Tag: organizational culture

Management Notes

Changing Role of HR Professionals

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The role of Human Resource (HR) professionals has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, adapting to the dynamic needs of organizations and evolving economic, technological, and social environments. Traditionally, HR was seen as an administrative function primarily focused on hiring, payroll, and compliance with labor laws. However, with the increasing importance of human capital in driving organizational success, the role of HR professionals has expanded to include strategic, developmental, and advisory functions. This shift reflects the growing recognition that HR is a key player in fostering a culture of innovation, employee engagement, and long-term organizational sustainability.

  • From Administrative to Strategic Partner

One of the most significant changes in the role of HR professionals is the shift from an administrative to a strategic role. Historically, HR’s focus was on administrative tasks such as recruitment, benefits administration, and maintaining employee records. Today, HR professionals are seen as strategic partners in achieving business goals. They are involved in decision-making processes, helping to shape organizational strategy, and ensuring that the human resource policies align with the company’s objectives. HR plays an essential role in organizational planning, talent management, and creating a work environment that supports the achievement of long-term goals.

  • Talent Management and Development

As organizations recognize the importance of retaining top talent and fostering leadership potential, HR professionals have taken on the responsibility of talent management and employee development. HR now focuses not only on recruitment but also on identifying future leaders, ensuring ongoing skill development, and facilitating succession planning. Through training, mentorship, and career development programs, HR professionals work to nurture a workforce capable of meeting the challenges of an evolving business landscape. Their role in helping employees grow and advance ensures that the organization remains competitive in the talent marketplace.

  • Employee Engagement and Well-being

In the modern business world, employee engagement and well-being are seen as critical factors in driving productivity and job satisfaction. HR professionals now focus on creating a positive organizational culture, fostering open communication, and building trust between employees and management. They develop initiatives that promote work-life balance, mental health, and overall well-being. HR professionals also focus on improving employee morale and motivation by recognizing achievements, offering flexible working arrangements, and encouraging a healthy work environment. Employee engagement is central to organizational success, and HR plays a crucial role in cultivating it.

  • Use of Technology and Data Analytics

The digital age has brought about an increased reliance on technology and data analytics in HR functions. HR professionals now use advanced software systems for payroll, recruitment, performance management, and employee engagement. They also leverage data analytics to make informed decisions regarding workforce trends, compensation packages, and employee retention strategies. By using data, HR professionals can better understand employee needs, predict turnover, and develop tailored policies to improve performance and satisfaction. Technology has also streamlined administrative tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives.

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The role of HR professionals has also evolved to include a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In response to growing social awareness, HR departments are now at the forefront of creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. HR professionals are responsible for implementing programs that promote diversity in hiring, ensuring equal opportunities for all employees, and fostering a culture of inclusivity. This involves addressing unconscious biases, creating mentorship opportunities for underrepresented groups, and actively promoting workplace equality.

  • Change Management and Organizational Development

HR professionals are now integral to change management and organizational development. In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations must adapt quickly to market shifts, technological advancements, and evolving customer needs. HR plays a pivotal role in managing change by supporting employees through transitions, providing training for new systems or processes, and ensuring that the workforce remains engaged and adaptable. Additionally, HR professionals work to shape organizational culture and structure to support growth and innovation.

Management Notes

Resourcing Strategy Meaning and Objectives

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A resourcing strategy and a recruitment policy helps you understand future staffing needs and work out how to ensure those needs are met. The policy should be consistent and transparent, reflect the organisation’s mission and values, and comply with employment law regulations.

The resourcing strategy broadly states the goals that the organisation aims to achieve through recruitment. This could be by external recruitment or developing existing employees; working with the whole organisation to understand its current and future needs; and ways of addressing resourcing (both by filling vacancies and also through the wider needs and expectations of candidates).

The policy should clearly set out the recruitment process; demonstrate consistency across the organisation’s sectors; extend information about the organisation’s recruitment strategy; and integrate with strategic and operational objectives. Finally, check that your resourcing policy chimes with your employer brand, and that your organisation is fulfilling those ambitions and values.

Components of a resourcing strategy include knowing the talents and skills you need to meet your business requirements; where and how to fill gaps; and how to fulfil your future talent needs:

  • Workforce planning: The number and type of employees required
  • Employee value proposition: The ‘give’ and the ‘get’
  • Resourcing plans: Where to find your people; learning and development offer
  • Retention: Being ‘an employer of choice’
  • Flexibility: Addressing hard-to-fill roles; offering different hours and work locations
  • Talent management and succession planning: What future talent does the business require and where will these managers come from?

