The HR Department successfully completed industrial visit to Lubrizol which is located at Thane-Belapur road. 38 students and 2 faculty members visited the industry on 12th Nov 2016. Students were briefed by General Manager HR Mr Prakash Shimpi on various HR practices of the company and also about Industrial Relations which was an excellent takeaway for students.
Company Layout:
Lubrizol are the Global leaders when it comes to lubricants and fuel additives. There are 5 intermediate plants and 3 major manufacturing warehouses.
There are 3 Gates where one can enter the company:
1. There is a changing room when we enter from the Gate 1.
2. Next comes the Blending section i.e. the manufacturing unit.
3. Next is the Emergency control room 1. This is the ‘Shift In Charge’ Room (Office of the owners of the company- one of them being Mr. Sachin). There are different notifying charts put up on walls of the office.
- Zoning details for paging (Mutual aid service)
- Executives to be contained
- 8 CCTV cameras on display covering the most critical areas of the company
- Chart for crises controller
- Location of the first aid box
3 Major departments:
1. Maintenance department
2. Service department
3. Utility department
Role of HR:
1. Communication:
- On set emergencies
- Off set emergencies
2. Handling the Man power (around 350-400)
3. Social responsibility programs
4. Training the employees. There are 4 different shifts in the employees can choose to work. This plant runs 24 hours.
- General shift (10am – 5:30pm)
- Morning shift (6:45am – 2:45pm)
- Evening shift (2:45pm – 10:45pm)
- Night shift (10:45pm – 6:45am)
5. Handles Operational Health Centre
6. Security measures (Auto Focus cameras also they have Public Address System)
IR/ER:
1. Engagement of employers with the employees
2. Collective and/or individual
3. All about Human Relations
Landscape:
1. Historical perspective
- IR, Factories Act, employee approaches
2. Trade union
- Statutory support
- Ease of formation
3. Industry evolution
- Labour extensive to technical drivers
- Outsourcing and Automation
- Seller and Buyer market
- Manufacturing to Service and vice versa
- Generalisation changes
Influencers:
1. Legal frame work including judicial pronouncements
2. Working conditions
3. Presence or absence of single/multiple unions
4. Union leadership policy
5. ‘Non state Actors’ interferences
6. Industrial climate
7. Management philosophy
8. HR leadership
9. Compensation and Benefit
10. Treatment to contract workmen (there stands the difference between normal employees and contract workmen)
Impact on the organisation:
1. Trust environment
2. Productivity and operational efficiencies
3. Employee morale
4. Organisational capacity
5. Legal disputes
6. Reputation of organisation
7. Business (customer service, profits, stock price)
Constructive approach:
1. Ownership is with management/HR
2. There has been one management and one Harmony
3. Few more roles of HR:
- Sensitivity to people
- Positive, balanced, free from prejudices (don’t act on any pre-conceived notions)
- Very high integrity
- Listen to Grapevine and not the gossip
- Policies and people processes (progressive approach)
- Thrust on L&D
- Create environment to trust
• Transparency
• Walk the talk
• Humane approach
• Grievance redressal process
• Communication channels
• Employee engagement practices
• Share gains with proper process
• Disciplinary actions when must
Indicator/Measurement of good IR/ER:
1. High morale
2. Low attrition rate
3. High flexibility and adaptability to support ever changing business needs
4. Minimum/No legal disputes
5. 3 F’s:
- Be FAIR
- Give FREEDOM
- Be FIRM
CSR Focus:
1. Health
2. Education
3. Sanitation
Sexual Harassment: There is an internal committee (follow up done on every 3 months)
Questions Discussed:
1. Major conflicts with the employees
2. Compensation for safety
3. HR/ER system
4. Employee engagement for retrenchment – Retention Strategy
5. CSR activities
6. Measures taken about Sexual harassment cases
7. Pay of the HR, How many HR in the department and How are they recruited