Final Exams, SP51 2022 BX3051 Employment Relations Read the case study and answer ALL questions. The marks for each question is indicated beside the question. This examination is worth 50 marks. Susie joined a renowned hospital in Country X in March 2017 as an Operations Executive after she graduated from University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. At her annual appraisal in March 2018, she was promoted to Operations Manager as she had performed well. As Management was keen to groom her to take up more responsibilities and higher positions in the hospital as part of its employee development plan, they offered Susie the opportunity to pursue a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Degree on a part-time basis under the company's sponsorship. In return, Susie had to sign a bond to work in the hospital for at least eight years from the start of the sponsorship. As Susie liked her job and management had been fair to her thus far, she accepted the offer and signed the bond. Susie started her two-year part time MBA programme in March 2018, and she successfully completed it in February 2020. After she completed her master's degree, Susie was made the Acting Operations Director. Even though Susie assumed greater responsibility, she was not compensated. Management told Susie that they were assessing her suitability for the position. Susie went along with Management's plan, and at her annual appraisal in March 2021, she asked when she would be made the Operations Director, and if management would be reviewing her compensation (salary and benefits) as she was sure that she had performed well as the Acting Operations Director for the past one year. Susie's supervisor acknowledged that she had indeed performed well, but the hospital was busy with Covid-19 and all promotion exercises and salary reviews were on-hold. He told her that she would be considered for promotion with the appropriate salary and benefits when things were less hectic at the hospital. He added that the hospital hoped that Covid-19 would pass quickly so that daily operations at the hospital could go back to normal. Management felt that all staff were committed to the hospital's mission to provide the best possible healthcare to all its patients and would understand management's decision to put promotion exercises and salary reviews on-hold as the hospital battles the Covid-19 pandemic. Susie accepted her supervisor's explanation as she found it reasonable at that point in time. A year has since passed and there is still no news of her promotion or review of her pay and benefits package. Susie decided to raise the issue again at the March 2022 appraisal meeting, and she got the same reply from her supervisor. This time around, Susie was not too inclined to go along with her supervisor's explanation. She had worked hard as the Acting Operations Director for two years, and she did not want to go on waiting indefinitely for her promotion or salary and benefits review. She asked her supervisor for a time frame for the review, but he was unable to commit. Page 3 of 5 Susie reflected on what had been going on at the hospital for the past two years, not only for her but for other staff as well, especially the nurses. The nurses were working extra hard and long hours because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they were not compensated with overtime pay for the extra hours. They were stressed and burned- out but were still being pressured to work long hours with very little rest in-between. Susie felt that this was unfair, and management needed to address the issues soon and not wait until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the nurses are collectively represented by the nurses' union, Susie is not a member of any union. Resigning is not an option for her as she had signed a bond with the hospital and breaking the bond would incur high financial penalties. Yet, Susie feels that she should not sit and wait for management to do things. Susie did her research on the minimum standards employers are expected to provide, and the hospital has clearly breached the number of working hours, the rest days and overtime pay requirements for its nurses. While nothing has been said in the country's laws about compensation for salary, benefits and promotion, Susie still feels that the hospital should do something about this to keep its staff motivated and loyal. Susie thought to herself: "How should I fight for the nurses and my rights?" 4. How should the employment relations issues in the hospital be managed for each of the following areas? a. Should collective bargaining or individual representation be used? Justify your stand with ONE reason. (5 marks) b. What would be a good consultation process to involve the relevant stakeholders in resolving the issues? Discuss ONE example with details. (5 marks) Page 4 of 5