Successful resourcing strategy include:

  • Ensure you have a ‘resourcing champion’ overseeing your strategy, whatever the size of your organisation
  • Refine the employer brand and employee value proposition (evp) to determine how you stand out against the competition
  • Build talent internally by adjusting existing roles, providing training, flexible working, or creating career paths to build loyalty and enhance your employer brand
  • Develop an internal pool of candidates by using internal referral schemes and contacting previous applicants
  • Consider establishing relationships with graduates, past employees and other contacts to provide a talent pool
  • Keep a schedule of hiring practices and expenditure to monitor the most successful and cost-effective channels and inform future strategy
  • When selecting a recruitment agency, look for one key expert in your industry that offers a genuine partnership, based on longer-term resourcing needs.

If there is more than one person in your organisation who can hire new recruits, make sure any changes to hiring processes are communicated effectively. It is important to have a clear understanding of the current marketplace and what your business may need in terms of talent for the short and long term. The same goes for your organisation’s targets, projects and relevant timescales, and how these link to future vacancies.

Process

  1. Have a Workforce Plan

Imagine if you never had a vacancy again. This may seem far-fetched but you can get pretty close by having a thorough Workforce Plan which considers the type of workforce you need for the future, the volume of people you need and where they are based, what skills they’ll have and where you can get them from. If you build in a proactive approach to recruitment where you plan for the future and know what roles you needed and when, you would be able to build pro-active talent pools and reduce the need for in the moment, requisition-led recruitment, which would in turn limit the number of vacancies you have.

A key part of the Workforce Plan is to have a detailed view of Succession. You can also use the succession process to scenario plan (who’s likely to leave), future-proof your business, plan development, keep an eye on talented individuals and identify internal and external replacements succession doesn’t just have to be internal, you can keep external talent warm too. In my view part one of a resourcing strategy is to minimise vacancies. Workforce Planning is the best way to do this.

  1. Know and communicate what you’re about.

I’m not a fan of HR jargon but in the trade, this would be referred to as a strong Employer Value Proposition. In essence this means being really clear on what you stand for as an employer and what the prospective employee will get in return for working from you, for example fast career progression, high pay, long hours or strong values, flexibility, a great environment. It is important that this is reflected in all your recruitment literature and job adverts. A strong and accurate proposition will help you attract the right people to your business.

  1. Be clear on the type of person you’re looking for.

In order to attract the right people, you’ve first got to be clear on the type of person you’re looking for. This means knowing the skills, qualifications, experience you need to be a success in the role and combine this with the values the person needs to work effectively in your business.

  1. Advertise your roles in the right place.

It seems pretty simple when you think about it. I’ve done a lot of work with some great marketing people recently who have helped me to identify the right channels and right places to advertise based on where the people I’m trying to attract look for jobs. For example, if I’m trying to attract people out of the city then I’ll advertise on the London tube, if I’m trying to attract rural people, I’ll look at Farmer’s Weekly, if it’s HR people then the CIPD etc.

If you’re using a recruitment partner/agent, then it’s critical that you pick the right one. One that shares your values and can represent your role and brand as well as you can. The partner you choose says a lot about you to your prospective future employee. It’s about more than just price.

  1. Stay in touch with second place.

It is about making sure you keep in touch with the good quality, unsuccessful applicants for roles in your business. This is a great way to keep a warm pool of high-quality people interested in your business who want to work for you. They might not have been successful this time but they could be great for future positions. Staying in touch could also help you build an external talent pool so you’re not always starting your recruitment search from a standing start.

  1. Have robust selection methods.

Build a selection process and method for assessing candidates that reflects and effectively tests the skills applicants will need to be a success in the role. Don’t just rely on an interview which can be subjective build a recruitment assessment process that tests on the job aptitude through practical assessments, numerical, verbal and psychometric assessments and use referencing from previous roles. If you’re relying on interviews then use competency-based interviewing to draw out real examples of when they’ve had success before.

Resourcing Types

Internal Recruiting: internal recruiting involves filling vacancies with existing employees from within an organization.

Retained Recruiting: When organization hire a recruiting firm, there are several ways to do so; retained recruiting is a common one. When an organization retains a recruiting firm to fill a vacancy, they pay an upfront fee to fill the position. The firm is responsible for finding candidates until the position is filled. The organization also agrees to work exclusively with the firm. Companies cannot, in other words, hire multiple recruiting firms to fill the same position.

Contingency Recruiting: like retained recruiting, contingency recruiting requires an outside firm. Unlike retained recruiting, there is no upfront fee with contingency. Instead, the recruitment company receives payment only when the clients they represent are hired by an organization.

Staffing Recruiting: staffing recruiters work for staffing agencies. Staffing recruiting matches qualified applicants with qualified job openings. Moreover, staffing agencies typically focus on short-term or temporary employment positions.

