HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

AFTER READING AND STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE

TO:
1.-DEFINE THE TERM HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.
2.-LIST AND DISCUSS THE ELEMENTS OF HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING.
3.-IDENTIFY THE INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR JOB ANALYSIS.
4.-LIST AND DESCRIBE THE THREE PARTS OF A JOB DESCRIPTION.
5.- DEFINE THE TERM JOB SPECIFICATION.
6.-DEFINE THE TERM RECRUITING AND IDENTIFY TEN POSSIBLE SOURCES
FOR RECRUITING HOSPITALITY EMPLOYEES.
7.-LIST AND DESCRIBE THE SEVEN BASIC STEPS THAT CONSTITUTE A
STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR SELECTING THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR
EMPLOYMENT.
8.-IDENTIFY THE THREE PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS THAT SHOULD BE
INCLUDED IN A BASIC ORIENTATION FOR NEW EMPLOYEES
9.-DESCRIBE FIVE APROACHES FOR TRAINING GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES.
10.-LIST AND DISCUSS THREE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMANCE
APPRAISAL.
11.-DEFINE THE TERM COMPENSATION.
12.-DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DEFERRED COMPENSATION AND THE TWO
FORMS OF CURRENT COMPENSATION.
13.-DEFINE THE TERM LABOR UNION.
14.-DISCUSS THE RESOLUTION OF GRIEVANCES IN HOSPITALITY
OPERATIONS WITH UNION CONTRACTS.
15.- LIST THREE IMPORTANT STEPS TAKEN BY MANAGEMENT TO
ENLANCE EMPLOYEE SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
16.-DEFINE THE TERM EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND LIST
SEVEN ISSUES EAPS OFTEN ADDRESS.
17.- IDENTIFY FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE MORALE IN THE
WORKPLACE.

INTRODUCCION

Hospitality is a labor intensive industry- meaning that many people are needed to
do the work required in those enterprises that make up the hospitality industry.
In fact , more than 10 million workers are employed in hospitality, making the
industry one of the largest in the United States .- The industry depends on a
workforce that includes more female and minority workers than are employed in
any other industry.- Of all the resources available to hospitality managers, none
are of greater value than human resources.
The hospitality industry , is also know to have a high rate of employee turnover.
Employee turnover rate is calculated by dividing the number of workers hired to
replace those those who have left in a given period of time by the number of
workers employed in that same period. Its is not unusual for a hospitality operation
to have yo 100 percent rate of employee turnover during the course of a year.
While many establishments have very loyal employees who have worked at the
same place years, many others are continually seeking new employees , as
current employees leave for any number of reasons.
Instead, it requires that one identify the nature of each job as well as the skills, the
level of education, and any other specific qualifications needed to perform it .For
example, planning for personel at the front desk of hotel is more than simply
determining that there will be one room clerk on duty for every eight-
hourshift,every day of the week.One must also know and understand the nature of
the room clerk`s job in the particular hotel, the specific duties assigned to that job,
the skills required to carry out those duties, and any other qualifications or atributes
that a room clerk should possess.
The term given to the process of gathering this information is job analysis.

JOB ANALYSIS

Job analysis is the first step in forecasting human resources needs. The
information necessary to complete job analysis may be gathered in any of several
ways. In the hospitality industry, the two most common methods are.
1.-Interviewing workers and supervisors to obtain the information and
2.-Observing workers on site as they perform the jobs.

Complete analysis requires effective use of both methods, one approach is to

conduct in-depth interviews with workers and supervisors during the corse of a
normal workday.
These interviews are typically conducted on premises in a reasonably quiet area,
somewhat removed from the actual work site. In some instances they are
videotaped to facilitate review. Each interview is carefully structured to elicit the
specific information required for the job analysis. Later interviewers observe both
workers and supervisors, taking extensive notes to supplement those taken during
the interviews. The interviews and observations are designed to provide
information about the following:
1.- Job objectives
2.-Specific task required to archive objectives
3.-Performance standards
4.-Knowledge and skills necessary
5.-Education and experience required
The data gathered is used to developed job descriptions and job specifications.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Once job analysis is completed , job descriptions can be written .As the term
implies, job description s re detailed written statements thant describe jobs.Insome
instances, job descriptions list very specific duties and directions for performing
jobs. Job description for particular jobs should answer three important questions:
1.- What is to be done?
2.-When is it done?
3.- Where is it done?
A job description typically has three parts:

1.- A heading that states the job title and the deparment in which the job is located.
In some organizations, the heading may include such information as the number of
positions with that particular job title, the specific hours, days, or shifts worked by
those with the job title, and the supervisor to whom those with that job title report.

