variety of insights and solutions to issues affecting the human factor in the workplace. Employee relations training empowers businesses to proactively identify potential conflicts and resolve them before they become complex problems, and provide guidance and navigation through laws and regulations governing the handling of disciplinary, diversity, labor, performance and conduct issues.

What purpose does it serve?

The training offers regularly updated guidance for attorneys, HR professionals and managers on the practical aspects of laws governing employment, compliance, investigations, litigation, grievance procedures, and other management issues.

10 Reasons To Train Staff In Employee Relations

1. Legal Issues. Offering the training (and providing refreshers through regular quizzesor courses) impacts your staff when legal issues arise. Their understanding of the law and their role in its administration can resolve a disagreement or misunderstanding before it becomes a lawsuit or national media story.

2. Training strengthens trust between employees and HR. Employees know HR will listen and take the necessary steps to settle a situation, without fear of personal or professional repercussions. 

3. Dealing with grievance. An employee with a grievance and no guidance has no confidence in an untrained HR department. Staff who choose to file complaints need a non-judgmental employer who offers help and support.

4. Healthy Work Environment. Employee relations training fosters a healthy work environment. This means increased trust and confidence in the company’s ability to do the right thing legally and a larger investment in common work goal. 

5. Multiple HR personnel trained = increased employee comfort. Not every employee feels comfortable or confident going to a single point person on the HR staff. And while there are many HR challenges, training multiple HR personnel well provides employees with a choice. 

6. Eliminates the “water cooler” exchange. The training eliminates the “water cooler” exchange of information, which often leads to misinformation, discontent and disagreements. Trained HR staff have learned the tools to step in and act quickly to defuse tensions, initiate discussions and find solutions. 

7. Combats online workplace harassment. Workplace harassment is no longer limited to face-to-face interaction. Much of it occurs online, through emails, texts, and phone calls. When these communications are unwanted, threatening in tone or action and interfere with job performance, a trained HR staff is capable of handling digital harassment as competently as any other adverse situation, including clearly defined policies and an online anti-harassment course for all employees. 

8. Keeping up with change. Laws and regulations change constantly with court case decisions, new government administrations and the revelation of even more new and unfortunate means of harassment. Regular training, especially online training, with its ability for rapid update and delivery to HR staff, keeps personnel current with the newest laws and proper response methodology. 

9. Emphasizes a positive message. Employee relations training spreads a positive message: “we are here if and when you need us, for any reason.” And while employees tend to come to HR only when they need something critical and immediate, it is good to know that their HR staff is fully trained and willing to hear both complaints and compliments with compassion and consideration.

10. Employee relations training goes beyond the current harassment issues. Today’s multi-generational workforce works together, but their needs differ as much as their life and employment experiences, which can cause friction and conflict. Bridging this gap means avoiding stereotypes, engaging workers with training designed to build communication and encourage the formation of small inter-generational teams to work on projects, exchange ideas and even perform volunteer work outside the office as a team-building exercise.

How does our eLearning platform help?

Knowledge Anywhere’sLearning Management System offers a flexible, modern, cloud-based training technology for your staff to use anywhere, anytime and on any device. Customize it for instructor-based courses, virtual classes, certification or assessment seminars; the platform provides everything from basic skill building exercises to digital completion certificates.

Our platform’s success in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing and financial industries speaks for its effectiveness and efficiency. Visit us online, meet our staff and learn more about our products, services and commitment to your success.