05.09 Labor Relations Case Study (for 21 point For IMGSCI 305 class Anita has been the head of the Neuroscience Department at the Strawberry Point Hospital for eight years. Neuroscience included the Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Neurology Clinic, Neurosurgery ICU, Pain Management, and Stroke programs. Her responsibilities include supervising the heads of these programs, managing the department budget, organizing the schedules for all department staff, and writing performance appraisals. With performance appraisals, Anita directly evaluated her program heads. She also created performance appraisals for the lower level staff based on inputs from the department heads. With schedules, normally the programs head would set staff schedules, but the Neuroscience department has significant service line staff who could transfer between programs if there is a shortage on a particular day. A central department chair is able to coordinate service line schedules across programs. Anita had significant problems with staffing her administrative assistant position. One admin, Debra, eight years ago developed medical problems and used her entire Family Medical Leave benefits. Debra happened to occasionally be a patient within the Neuroscience Department. She occasionally returned to her position in the department when her condition improved. Hiring a short term (one month) temp was impractical because the admin position required considerable training and Debra occasionally came back. Budgeting and accounting functions within the department languished. A longer term temp (Amanda) was eventually hired for six months. Amanda nominated Brooke to replace her in a long term position because she had significant admin experience. Brooke was hired but did not work out well because she had difficulty understanding the budgeting and accounting functions within the department. Anita was bound to meet various deadlines mandated by the collective bargaining agreement between staff employees and hospital management. Deadlines include completing annual performance appraisals September 1 and reimbursement for work-related travel within ten days. Her insufficient admin and a staff of 50 employees created delays past the deadlines. Some staff members filed grievances concerning the delays. The collective bargaining agreement also outlined that staff schedules should be changed only on a week to week basis. Anita found this rule absurd due to the staff shortage within the department and the practical need to move staff around different programs on a daily basis. The collective bargaining agreement contains this provision that hurts patient care. Anita openly violated the rule. Surprise, surprise. Some staff members filed grievances concerning the schedules. Anita was passed over for the Chief Medical Officer position by the Oncology Chair who had been there only four months. That chair was clearly less qualified (looking at resumes) than Anita. Instructions: Below are seven questions that you will answer. Your score on each question will be based on how thoroughly you answered, the strength of rationale and reasoning that you offer in support of your decisions, and how well the answer exemplifies Human Resources Management Best Practices. 1. How should a shop steward best handle the grievances of the staff employees? 2. How should a hospital handle staffing shortages other than the obvious---hire more staff? The hospital simply does not have money to hire more. 3. Given the limited information about Anita, how can she best complain about being passed over the Chief Medical Officer position? 4. If you were Neuroscience Department Chair, how would you handle the performance appraisal and travel reimbursement problem? 5. If you were Neuroscience Department Chair, how would you handle the scheduling problem? 6. If you were Neuroscience Department Chair, how would you handle the problems with the administrative assistant? 7. What changes (if any) in the collective bargaining agreement would you recommend considering the needs of the department chairs and the staff