2.- A summary of the duties of the job, typically written in paragraph form. The
summary enables the reader to gain quickly a basic understanding of the nature
and purpose of the job. By reading the summaries of all the jobs in a particular
department, one could obtain a great deal of information about the department in a
very short period. This might be of great benefit to new manager, for example.

3.-A list of the specific duties assigned to the job. These will be as detailed as
possible, to the point that well-written job descriptions can be used as step-by-step
instructions for doing the work required of theose holding the jobs. As we will see,
having job descriptions can be of great value to those carged with apprasing
employee performance.

A job description is particularly important for prospective employees by having

detailed descriptions of duties required; job applicants and newly hired workers
know specifically what is to be done by someone holding a particular job.

Job descriptions are also very important for employeers.They enable employers
hold employees accontable for the work assigned to a job. Employees who have
read job descriptions but fail to perform the assigned work cannot successfully use
the age-old excuse, “Nobody ever told me I had to do this.”

Job analysis and the resulting job descriptions have the added benefit of forcing
managers to assign specific work to each job holder. If all the normal duties of a
deparment are identified with specific work to each job holder. If all the normal
duties of a deparment are identified with specific job descriptions, the departnebt
will be better organized and will operate more smoothly.
Table 17.1 is an example of the kind of job description that one might find in a food
service enterprise.Note the degree of detail provided, which can also be of great
assistance to those respinsible for developing employee training programs.

DUTIES
1.- Server reports to supervisor one hour before meal period to assist in preparing
dining room for opening.
2.-Servers are assigned stations in dining room by dining room
manager.Schedules are posted each Friday for the following week, which begin
Sunday.
3.-Servers pocedures:food is seved from guest`s left; beveragues from right.All
china, glassware, and drink , present checks to guests, and clear/reset tables.
4.-Service procedures:food is served from guest`s left; beverage from rigth. All
china, glassare, and silver are removed from guest`s righth.
5.-Fisteen minutes before the dining room,servers are briefed on daily specials,s
ervice techiniques, and other matters of importance.
6.-Tips are pooled. Ten percent of tip pool goes to bartenders and the ramainer is
divided equaily among servers. Tips are distributed the following day.
7.-Servers provide own uniforms as follows.
8.-Standards for personal appearance: Showered or bathed prior to work hair clean
and neat, o excessive jewerly.
MALES:
a)Clean shaven preferred. Moustache permitted if neat and trimmed.
b)No facial or ear jewerly.
c)Hair cannot extende beyond shirt collar.
FEMALES:
a)No excessive jewerly, makeup,or perfume.
b)Long hair must be in hair net.
c)No long false nails.

JOB SPECIFICATION

A job specification otlines the qualifications needed to perform a job. Itn outlines
the specific skills needed, and it desrcibes the kind and levels of education and
experience required. In addition, job specifications typically include minimes
qualifications that applicant must have to be considererd, as well as appropries
standards that can be used for judging the qualifications of applicants.

RECRUITING APPLICANTS

Recruiting is a procces by wich suitable applicants are found for available jobs. It
may begin when there are actual vacancies to be filled because amployees have
left. Alternatively, it may begin in anticipation of vacanciens that are likely to occur
in the near future. Human resources personnel have found that applicants for
particular jobs can come from any of the following:
1. Recommendations made by current employees
2. Unsolicited resumes received in the mail
3. Walk-ins
4. Classified advertisements in newspaper
5. Public and private employment agencies
6. Recommendationsmade by trusted vendors who deal with thw organization
7. Unions
8. Colleges ande universities
9. Industry trade journals
10. Competitors
Economic conditions often determine the extent od the recruiting offort that must
be undertaken to fil a given postion. During periods of recession , hospitality
organizations typically find that very little recuriting effort is required to obtain
qualificated applicants for most jobs. During such periods, human resources
personal may find it difficult to find applicants. If that is case , it may be necessary
to make a greater effort to find applicants-using many of the sources just listed.
The decision to use or not to use any one of these sources will also depended on
the nature of the jobs to be filled . Many hospitality operations with labor contracts
are required to sek new amployees for jobs covered by the union contract through
the union hiring hall applicants for jobs other than those covered by a union
contract may be obtained through classified advertisements in the help-wanted
sections of newspapers. In contrast. Entry-level management trainees can often
be recruited at colleges and universitaries. Candidates for supervisory positions
and for such skilled titles as chef often come from employment agencies , or they
may be obtained from vendors who supply products to given hospitality operation.

