HRM: A Normative View of Welfare Services
The welfare element in the employer-employee relationship is subject to "modernisation" like anything else. Welfare may be seen as essential to placing a high value on people relationships by managers generally.
The normative view involves managers safeguarding employee health and well-being as a contribution to organisational health and the quality of working life. The asumption is that individual health supports sound business performance.
Exerting this principle beyond a basic level of minimum responsibility of an employer to an employee may however only be open to profitable, businesses - not the vulnerable firm which must minimise on unnecessary costs. The profitable firm can direct spare resources to promote the physical and mental well-being of staff so that they might performing optimally. This is clearly a Theory Y and unitary view.
Confidentiality and Being a Welfare Counsellor
Typically a welfare-oriented specialist or manager needs some separation/independence from the employer. He/she must be
- trusted by employees who are their "clients"
- they must gain and retain their confidence. An independent counsellor could not communicate such confidences to the employer other than as generalised, non-personally specific feedback.
- yet reporting to the company might include
- how many staff sought counselling last month and the types of problem encountered
- how these might relate to workplace pressures events/trends.
Management might find feedback useful - but confidentiality and trust relationships need to be maintained
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