HRIR 201: Managing Human Resources & Industrial Relations

Week 9: Thursday 17 May 2012

Green workplaces continued Course lecturer: Jane Bryson

This week
Green workplaces & sustainability
What is sustainability? What are green workplaces? (Tuesday) What is the role of HRM & IR in sustainability issues? (today)
Ref: Boyd, Chapter 9 in Bryson & Ryan (2012)

Sustainability in the workplace

what is the role of HRM practices?
In pursuit of sustainability Workplaces may do things like: Changing production or business processes or technology in order to reduce waste or lower energy consumption Increase recycling Increase innovation/new ideas on sustainable practices Raise awareness and understanding of sustainability Ensure suppliers use sustainable approaches These may change what the business does, how the business does things, and why it does them

What does this require from workers? Thus what HRM practices?

Examples
http://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/red/content/homepage/ communities-and-environment http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainablebusiness/guardian-sustainable-business-awardsengaging-employees http://plana.marksandspencer.com/

Examples of integrated organisational environmental practices

Slides created by Bryson and Ryan

Industrial Relations & sustainability:

Sustainable workplace framework agreements, UK example (Source: TUSDAC Unions, 2005: 39)

The key components of an effective framework agreement include: the unions and employers commitment to improving environmental performance principles of employee participation, partnership and co-operation the framework of a joint sustainable workplace policy and specific issues it will cover, such as energy sourcing, energy efficiency, resource and waste management mutual responsibilities and joint procedures for dealing with issues clear objectives, and agreement on how they will be regularly monitored and assessed integrating sustainability objectives with the employers statutory health and safety policy, and with its risk assessment process.

Industrial Relations & sustainability:

Sustainability in action NZ example
The Public Service Association (PSA) is New Zealands largest public sector union. In 2008 it adopted a sustainability policy and action plan aligned with its strategic agenda of decent work for its members, and highperforming and productive public sector workplaces delivering public value through high-quality sustainable services. The PSA took advice from the Sustainable Business Network, which provides audit services for organisations wishing to assess how well they are doing. This included looking at: environmental sustainability the use of vehicles, air travel, electricity and gas financial sustainability the organisations cash reserves, assets and liabilities social sustainability with a focus on building a sustainable membership base and staffing in the organisation.

Sustainability in action contd

In addition to a focus on internal sustainability, the policy also requires the promotion of sustainable public sector workplaces and services. Among a range of initiatives to deliver in these areas, the PSA has established a workplace network of Eco Reps to build a community of interest around sustainability issues among PSA members. http://www.psa.org.nz/networks/EcoReps.aspx http://www.psa.org.nz/CampaignsAndIssues/Sustaianable.aspx

Summary
CSR 3 Pillars of sustainable development
Economic Social Environmental

Triple bottom line reporting Environmental management and reporting systems Sustainability Awards programmes
All these activities need to be supported by worker behaviour and thus by good HRM & IR practices.