There is one exception to the above guidelines. If it can e shown that specific
qualifications are necessary to perform a job, questions relating to those
qualifications can be asked –even if they might otherwise be construed as
discriminatory example, if one is attempting to hire an attendant for a women´s
locker room at a resort hotel, a question on the application relating to sex can be
asked.

TESTING
Some organizations require that applicants for jobs complete written tests. Such
test are designed to aid in assessing applicant´s qualifications for positions in the
organization. There are several types of written tests commonly used for these
purposes, including:
1. Skills tests
2. Personality tests
3. Aptitude tests
4. Psychological test

Written test, like applications and interviews, must be job related. If the tests
questions are not related, the tests may be subject to legal challenge and should
probably not be given.
Written test should also meet standards of reliability, objectivity, and validity. A
test is reliable if a person taking it on several occasions earn similar scores each
time. It is objective if everyone evaluating the results of a test taken by a given
subject arrive at the same score for the subject. It is valid if it measures what it is
designed to measure. A test that is designed to measure culinary skills should
provide results that demonstrably measure those skills. In addition, the test should
be standardized: Everyone applying for a particular job should receive the same
test. Finally, the results should be meaningful, such that the most qualified receive
higher scores than those who are unqualified.
Interviews

Those applications who have demonstrated in initial interviews that they meet the
minimum qualifications, and who have filled out applications and passed written
tests with acceptable scores, are typically brought back for more extensive
interviews.
These interviews provide the employer with opportunities to evaluate the applicant,
making appropriate judgments about such concerns as a person´s enthusiasm
personality, or ability to fit into the organization. These interviews may be
conducted y human resources personnel or by the head of the department in which
the job is located.
There are two type of questions asked in these interviews: direct and open-
ended.
A direct questions is one that is designed to elicit specific information. Direct
questions tend to restrict responses. Examples of direct questions are “What were
the duties of your last job?” and “What are your salary requirements?” An open-
ended question does not seek specific information. Instead, it gives the applicant
an opportunity to express an opinion or to provide information. Open-ended
questions typically provide insights into an applicant´s personality, character traits,
and abilities. An open-ended question gives the interviewer an opportunity to make
value judgments about an applicant´s qualifications and ability to fit into the
organization. Examples of open-ended questions are: “What did you like best
about your last job?” and “Which of your qualifications do you think our
organization will find most valuable? And why?”
Most interviews are a blend of direct and open-ended questions. It is
normally considered good practice for the interviewer to elicit come basic, specific
information from all applicants with direct questions, then to ask some open-ended
questions to give applicants an opportunity to make points in their own favor that
might otherwise never have come up.

Reference Check and Background Investigation

By the time all qualified applicants have been interviewed, the interviewer normally
has some idea which of the candidates are the most likely finalists for the job. At
this stage, it is important to verify the accuracy of all information provided by the
applicants, to check references, and in some instances to investigate applicant´s
backgrounds. Hospitality organizations are liable for the job-related actions of
employees, so it is important to make every effort to avoid hiring those whose past
histories include theft, assault, battery, and similar antisocial behavior. Interviews
can be deceiving. It is possible for a candidate to present himself positively to a
prospective employer but to act very differently on the job. Thus, it is important to
verify information on the application or resume and to make sure that past job
performance and character references check out.
The information obtained through reference checks and background
investigations is not always reliable, although the extent of reliability can be
improved if one is willing to incur the expense of hiring a private investigator.
Sometimes background investigations reveal gaps in an applicant´s employment
record that cannot be accounted for satisfactorily, and many employers are
unwilling to provide information about former employees other than the dates
between which they were employed. References are supplied by applicants, and it
should be obvious that applicants are unlikely ever to provide the names of people
who have anything unfavorable to say. However, one must never accept without
verifcation the information supplied by job applicants. Some reasnable effort must
be made to verify all significant information provided by applicants. And if one
piece of information proves to be incorrect, every effort must be made to check on
other data provided by that applicant.

