Question

The HR director and the management team of a small resort hotel have been working to solidify a union avoidance strategy. As this is occurring, they discover that a union's representatives are talking with the employees about organizing. Which action should the HR director recommend the resort take in response to the union activity?

Share the company's position and the union's strategy with the employees honestly.
Present the company's position to the employees but do not mention the union.
Ensure that the hotel's compensation package lags those of its direct competitors.
Conduct a joint presentation with the union representative for hotel employees.

Answer 1

The HR director should recommend sharing the resort's stance and the union's strategy transparently, addressing employee concerns, and improving workplace conditions to preempt the need for union representation, while avoiding a joint presentation with the union representative.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to union activity, the HR director should recommend that the resort hotel take a proactive and transparent approach. This includes sharing the company's position with the employees honestly, while also providing information about the union's strategy. Open communication can create trust and prevent misinformation. As such, the resort should present the company's stance on unionization, ensuring the employees are informed and can make educated decisions based on both the resort's perspective and that of the union representatives.

Furthermore, the HR director should focus on addressing workers' concerns and improving workplace conditions. This can involve setting up a mechanism to solicit and address employee feedback effectively, thereby reducing the appeal of a union which often seeks to address such concerns. However, it is important that the resort's management remains respectful and cautiously navigates these discussions to avoid escalation and maintain a positive work environment.

Conducting a joint presentation with the union representative is not advisable as it may give the impression of sanctioning the union's presence and could undermine the resort's position. Ensuring the hotel's compensation package lags behind competitors would not be a constructive strategy and might exacerbate the push toward unionization.