Making Employment Relations Information & Resources more accessible for all
I’m Carmen Fourie
I’ve been an Employment Relations Practitioner (sometimes referred to as a labour relations or industrial relations consultant) for several years.
Over the years I have chaired over 3000 inquiries – disciplinary, poor work performance, medical incapacity and other types of incapacity.
I’ve facilitated or consulted on hundreds of retrenchments.
I’ve done numerous grievances, CCMA cases, negotiations, general consultations, leadership trainings and employment relations workshops.
I’ve drafted more employment documents than I can count.
And lastly, I have lectured and taught the subject of labour relations (including labour legislation).
I’m incredibly passionate about the employment relationship – which is why I decided that my employment relations knowledge and experience should be more accessible for employers and employees.
Why am I so passionate about the Employment Relationship?
It’s about the people in it.
Most of the work I do involves disputes and dismissals, or sound boarding solutions to workplace challenges to avoid or reduce disputes and dismissals.
I describe the work I do as a “burdensome privilege”
Calls from clients often start with them expressing that if they are calling me, it means there are problems to be addressed and that these issues are very difficult and daunting for them to deal with. Dealing with disputes, disciplinary action and dismissals is often very tough!
I provide support through these tough parts of the employment relationship, but also let’s work together to prevent them.
It is such a privilege for me to be able to share my knowledge and experience, along with my compassionate communication to have the parties experience effective and empathetic employment relations.
Effective and Empathetic Employment Relations
Effective Employment Relations
My approach is to make recommendations and offer solutions that actually work, and are realistic to implement – in both the short term & long term.
I advise on how to address the immediate issue at hand, but I also consider the wider impact of decisions taken.
As much as the academic in me likes theoretical ideals – the practical me recognizes there is the theoretical ideal and then there is reality.
I tell clients what the legislation says and how to comply, but I also recognize there are situations where clients make a business decision to take the risk of non-compliance. I explain exactly what those risks are for a client to make an informed decision. Moreover, I also assist with a plan for future compliance and general risk mitigation in a way that works for unique businesses to implement.
I’ve worked with small businesses long enough to know that their resources are stretched, and owners/managers are performing so many roles in the business that they need very practical solutions that can easily be implemented considering their context. They need templates, quick guides to get information and sometimes they need outstanding expertise, but are not necessarily in a position to pay the usual price tag for that expertise (another reason I am motivated to share free or low priced information & resources).
Further to the above I don’t have the approach of applying “quick fix” solutions only for the same issues to continuously resurface. My recommendations are focused on solving the issue at hand – effectively and efficiently, but also at preventing or mitigating against the reoccurring incidents.
I want to provide employment relations services in a such a way that clients need me less and less
– through generally having less employment relations challenges, but also through feeling more equipped to deal with most employment relations challenges on their own.
Empathetic Employment Relations
The employment relationship is between human beings.
Because it is a human relationship it is dynamic and complex – as are all types of relationships between people.
With my Industrial Psychology background (MCom Industrial Psychology Cum Laude) I have, from the start of my career, had an approach to employment relations that considered the intricacies that come with a human relationship.
Sadly – as a young professional starting out, I hadn’t yet developed the muscle to feel comfortable to approach the employment relationship differently to my peers. I spent most of my first two years working as instructed.
Then I started Fourie Employment Relations. With starting my own practice, I was committed to doing things differently and I continue to do so.
Compassionate communication is a fundamental part of my approach to the employment relationship and how I interact with the parties to the relationship. Through the principles of nonviolent communication (by Marshall Rosenberg, PHD) I maintain empathy for the individuals who are part of any process I chair, facilitate or consult on. Furthermore, I aid the parties in seeing the humanness of the other such that even the most difficult procedures are done with empathy and respect.
It’s important that we don’t misunderstand compassion to imply weakness.
Empathy is not agreement.
Since incorporating nonviolent communication into my way of working I see an incredible shift in the processes, the experiences of the parties and even in the outcomes. Because people feel they are treated with empathy it results in a major reduction of time and energy spent on unnecessary (and often destructive) disputes.
“Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behaviour.”
Brene Brown, PHD
I take from the quote above to say that in my years of working with hundreds of different people and businesses in different situations – putting in the effort to compassionately communicate and have empathy for the individual on a day to day basis or at the onset of challenges that arise saves spending much more resources (energy, time, money, etc) on dealing with the consequences or counter productive work behaviours that come from leadership that fails to acknowledge the humaness of employees. Empathy isn’t a “nice to have”. It is good business.
Incorporating nonviolent communication makes my approach to employment relations unique (and very effective).
Making Employment Relations Information & Resources more accessible for all
How am I making it more accessible to all?
More than a year ago I started reducing my consulting hours to make employment relations videos that can be viewed for free on my Youtube Channel.
On this website employers and employees can find affordable templates and guides.
I also write free blog posts for people who prefer to take in information through reading.
There is more in the pipeline!
Please consider Subscribing to my Youtube channel – it helps me to create more content.
You can also connect with me on other social media platforms to know when and how I intend to release more free or low cost employment relations information and resources.