Outplacement Recruiting: outplacement is typically an employer-sponsored benefit which helps former employees transition into new jobs. Outplacement recruiting is designed to provide displaced employees with the resources to find new positions or careers.

Reverse Recruiting: refers to the process whereby an employee is encouraged to seek employment with a different organization that offers a better fit for their skill set.

Management Notes

Organizing Employee Communications

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To develop a communication strategy, employers should begin by linking communication to the strategic plan, including the organization’s mission, vision and values; its strategic goals and objectives; and its employment brand.

Effective communication strategies:

  • Safeguard credibility to establish loyalty and build trust.
  • Maintain consistency to establish a strong employment brand.
  • Listen to employees and to members of the leadership team.
  • Seek input from all constituencies.
  • Provide feedback.
  • Prepare managers in their roles as organizational leaders.

A communication strategy includes the following elements:

  • Highly effective strategies that are often top-down, with senior management setting the tone for a cascading series of messages.
  • A budget that allows for the use of various types of communication vehicles depending on the message to be delivered and any unique issues associated with it.
  • A process by which leaders evaluate any particular situation driving the need to communicate and from which key messages will emerge.
  • A method for generating feedback and using it to shape follow-up messages.
  • A customized delivery approach with communication materials that are easy to understand.

Constituencies

Everyone in the organization has a role to play in communication:

  • The CEO and senior managers are ultimately responsible for setting the tone and establishing organizational culture. Key leaders should be coached on their role in ensuring effective companywide communication.
  • The HR professional and communication leader also have critical roles, especially in challenging economic environments.
  • Managers are responsible for daily communication with their employees and for relating to their peers and colleagues.
  • All employees have a responsibility to voice concerns and issues, provide feedback, and listen effectively.

Training

Communication training may encompass any number of topics, including:

  • Company communication policies.
  • Effective writing and presentation skills.
  • Train-the-trainer initiatives.

A strong training component will not only equip leaders to communicate effectively with their teams and other organizational leaders, it will also help them understand the appropriate communication channels and protocols.

Responding to employee issues

There is no better way to cause resentment among employees than to ask them for feedback and then fail to act in response to their concerns. Honest, constructive feedback from employees starts with trust and the understanding that employees can voice their concerns without fear of retaliation.

Dealing with external media

External communications including public and community relations may also be a part of an organization’s communication strategy. HR professionals, in conjunction with public relations professionals and top management, should develop formal policies and procedures for dealing with external media.

Measuring results

While organizations generally agree that measuring and quantifying results of communication plans are beneficial, this goal is difficult to accomplish. Given the elusive nature of communication data, determining a cost-benefit ratio, for example, may be challenging. Did the organization fare better because of the manner in which it communicated crucial information about a merger or acquisition? Was the impact of a reduction in force on morale mitigated by the way in which employees were told?

Despite the difficulty of doing so, organizations should strive to collect qualitative and quantitative information to evaluate their efforts:

  • Qualitative data may include anecdotal evidence that employees’ attitudes were improved after the handling of an emergency situation or that focus group information supported the strategy for communicating benefits changes to employees.
  • Quantitative data may include measures such as turnover rates, productivity rates and employee satisfaction benchmarks, as well as use of employee service center options.

Audience

Identifying audience issues is a key task in ensuring effectiveness in any communication strategy. What is the ideal audience for a particular communication? The audience may include everyone who influences or is influenced by the information being shared. For the most effective communication, audience size must also be appropriate given the information being shared and whether interaction will be permitted. If organizations anticipate that employees will have a number of questions regarding a new and unique benefit offering or a new procedure, for example, audience size should be limited so that questions can be adequately addressed.

Communicating “up”

While much of a communication strategy is focused on imparting information to employees, another central component is permitting employees to have a voice with members of senior management. Having a voice is a critical employee relations issue that affects satisfaction and engagement. 

Geographically dispersed audience

Organizations may have multi-unit operations with a variety of worksites within a city, state or country, or even globally. The more geographically dispersed and the more interdependent these groups are in their need to work together to solve problems, the greater the challenges are to the communication strategy.

Diversity and global issues

Audiences for organizational communication may embody many dimensions of diversity: age, disability, ethnicity/national origin, gender and race, for example. Diverse audiences may have different perceptions and expectations when giving or receiving information, and these differences should be considered when developing messages to a broad audience. See Cross-Cultural Sensitivity and Communication.

Vehicles and Approaches

One of the major challenges in developing and executing communication plans is to select the best vehicles for delivering any given message to and from employees. With so many choices, such as face-to-face communication, electronic media, meetings, printed materials and webinars, the decision becomes quite complex. Is the communication best suited for an electronic message via e-mail or for a face-to-face meeting? Should communication be mailed to the home address of the employee if family members are affected by the news, such as in a benefits update, or is it best communicated in a meeting conducted on work time?