Selection
Once finalists´ references have been checked and their backgrounds investigated
to the extent deemed necessary, it is possible to select the finalist to select the
finalist to whom the job will be offered. The selection may be made by the human
resources department or by the head of the department n wich the new employee
will work. If the selection is to be made by the department head and prior
interviews have been conducted by the huan resources department, the
department head may want to bring back the finalist for a third interview.
In some cases, the human resources department will complete the entire
process and simply send the selected applicant to the department head. This is a
common aproach for jobs with little responsibility or requiring lttle interacton with
other employees. For most positions inhospitality organizations, department heads
usually prefer to make their own final selections.

Physical Examination

The final step in the selection of employees is to require that the individual to whom
the job is offered undergoes a physical examination. Job offers are usually
contingent on the candidates´ paasing physical examinations showing that they are
free of cantagious diseases and physical disabilities that would prevent them from
performing their jobs. A job offer may be withdrawn if medical problems revealed
by a physical examination are sufficiently serious to prevent adequate
performance.
Physical examinations have other purposes, as well. For example, suppose
that a physical examination reveals that an employee has a minor physical problem
that will not interfere with his work. If that worker later attemps to claim that the
problem is job-related, the results of the pre-employment physical will enable the
employer to refute the employee´s claim.

ORIENTATION OF NEW EMPLOYEES

All new employees should be given a suitable orientation to the organization prior
to their first day of work. New employees normally have some concern and
uncertainty about begginig a job, and it is important to get tem started with as little
uneasiness as posible. In addition, some basic information should be given to
every new employee. In most well-managed hospitality organizations, basic
orientation includes:
 1. Organization polices, procedures, and rules. Among the concerns to be
adressed are those related to wages, work hours, overtime, sick leave, time
cards, insurance and keys, among others. In the hospitalty industry,
answers must be provided for such common questions as: “Where should I
park my car?” “What meals do employees get?” “How do I get a clean
uniform?” “Where do I change into uniform?” “Can employees use any of the
hotel´s facilities?” “How does the health insurace plan work?” “What is the
grievance procedure?”
2. Mission and objectives of the organization. It is important that every
employee in the organization work toward the same goals –and that the
goals be understood by every employee from his or her very first day on the
job.
3. A tour of the work area to point out offices and facilities with which all
employees should be familiar. The tour should include opportunities for the
introduction of such personnel as the paymaster, the human resources
manager, and any others with whom workers should be acquainted.

In many of the larger hospitality organizations, new-employee orientation may

be conducted in a group enviroment such as a classroom. In most of the
smaller organizations that tend to characterize the hospitality industry, it is
usually necessary for orientations to be done on an individual basis.
Some organizations rely on a mentor system to provide each new employee
with a more complete orientation. A new employee will be paired with an
experienced employee who will “show him the ropes”. For example, a cook who
has been with a given hotel for ten years may be made the mentor for a new
cook. The experienced cook could give the new cook an orientation tour of the
property and kitchen, pointing ot such details as the locker room, store room,
specific pieces of equipment, requisitions, recipes, uniforms, and refrigerators.
The experienced cook might also explain the chef´s policies for reporting to
work, cleaning equipment, laundering uniforms, and other matters. In the same
hotel, a new housekeeper might be paired with an experienced housekeeper,
who would show the new employee such details as the location of the locker
room, linen room, and employee cafeteria and who would explain various
policies and procedures enforced by the executive housekeeper.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPING EMPLOYEES

