Question

Carol Gittens has been working for Caribbean Full Coverage Insurance Cooperation (CFCIC) for over 10 years and is an exemplary employee. She comes to work early and works late when needed. She follows company policy to the letter and can recite rules and regulations of the company. She has no blemishes on her record.
Michael Williams is a new employee who is on the standard three-month probation. He has been assigned to work with Carol. Michael is young, and after a few weeks he tells Carol that he has new ideas regarding the way systems can be changed to improve the level of efficiency in their department.
Carol thinks that Michael is trying to undermine her position and possibly take her job. The tension between them is escalating and Pauline Cox, another worker, has been observing the tension between the two and believes that the situation will soon explode into a brawl.
Pauline has threatened to report the matter to their immediate Supervisor if they do not resolve their differences. Pauline reminds them of the training they both would have received in conflict resolution in the workshops put on periodically to minimize events like the one developing here. Pauline further encourages them to use the training that they had in order to prevent the situation from escalating into a dispute.
Instructions:

In keeping with labour and industrial relations, provide guidance on what should be done if you were Pauline in 600 words

Answer 1

Labour relations also known as industrial relations, refers to the system or process in which employers of the organization, employees, workers and their representatives i.e. trade union and, directly or indirectly, the government interact to set the ground protocols for the governance of work relationships between employer and worker as well as workers and workers.

In the present case, the given case is a conflict between workers and workers as per labour and industrial relations. At one side, there is Carol Gittens who has been working for Caribbean Full Coverage Insurance Cooperation (CFCIC) for over 10 years and is an exemplary employee. It means she is a experienced employee of the company. She follows company policy to the letter and can recite rules and regulations of the company.
At the other end there is Michael Williams who is a new employee and is on the standard three-month probation.

Problem and conflict arise when Michael has been assigned to work with Carol. Michael is young and full of enthusiasm and after a few weeks he tells Carol that he has new ideas regarding the way systems can be changed to improve the level of efficiency in their department. Since very new, he had varied ideas which might help the organisation and workers to improve their efficiency. But at the same time Carol thinks that Michael is trying to undermine her position and possibly take her job. This is the situation where carol is having fear of Michael overtaking his position and lose its job and respect in the organisation. This can be handled in following manner:

· Implementation of the training they both would have received in conflict resolution in the workshops at the starting of the organisation career put on periodically to minimize the tensions arising between them. In this case co-operation from both the employees is needed to solve the tension effectively. One employee co-operation seems difficult to resolve the dispute between them.

· Threatening to report the matter to their immediate Supervisor if they do not resolve their differences. This will take the matter to immediate reporting manager and this will results in favourable or unfavourable outcome against both of them. This might be not a good option and also create a bad impression of both of them in the organisation. Carol being a senior employee will might win due to authority and powers. However, it will reflect a negative impression.

· Other measures could be carol listen the strategy of the Michael and jointly implement in the organisation. This will make Michael a good repo in the organisation and also carol will be appreciated to train and mentor Michael so well and due to both of them efforts the organisation had increased its capacity. This will create a win-win situation for both of them.