New forms of electronic media raise additional questions. With social media opportunities available to any individual, HR professionals may need to consider not only strategies to tap into this medium but also policies for employees using this medium to communicate among themselves. See Texts and E-Mails vs. Oral Communication at Work: Which Is Best? and Study: Tech Miscommunications May Erode Employee Engagement.

When selecting the best communication vehicle, organizational leaders should consider:

Timing. The timing of the information may be imperative, such as in emergency situations.

Location. Employees’ location may affect this selection. Are all employees in one building, at multiple sites or situated globally? Do they work virtually?

Message. Another issue that affects the decision is the sensitivity of the information. For layoff or termination information, most professionals agree that face-to-face meetings trump any other means of communication, but some issues may make these meetings impossible due to the geographic location of the employees, the number of employees affected and other factors.

Organizational leaders have many options, including the following, when selecting a communication vehicle.

Handbook

The employee handbook is used to communicate standard operating procedures, guidelines and policies. The handbook is also used to communicate the organization’s mission, vision and values, helping to establish an organizational culture and employment brand. While most employee handbooks traditionally have been produced in print format, more organizations are moving toward an electronic format, allowing for easy updating, documentation and review, especially when all employees have access to computers. See SHRM Employee Handbook Builder.

Newsletters

Newsletters are used to communicate new information about the organization, its products and services, and its employees. Newsletters may be in print or electronic format and may be sent to the employee as well as to his or her family, especially when the news directly affects family members. Newsletters may be published on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly) or whenever the organization has news to report.

Town hall meetings

Town hall meetings are an option to gather employees together to share news, celebrate successes or communicate companywide information that affects all employees. These meetings are most effective when employees are physically located in one geographic area, but for some critical meetings, employees may be brought to one central location. Alternatively, town hall meetings may be held in various locations when employees are widely dispersed geographically or may be held electronically via webinars or teleconferences.

E-mail

Electronic communication is a fast and easy way to reach many employees at once. It may be best used when information is urgent, such as in emergencies. E-mail communication presents some difficulties because tone of voice and inflection are absent, making an ironic or sarcastic remark appear rude or harsh, which may not be the intended message.

Face-to-face meetings

Face-to-face meetings with employees are one of the best ways to relay sensitive information. During layoffs or restructurings or when handling employee performance issues, face-to-face communication is generally preferred.

Telephone

The telephone is another way to communicate information to employees. Whether it is used in the traditional sense when face-to-face communication is not physically possible or in more state-of-the-art communication via webinars or voice mail blasts, the telephone is a staple in communication vehicles.

Surveys/polls

Two-way communication is vital to any effective communication strategy, and developing formal tactics to listen to employees is essential. Employers can elicit fast feedback through surveys and polls about specific issues (like a new benefit or policy) or general concerns.

Stories

Storytelling creates a picture through words so that the message becomes memorable. Organizational leaders are beginning to understand how storytelling can be used as a powerful business tool to impart company culture, to create an employment brand, and to build trust and loyalty among employees.

Social media

Many individuals regularly use social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, not only for recreational purposes but as a business communication tool. Social media can help recruiters’ source top talent, help salespeople identify potential contacts and allow employees to keep in touch with their leaders. HR professionals should ensure that company policies are updated so that social media is used appropriately in the workplace.

Messaging apps

Messaging applications such as Jabber and Slack and chatbots that interact with applicants and employees through automation may be the future of workplace communication. The next generation of workers prefer chat and messaging apps over traditional e-mail. See Messaging, Collaboration Apps May Surpass E-Mail in Workplace Eventually and What HR Professionals Should Know About Chatbots.

Virtual team meetings

Organizations may have employees located across the city or across the globe and may need to rely on virtual team meetings to get work done. Setting expectations and establishing protocols are vital steps in ensuring that communication will be effective. Since written communication, whether in print or in electronic format, can hide tone of voice, inflection and other nuances of communication, many work teams rely on videoconferences and Internet-based technologies to make virtual meetings more productive.

The “grapevine”

One of the most used and undermanaged tools for employee communication is the proverbial grapevine. Watercooler discussions are still a mechanism for employees to hear the latest news unfiltered by management, and they continue to be a source for employees in learning the inside story. Employers must be mindful that whatever formal communication strategy is used, the grapevine still exists and will be tapped by employees at all levels. The grapevine should not be discounted when considering the best tool to listen to and learn about employee issues.

Management Notes

Human Resource Accounting Meaning, Features, Objectives and Methods

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Human Resource Accounting (HRA) is a specialized area of accounting that involves measuring, recording, and analyzing the value of an organization’s human capital. It recognizes employees as valuable assets rather than just costs, aiming to quantify their contribution to the organization in monetary terms. This concept emphasizes the importance of skilled and experienced employees in driving organizational success and sustainable growth.