Training is generally required of all new employees –even those who come to
an organization with considerable experience. Every hospitality operation has
its own way of doing things- its own methods for performing tasks and
accomplishing work. It is important, therefore, that people who already know
how to perform a job be shown the specific methods and procedures used by
the organization for wich they have just started to work. For those who are
inexperienced, more formal training is likely to be needed.
Training can be done on an individual basis, r it may be done in groups,
individual training is undoubtedly the most effective, but it is very expensive:
The trainer must devote time to training only one person at a time.
 Training can be done on the job or off the job. On-the-job training is
commonly used with experienced workers, who need only be shown the
methods used by the hospitality operation. For example, the new cook cited
previously may be put to work immediately under the guidance of an
experienced cook, who will show the new cook how to fill out requisitions fr
supplies, how orders are placed for menu items, and how to establishments
garnishes plates of food going into the dining room.
For inexperienced employees, on-the-job training can be used effectively
when their work can be easily monitored and corrected before it has negative
impact on guests, or when a new employee can work side by side with an
experienced worker. For example, the new housekeeper mentioned before can
be trained effectively if assisted by an experienced housekeeper. The
experienced housekeeper can shown the new housekeeper the normal routine
for preparing a room for occupancy. She can shown the new housekeeper the
most efficient way to make beds, clean tha bathroom, and attend to all the other
tasks that go into making up a room. The experienced housekeeeper can
monitor the work performed by the new housekeeper, correct mistakes, and
suggest those improvents that will ensure that the work is done in the most
efficient manner.
In some of the major hospitality organizations, group training sessions are
often possible because of the number of new employees who require training.
They are are many approaches that can be used for group training. These
include:

1. Lecture and demostration 4. Case studies

2. Role playing 5. Panels
3. Seminars

LECTURE AND DEMOSTRATION

The lecture and demostration approach to training requires that a trainer explain a
subject to trainees, demostrate the skills involved, and respond to questions about
the subject during or after the lecture. For example, a trainer may explain the
proper produres for taking orders and serving food, the demonstrate those
procedures to trainees. Similary, a trainer may explain the proper way to sell
accomodations and check in guests, then demostrate the necessary techniques
and procedures to room clerk trainees. The lecture and demonstration method is
limited I effectiveness, however, unless students are given opportunities
inmediately to practice what they have learned.

ROLE PLAYING

Role playing can be a very effective method of training, particulary when coupled
with the lecture and demostration approach. Role playing enables each student to
play a part in a scene created by the trainer. For example, servers can be divided
into small groups, with each member of the group taking a turn at practicing
serving techniques previously demostrated. Similarly, rooms clerks in a group may
take turns playing the part of guests while their colleagues in the group practice
selling and assigning accommodations.

SEMINARS

Seminars are group discussions of particular subject, led by trainers. They are the
most useful for management training, in wich the inpunt of the trainees is an
important part of the learning process. Typically, significant questions are raised by
the seminar leader, and each member of the group is asked for his opinion. For
example, a large comercial hotel in a major city may hold a seminar on guest
relations for middle managers and supervisors. Participants may be asked to
discuss the best way to handle guest complaints about noise coming from
adjoining guest rooms or about the service in the dining room. Manager would be
expected to participate actively in the seminar by expressing their points of view.
Their opinions then would be discussed by the others, enabling all present to
benefit from the throughts of their collegues. This type of training session can be
extremely valuable when conducted as part of an ongoing training program.

CASE STUDIES

Case studies are similar to seminars, except the participants are asked to read a
prepared case involving a real or imagined situation. The case should provide
sufficient information so that the participants can provide opinions on what has
occurred and solutions to the problems in the case.

PANELS

Panels consist of groups of experts called in by trainers to express their opinions

on specific questions for the benefit of an audience of trainees. The panel
members are generally asked to comment on timely subjects. They may agree with
one another or have differing opinions, thus giving trainees the benefit or hearing
several views. Like seminars, panel offer an excellent means of eliciting the
opinions of participants. However, the opinions are those of the panel members,
not those of the trainees. In some instances-especially with management training
groups-trainees are encouraged to question members of the panel and to
challenge their views.

Each of the above approaches to training may be used for any or several levels of
training, although their purposes vary slightly from one to another. Lecture and
demonstration and role playing are best used to teach specific skills. Seminars,
case studies, and panels are best used as a part of the ongoing development of
employees to improve job performance and to qualify participants for more
responsibility within the hospitality organization.
COMPENSATION PROGRAMS

The term compensation refers to all forms of pay and other rewards going to
employees as a result of their employment. In the hospitality industry, employees
receive two forms of current compensation, direct and indirect, as well as deferred
compensation.

