Reference no: EM133095446
Case Study A
Employer: Hospital
There's a pressing need to close units to upgrade safety features (fire sprinklers, new wiring,), replace windows, modernize patient rooms and perform cosmetic changes (paint, flooring, furniture). Due to the size of the project, several floors will be impacted, and each floor will be closed for minimum two months.
The main areas of concern are: displacing patients and/or residents, loss of jobs, loss of revenue for the employer, and the burden on healthcare system as so many beds are removed from the system for extended period of time.
The following steps were taken:
- The employer met with internal stakeholders (e.g. management team, board, contractors).
- Timelines were built for the completion of each floor, decanting patients and residents.
- A communications plan was created for impacted staff, general staff, families of patients and residents, community, facilities for receiving decanted patients and residents.
- The resources needed to support patients and residents and their family, staff of facility were identified.
- Newsletters, daily communications, posted information updated daily, staff forums were created.
- Meetings were set up with union(s) to discuss project, disruption of services, staff movement to other positions or assignments, projected timelines, and opportunities for input from unions to ensure staff are supported and language in collective agreements is followed.
- Joint meetings with impacted staff, union reps, and employer representatives were held.
Communication practices which took place during the project:
- Important to have open lines of communication, transparency; regularly check-ins with impacted staff and families of residents and patients.
- Unions were invited to all staff meetings and provided with copies of daily communications
- Looked for creative solutions for staff to maintain their equivalent full time (EFTs) during the time period of their home unit closure.
- Impacted staff were allowed to reduce their hours if they didn't want to pick up shifts on other units during home unit closure.
- Impacted staff who didn't want to move temporarily to other units still had the opportunity to apply for postings so that they could transfer permanently to other positions.
- Unions and employer ensured that all contract language was adhered to.
- Several support services had high prominence during this project (e.g. occupational health nurses, pastoral staff, social workers).
Outcomes:
-Lengthy process that required continual interaction with staff. As much communication as the employer provided, it was not enough. It was important to have written communications, but it was equally important for the employer administrators to maintain a regular connection to staff and be visible on the units.
-Each unit looked amazing at end of upgrades. Staff were returned to their original work assignments on their home units, as well as some residents. It is important to note that many residents did not return as they were relocated to other bed vacancies in the healthcare system as another move for many of them would have been disruptive to them.
1A) How does this case study exemplify collaboration?
1B) How were creative problem solving, innovation, applied in the case study above?
1C) As an HR professional, what best practices did you take away from the case study above?
1D) What specific step do you believe made the greatest impact on the long-term partnership between the HR Professional and the Union? Why?