HRA focuses on assessing the cost of recruiting, training, and developing employees alongside evaluating their economic value and performance. Costs such as salaries, benefits, and training investments are categorized, and methods like historical cost, replacement cost, and present value of future earnings are used to estimate their value.

The primary goal of HRA is to provide information for better decision-making by management, such as resource allocation, talent management, and workforce planning. It also aids in evaluating the return on investment in human capital and improving transparency in financial reporting.

HRA benefits organizations by helping them understand the long-term impact of employee contributions, fostering effective talent management strategies, and aligning workforce investments with organizational goals. By recognizing human resources as strategic assets, HRA highlights their critical role in achieving competitive advantage.

Features of Human Resource Accounting:

  • Recognition of Human Capital as Assets

HRA acknowledges employees as intangible assets critical to the success of an organization. It shifts the perspective from viewing human resources as merely expenses to considering them as valuable investments.

  • Measurement of Costs and Value

HRA involves calculating the costs associated with human resources, such as recruitment, training, development, and retention. It also evaluates the economic value employees bring to the organization through their productivity and contributions.

  • Use of Quantitative and Qualitative Metrics

HRA employs both quantitative metrics (e.g., cost of training programs, employee turnover rates) and qualitative assessments (e.g., employee skills, leadership potential) to provide a comprehensive valuation of human resources.

  • Focus on Decision-Making

HRA aids management in making informed decisions related to workforce planning, training investments, promotions, and succession planning. It provides insights into how human capital investments impact organizational performance.

  • Enhanced Financial Reporting

By including human capital in financial statements, HRA offers a more transparent view of an organization’s intangible assets. This improves the quality of financial reporting and enhances stakeholder trust.

  • Alignment with Organizational Goals

HRA aligns the measurement and management of human resources with organizational objectives. It highlights the importance of workforce management in achieving strategic goals and sustaining competitive advantage.

Objectives of Human Resource Accounting:

1. Recognizing Human Resources as Assets

HRA aims to shift the traditional perspective of employees as expenses to recognizing them as valuable organizational assets. This objective highlights the long-term contribution of human capital to organizational success and positions employees alongside other tangible assets on the balance sheet.

2. Measuring the Cost of Human Resources

One of the core objectives of HRA is to quantify the cost associated with human resources, including recruitment, selection, training, development, and retention. By identifying these costs, organizations can evaluate their investment in human capital and plan for its efficient utilization.

3. Determining the Economic Value of Employees

HRA seeks to calculate the monetary value employees contribute to the organization. It evaluates the impact of human resources on productivity, innovation, and profitability, providing a clear picture of their return on investment (ROI).

4. Facilitating Effective Decision-Making

HRA provides management with accurate data about human capital, which aids in making informed decisions. This includes areas such as workforce planning, compensation strategies, talent development programs, and succession planning, ensuring that human resource investments align with organizational goals.

5. Enhancing Transparency in Financial Reporting

HRA integrates human capital valuation into financial statements, making them more comprehensive and transparent. By doing so, it enables stakeholders to understand the intangible value human resources bring to the organization, fostering greater trust and accountability.

6. Supporting Human Resource Development

Another key objective of HRA is to promote the continuous growth and development of employees. By identifying skill gaps and measuring the effectiveness of training programs, HRA helps organizations design initiatives that enhance employee performance and satisfaction.

Methods of Human Resource Accounting:

Human Resource Accounting (HRA) employs various methods to quantify the value of human resources. These methods can be broadly categorized into cost-based methods and value-based methods, each offering unique perspectives on human capital valuation.

1. Historical Cost Method

This method involves recording the actual costs incurred in hiring, training, and developing employees. These costs are treated as investments and are amortized over the expected service life of the employees.

  • Advantages: Simple to implement and focuses on actual expenses.
  • Disadvantages: Ignores future potential and does not consider the impact of inflation.

2. Replacement Cost Method

This method estimates the cost of replacing an employee with a similar skill set and experience. It includes expenses for recruitment, training, and onboarding of new hires.

  • Advantages: Reflects the current value of human resources.
  • Disadvantages: Can be subjective and challenging to estimate accurately.

3. Present Value of Future Earnings Method

This approach calculates the present value of an employee’s expected future earnings during their tenure. The formula discounts future earnings to the current period.

  • Advantages: Focuses on potential contributions.
  • Disadvantages: Highly dependent on assumptions about future performance and tenure.

4. Opportunity Cost Method

This method values human resources based on the opportunity cost of not employing them in their most productive capacity. It considers the income that would be forgone if employees left the organization.

  • Advantages: Highlights the economic impact of skilled employees.
  • Disadvantages: Limited applicability as it assumes perfect mobility of employees.