CURRENT COMPENSATION

Direct Compensation: Direct compensation includes salaries, wages, tips,

bonuses, and commissions. Traditionally, the term salary is used to refer to a fixed
dollar amount of compensation paid on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis without
regard to the actual number of hours worked. Waged, contrast, always take the
actual number of hours worked into account: Wages for an employee are
calculated by multiplying the employee’s hourly rate by the number of hours
worked.
Tips-sometimes referred to as gratuities-although not paid from an employer’s
funds, are also compensation in the eyes of the law and are treated as such by
federal and sate agencies for purposes of calculating income tax. Many workers in
the hospitality industry earn more from tips than from wages.
Bonus is a term that refers to dollar amount over and above an employee’s regular
wages or salary, given as a reward for some type of job performance.
Commissions, on the other hand, are dollar amount calculated as percentages of
sales. Many travel agents and some banquets managers earn commissions on
their sales.

Indirect Compensation: Indirect compensation nay include paid vacations, health

benefits, life insurance, free living accommodations, use of recreational facilities
operated by the employer, discounts on accommodation at other properties within
a chain, and many other possibilities.
The paid vacation is among the most common forms of indirect compensation
available to employees in the hospitality industry today. Paid vacations are typically
linked to length of service with a given employer. In many instances, employees
are awarded a basic vacation period with pay amounting to two weeks per year.
Those whose length of service reaches some predetermined number of years-
fifteen, for example-are given an additional week with pay. Another approach is to
given each employee two days of paid vacation per year of service, to a maximum
of twenty days for ten years of service.
Health benefits, including medical, dental, and optical insurance, are among the
most sought-after forms of indirect compensation. They are also among the most
costly. Health benefits are commonly in the form of some or all of the costs of the
insurance being paid by the employer, who also assumes the entire cost of
administering the plans. Administering requires hiring personnel in the human
resources office to process forms, maintain records, and generally attend to the
myriad details associated with these plans.
Life insurance, another popular form of indirect compensation, provides protection
for the families of covered employees in case anything should happen to the
employee. This saves employees the considerable costs that can be associated
whit life insurance coverage.
In those establishments that offer hospitality product lines in which food is the
central element, it is common to provide meals to employees during their working
hours. Thus, hotel or restaurants employees’ assignment to work from 7am to 3pm
maybe permitted to have breakfast and lunch on premises. In those large
properties where this is permitted, special facilities may de set up to be used by
employees. In some cases, one or more members of the kitchen staff may be
assigned exclusively to the preparation of the employees meals. Including meal on
the hospitality compensation package s generally very popular whir employees,
who gain from this very tangible benefit.
In some hotels properties, part of an employees compensation packages may
include living accommodation. This is particularly true in resort hotels buy is not
uncommon in some large transient hotels. In the former living accommodations
may be available to all employees; in the later accommodation would probably be
limited to managerial staff members who are spected to be a call twenty four hours
a day.
Many resort properties include in their employees compensation packages the right
to use various recreational facilities during the hours they are off duty. Thus
employees at ski resorts may be able to use special beaches ad such equipment
as water skis and saleboats dring their of hours.
Many hotle and motel chain organizations offer their employees special discounted
rates on accommodation. Those who choose to travel during their vacations
periods finds this an extremely useful an valuable form of indirect compensation.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION

Deferred compensation is compensation by an employee after the conclusion of

his or her period of employment. Two of the most importaant forms of deferred
compensation are pension benefits and that collective groups of benefits generally
known by the term Social Security. Human resources professionals are normally
expected to play leading roles in formulating and administering appropiate
compensation program for hospitality employees.It is important, therefore, for
managers in this area to have a comprehensivw knowledge of the various forms of
compensation found in the industry.