5. Economic Value Method

This method evaluates the economic value of employees by estimating their contribution to the organization’s overall profitability. It combines cost and performance metrics.

  • Advantages: Provides a comprehensive valuation of employee contributions.
  • Disadvantages: Requires complex data and analysis.

6. Adjusted Present Value Method

This method adjusts the present value of future earnings by incorporating factors such as employee turnover, training effectiveness, and market conditions.

  • Advantages: Offers a nuanced valuation.
  • Disadvantages: Complex and resource-intensive.

7. Human Resource Value Index Method

This method assigns an index value to employees based on factors such as skills, experience, performance, and potential. The index reflects their relative value to the organization.

  • Advantages: Emphasizes qualitative aspects of human resources.
  • Disadvantages: Subjective and prone to biases.
Management Notes

Collective Bargaining, Meaning, Forms, Pre-Requisites, Characteristics

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Collective Bargaining is the process of negotiation between employers and employees (represented by trade unions) to determine fair wages, working conditions, benefits, and job security. It aims to establish a mutually agreed contract that protects workers’ rights while ensuring business stability. This process fosters industrial peace, reduces conflicts, and enhances employee satisfaction. Collective bargaining can be distributive (win-lose), integrative (win-win), or productivity-based. It is a crucial tool for ensuring fair labor practices and promoting a balanced relationship between workers and management. Effective collective bargaining strengthens workplace democracy, ensuring that employees have a voice in decision-making processes.

Forms of Collective Bargaining:

  • Distributive Bargaining (Win-Lose Bargaining)

Distributive bargaining occurs when employers and employees negotiate over limited resources, such as wages or benefits, where one party’s gain is the other’s loss. It is a competitive approach where both sides try to maximize their own advantage. This type of bargaining is common in situations where workers demand higher pay while employers aim to control labor costs.

  • Integrative Bargaining (Win-Win Bargaining)

Integrative bargaining focuses on mutual gains rather than competition. Both parties work together to find creative solutions that benefit both employers and employees. For example, improving working conditions or offering productivity-linked incentives ensures workers are satisfied while businesses remain profitable. This approach fosters collaboration, trust, and long-term industrial harmony.

  • Productivity Bargaining

In productivity bargaining, workers agree to enhance their efficiency, skills, and output in exchange for better wages, incentives, and benefits. Employers commit to providing better training, technology, and working conditions. This approach is common in industries where performance-based pay structures and efficiency improvements are prioritized to boost overall productivity.

  • Composite Bargaining

Composite bargaining extends beyond wages and focuses on job security, working conditions, training opportunities, and retirement benefits. It aims to improve the overall quality of work-life for employees. Workers negotiate for stable employment, skill enhancement, and improved workplace safety, ensuring their well-being while maintaining a productive work environment.

  • Concessionary Bargaining

In concessionary bargaining, trade unions agree to certain compromises, such as wage cuts or reduced benefits, to help struggling businesses survive. This is common during economic downturns or financial crises, where companies may need cost reductions to stay operational. Workers accept temporary sacrifices in return for job security and long-term stability.

Essential Pre-Requisites for Collective Bargaining:

  • Strong and Recognized Trade Unions

A well-organized, united, and legally recognized trade union is essential for effective collective bargaining. The union should represent a majority of employees and have skilled leadership to negotiate with employers. Without a strong union, workers’ demands may be fragmented, reducing their bargaining power and making negotiations ineffective.

  • Willingness to Negotiate

Both employers and employees must show a genuine willingness to engage in fair negotiations. If either party is rigid or unwilling to compromise, the process fails. Successful collective bargaining requires a cooperative attitude, mutual respect, and an understanding of shared interests to achieve a win-win agreement.

  • Legal and Institutional Support

A strong legal framework and government support are essential to ensure fair negotiations. Labor laws should protect both workers and employers, preventing unethical practices like unfair dismissals or wage exploitation. Institutions such as labor courts or mediation bodies help in resolving disputes and ensuring compliance with agreements.

  • Availability of Accurate Information

Both parties must have access to reliable data on wages, productivity, profits, and industry trends. Accurate information ensures informed decision-making, leading to fair and just agreements. Misinformation or lack of transparency can cause mistrust and disrupt negotiations, making it difficult to reach mutually beneficial settlements.

  • Effective Leadership and Negotiation Skills

Strong leadership and skilled negotiators are crucial for successful collective bargaining. Union leaders should be knowledgeable about labor laws, industry standards, and economic conditions to make strong arguments. Employers should also have experienced negotiators who understand business needs and are willing to offer reasonable compromises.

  • Clear Objectives and Demands

Unions must clearly define their objectives before entering negotiations. Vague or unrealistic demands can lead to failed discussions and industrial disputes. A well-structured proposal that outlines specific concerns—such as wages, benefits, or working hours—ensures that negotiations are focused and result-oriented.

  • Industrial Harmony and Trust

A work environment with mutual trust and industrial peace supports productive collective bargaining. If there is ongoing conflict, negotiations may become hostile. Both parties should engage in discussions with an open mind, fostering trust and commitment to long-term agreements that benefit both employees and employers.

  • Mechanism for Implementation and Review

A structured process for enforcing agreements ensures that negotiated terms are implemented effectively. Employers must honor commitments, and unions should monitor compliance. Periodic reviews should be conducted to address emerging issues, ensuring that agreements remain relevant and effective in maintaining workplace harmony.

Characteristics of Collective Bargaining:

  • Bipartite Process

Collective bargaining involves two parties—employers and employees (or trade unions)—who negotiate terms of employment. It is a mutual discussion where both sides present their demands and concerns. The process requires cooperation, compromise, and dialogue to reach an agreement that benefits both workers and the organization, ensuring industrial peace and better working conditions.

  • Dynamic and Continuous Process

Collective bargaining is not a one-time event but a continuous and evolving process. As economic conditions, labor laws, and workplace environments change, agreements may require modifications and renegotiations. Periodic discussions help adapt to new industry trends, ensuring that agreements remain fair and relevant over time.

  • Voluntary Negotiation

The process of collective bargaining is based on voluntary participation. Both employers and employees must come forward willingly to negotiate without coercion. There is no external force imposing terms; rather, agreements are reached through mutual understanding and consensus, ensuring both parties feel heard and respected.

  • Aims at Industrial Peace

One of the primary goals of collective bargaining is to reduce industrial conflicts by addressing workers’ grievances and employer concerns through dialogue. By reaching fair agreements on wages, working conditions, and benefits, the process prevents strikes, lockouts, and labor disputes, promoting a peaceful work environment.

  • Flexible and Adaptive

Collective bargaining is a flexible mechanism that adapts to different industries, labor conditions, and economic changes. Unlike rigid laws, bargaining agreements can be tailored to specific organizational needs, making it an effective tool for addressing workforce concerns in a way that benefits both parties.

  • Focused on Economic and Non-Economic Issues

Collective bargaining covers both financial and non-financial aspects of employment. While it primarily negotiates wages, salaries, and benefits, it also addresses issues such as job security, working hours, workplace safety, promotions, and employee rights, ensuring comprehensive labor agreements.

  • Rule-Making Process

Through collective bargaining, binding agreements are created, forming a set of rules that govern employer-employee relationships. These agreements serve as guidelines for future labor relations, ensuring that workers’ rights and company policies are maintained consistently over time.

  • Legally and Socially Recognized

Collective bargaining is backed by labor laws and government policies, making its agreements legally binding. It is also recognized as a socially acceptable way to resolve labor disputes. A fair agreement benefits both workers and employers, contributing to economic stability and improved industrial relations.

Management Notes

Stress Management Through Mind Control and Purification

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People can learn to manage stress and lead happier, healthier lives. Here are some tips to help you keep stress at bay.

  • Keep a positive attitude.
  • Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
  • Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
  • Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.
  • Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
  • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
  • Learn to manage your time more effectively.
  • Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
  • Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.
  • Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
  • Don’t rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.
  • Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
  • Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.
Management Notes

Stress Management Intervention Primary, Secondary and Tertiary

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Primary Intervention

Actions at the primary level directly target the causes or sources of stress that are present within an organization in order to reduce or completely eliminate them. The aim is to reduce the possibility of developing mental health problems by reducing workers’ exposure to the risks in their work environment.

For example, it is known that lack of participation in the decision-making process has consequences for the mental health of individuals. Thus, an organization that wishes to undertake primary prevention could establish a mechanism which gathers the suggestions and requests of individuals, analyzes them, and applies them within the work environment with the participation of these individuals. In this way, the organization helps to reduce employees’ exposure to this risk factor and to prevent the development of work-related mental health problems.

Advantages and disadvantages

Primary prevention strategies are the only ones that reduce or eliminate mental health problems at work at their source. Because these strategies directly attack the causes of the problem, they will also considerably reduce their resulting costs. However, such significant results will require a real commitment from the organization. This explains why such strategies are used less often. It takes time and energy to eliminate the risks present in the workplace. Sometimes several months go by before the positive effects of primary strategies can be seen. Financial, human and technical resources are also required.

Such strategies require support by upper management and the commitment of all persons concerned. They must be part of a well planned and structured process. Ensuring the success of such an undertaking is a major challenge. For example, the development and functioning of the decision-making process described above can be expected to take some time and require the mobilization of human and technical resources. A system has to be implemented to gather suggestions made by employees, as well as to analyze, choose and apply them within the work environment. All these steps require significant effort and cannot be accomplished overnight.