LABOR UNIONS

In some places, especilly large cities, groups of workers in various hospitality

operationbs have joined labor inions. The principal reasons for joining unions are
dissatisfaction with wages, benefits, or working conditions and a belief by
employees that their needs and desires are more likely to be satisfied through a
united effort than by the individual efforts of workers. By definition, a labor unions is
an oprganization of emplotees united to bargain collectively with their employers on
such issues as wages, benefits, and working consitions.Because unionbs offer this
promise of collective effort on behalf lf all members, many employees of hospitality
operations have joined. Once employees join union, representatives of the uninon
then serve as their bargaining agents in all matters ralating management and the
labor union, and the contract is signed by both parties. This legal and binding
document governs the relationship between the two for the period of the contract.
A union contract may cover all workers except those considered members of the
management staff, or the coverage may be limited to specific departments or even
simply to those employees who have chosen to join the union.These various
possibilities exist because of differences in the laws from one state to another, as
well as differences in common practice and belief from one area to another. Union
contracts normally provide some orderlyn system for the resolution of the disputes,
both major and minior, that commonly arise between management and labor.
Some of these disputes result in grievances.A grievance is a complaint filed when
an employee or a union believes that the union contract is being violated by
management. The orderly system for their resolution is known as a grievance
procedure. Althoug the detail of grievance procedures vary, they generally include
rules about specific steps that the parties must follow. These usually provide for
efforts to resolve the grievance to begin at the lowest possible level. This may
involve discussion among the individual employee, her union representative, the
employee´s immediate supervisor, and a representative of management-often a
member of the human resources staff. If efforts to resolve the grievance at this first
step are unsuccesful, another attempt is made at a higher level. This commonly
brings into the process higher-level representatives of both union and
management. The grievance will bw moved from one level to another until it is
finally resolved. At the highest level, an impartial third party, known as an
arbitraitor, may be brougth in to listen to both sides and to render a judgement
blinding on both parties. In those properties and location where there are union
contracts in effect, it is commonly the human resources staff that represents
management in day-to-day interactions between the property and its union
employees. Thus, it is very important that each member of a human resources staff
be throughly familiar with all provisions of the contract and with unwritten work
rulws.

It is also desirable, where possible, that the human resources staff organize
informational seminars for management, to be certain that they all understand the
union contract and work rules. When there is a union contract it is important for
both workers and managers to understand their rigths and obligations under the
contract.

EMPLOYEE SAFETY

Another important concern in hospitality operations is employee safety.Accidents

are costly to both employees and employers-costly in terms of lost wages, medical
bills, and higher insurance premius, among the many possibilities. Therefore, when
feasible, responsible employers prefer to develop educational campaigns and
training programs aimed at improving safety in the workplace and reducing the
number of accidents. Efforts to do this normally come under the direction of human
resources managers.
One agency of the federal government, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), sets safety and health standards for workers in the U.S.A.
The basic standards for workers in the from recognized hazards-those that are
likely to cause physical harm to the employee. Most states have also adopted
legislation aimed at protecting workers from physical hazards.
The potencial for physical harm in the hospilitaly industry is a great as that in many
other industries. Such areas as kitchens, bars, stairwells, boiler rooms, elevator
shafts, laundry rooms, and many others present great potencial for physical harm.
Management must take three important steps to enhance employee safety in the
workplace.

1. Know the applicable federal, state, and local safety regulations, and take all
necessary and appropiate action to comply.
2. Develop written policies, procedures, metods, guidelines, and work rules
aimed at maintaining a safe work environmet for all employees.
3. Conduct appropiate safety training for all categories of employees, giving
special emphasis to those who work with potencially dangerous materials
and equipment.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

An employye assistance program (EAP) is cordinated effort developed by

management to help employees deal with personal problems. The kind of personal
problems EAPs adress include the following:
1. Substance abuse, including the abuse if alcohol and illegal drugs.
2. Psychological problems, including depression, stress, and burnout
3. Family issues, imcluding marital problems, spousal abuse, child care, and
parent-child disputes.
4. Financial issues, including debt conseling, retirement planning, and obtainig
tuition assistance for job-related courses.
5. Legal problems, including difficulties with landlords and leases.
6. Health issues, including counseling related to AIDS, cancer, and chronic
medical problems.
7. Educational issues, including learning English and learning more about
carrers in the hospitality industry.

Because unresolved personal problems are likely to influence job performance

negatively, it is clearly in the interest of employers to provide assistance to
employees who require it. Many employed in the hospitality industry have had
lomited education and my have considerable difficulty understanding and dealing
with problems such as those listed without help.
In hospitality organizations with EAPs, it is likely to be the personnel of the human
resources staff who are charged with responsibility for the efforts to help
employees resolve their problems.

EMPLOYEE MORALE

In preliminary discussion at the beginning of this chapter, we introduced the term

employee turnover rates and explained the method by which employee turnover
rates are calculated. We also pointed out that many hospitality operations have
very high rates of employee turnover and that 100 percent per year was not
managers, and certainly to human resources personnel.In those establisments with
high employee turnover rates, trained and knowledgeable employees are
continually leving. They must be replaced quickly for business to continue in a
reasonable manner. Replacing lost employees is costly in wo ways. Recruiting and
training costs are high, and the process requires time. Much of the burden falls on
human resources personnel. In addition, most managers would prefer t retain
presents employees rather than to recruit new ones. Although prsent employees
may not be perfect, at least they have some knowledge of their jobs-more than
new employees have before training.Therefore, it is preferable to retain employees
and to devote some time and attention to their morale. A number of ways exist to
maintain or improve employee morale. Developing equitable and appealing
compensation programs and instituting valued employee assistance programs are
two of the more common. Some of the possibilities include:
1. permited valued employees to work flexible shcedules-so-called flex
time- if possible;
2. developing a program of varied social and recreational events for
employees and their families;
3. giving frecquent positive feedback to those employees who are
particularly good at their jobs;
4. identifying an “employee of the month”and providing special privileges
or awards to employees earning this designation; and
5. providin employees with oportunities t make suggestion about improving
the service product line or their own performance on the job.

Much of the work of the human resources staff is devoted to preventive

maintenance programs designed to retain, retrain, upgrade, and improve the skills
and knowledge of present employees- a more satisfiying and less costly approach
than constantly recruiting new employees to replace those who have become
dessatisfied and quit their jobs.
SUMMARY

In this chapter, the term human resources management is defined. The elements
of human resirces planning are listed and discussed, and the information required
for job analysis is identified. Three parts of a job description are described.
The terms job specification and recruiting are defined, and ten possible sources for
recruiting hospitality employees are discussed. A seven-step standard procedure
for selecting the best candidate for employment is described. Three principal
elements included ina abasic orientation for new employees ares discussed. Five
approaches for training groups of employees are identified and discussed in detail.
Three primary objectives of performance appraisal are also discussed. The term
compensation is defined, and distinctions are drawn between deferred copensation
and the two forms of current compensation. The term labor union is defined, and
grievance procedures are discussed. Thre important steps taken bye management
to enhance employee safety in workplace are described. The term employee
assitance program (EAP) is defined, and seven issues often adressed by EAPs are
listed. Finally, five ways to improve employee morale are identified.

QUESTIONS

1. Define the tern human resources management.

2. List the elements of human resources planning.
3. Identify the information required for job analysis, and describe two common
methods used for gathering the information.
4. List and discuss the three parts of a job description.
5. Define the term job specification.
6. Define the term recruting as used in human resources management.
7. Identify ten possibles sources from which human resources personnel can
recruit applicant for employment.
8. List and discuss the seven basic steps tat constitute a standard procedure
for selecting the best candidate for employment.
9. Define the term Bonafide occupational qualification, and provide one
example of a BFOQ that may be used in the hospitality industry.
10. List four types of written tests commonly used to aid in assessing applicant
´s qualifications.
11. Distinguish between direct and open-ended questions.
12. Identify three principal elements that should be included in a basic
orientation for new employees.
13. Distiguish between the following:
a) Individual training vs group training
b) On the job trainin vs of the job training
14. Describe each of the five aproaches to training employees in groups, as
listed below:
a) Lecture/demostration
b) Role playing
c) Seminar
d) Case Study
e) Panel
15. List three primary objectives of performance a appraisal
16. Define the term compensation
17. Distinguish between deferred compensation and current compensation, and
identify the two forms of current compensation.
18. Define the term labor union
19. Describe a grievance procedure and identify it´s purpose.
20. Identify three important steps taken by managements to enhance employee
safety in the workplace.
21. Define the term employee assistance program and list seven issues EAP´s
often address.
22. Identify five ways to improveemployee morale.