Although implementing primary level strategies normally requires time, energy and resources, this is not always the case. Sometimes improvements can be made by simply adapting certain existing management practices within the organization. Team meetings are a good example. Several organizations hold weekly or monthly meetings with their employees. Not much is required to make these meetings an occasion to give employees recognition and support, and to facilitate feedback. In addition, an organization that wants to encourage the participation of employees in the decision-making process could use these meetings to gather requests and suggestions from employees until such time that an official process is implemented.

Secondary prevention:

Secondary prevention aims to help individuals develop the knowledge and skills to better recognize and manage their reactions to stress. Giving them the necessary tools allows them to better adapt to the situation or to the work environment and reduces the impact of stress. The content and form of these strategies may vary considerably but they usually include awareness and information-sharing activities, as well as skills development programs.

Advantages and disadvantages

Secondary prevention strategies are a useful tool because they make individuals aware of and inform them about the problem of mental health at work. These strategies also help them develop their skills and their mental resources in order to increase their resistance to stress.

However, secondary prevention strategies do not change the conditions in which work is performed. They only deal with the consequences of the problem in order to control the damage. This is why such strategies only have short-term effects. For example, while stress management training changes people’s reaction so that they can better adapt to their work, it does not eliminate the sources of stress within an organization.

Many firms that until now have relied exclusively on this type of strategy now realize that they are unable to adequately fight against work-related mental health problems. In order for secondary prevention strategies to be totally effective, they must be combined with primary and tertiary strategies.

Tertiary prevention

Tertiary prevention strategies aim to treat and rehabilitate persons as well as facilitate a return to work and the follow up of those who suffer or have suffered from a work-related mental health problem. These strategies generally include counselling services to refer employees to specialists if need be. Tertiary prevention activities are often part of employee assistance programs. These programs feature personalized client-centred help for persons with difficulties so they can analyze their problems and feel supported in their search for solutions. These strategies may also include return-to-work programs for employees who are on sick leave, as well as a help network for example, informal caregivers who can provide support, active listening and referrals to professional resources if necessary.

Advantages and disadvantages

In spite of the fact that the quality and quantity of services vary from one organization to another, they generally help individuals who have personal difficulties or work-related difficulties to obtain information, help and support from in-house counsellors and from counsellors outside the organization. Tertiary level services are voluntary, confidential and available at all times.

As far as drawbacks are concerned, tertiary activities, just like secondary ones, are centred on the person rather than the work situation. By trying to reduce the symptoms, once again they target only the consequences of the problem. Furthermore, because the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is confidential, it cannot deal with organizational causes.

Return-to-work program

  • Maintains the employment relationship with the person on leave;
  • Return-to-work plan;
  • Employment support measures (for example: progressive return to work, temporary assignments, medical follow up).

Peer help networks

  • Active listening;
  • Information;
  • Support;
  • Referrals to specialized resources.

Employee assistance programs (EAP)

  • Information;
  • Assessing needs;
  • Short-term help through individual or group meetings;
  • Telephone support line;
  • Referrals to specialized resources (doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, guidance counsellors, lawyers).
Management Notes

Models of Stress Management Transactional Model, Health Realization/ Innate Health Model

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The Transactional Model

In 1984, Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman proposed the Transactional Model (Cognitive Appraisal), a model that emphasizes how stress becomes the result of the imbalance between what the situation demands and what the person possesses in relation to those demands. According to them, stress is not directly resulting from the source of the stress otherwise known as the stressors; rather, it emerges because of the individual’s inability to satisfy demands. For these two researchers, therefore, stress management relates to the capacity of a person to utilize his resources in order to cope with the stress.

The Transactional Model tells us that a stress management program can only become effective if the individual’s ability to eliminate, reduce, or cope with stress is successful assessed, and that the factors related to such capacity are put into consideration.

Health Realization Model

Also called as the Innate Health Model of Stress, the Health Realization Model states that the presence of a probable stressor does not directly result to the stress experience. This idea was opposing that of the Transactional Model, because it states that the stress management program must be cantered on the perception of the potential stressor by the individual, not on his appraisal of stress coping abilities.

According to this model, the appraisal must be focused on filtering one’s mind of negativity an insecurity, so that he would not perceive a potential stressor as a source of stress, and would therefore lead to a more effective elimination or reduction of stress.

Stress Management Techniques

More and more people have realized their need to handle stress in a more effective way , which is why it is nearly impossible to identify all the stress management techniques applied by each of us. Nevertheless, here are the mostly recognized techniques on stress management:

  • Exercise
  • Starting a New a Hobby
  • Meditation
  • Autogenic training
  • Artistic Expression
  • Fractional relaxation
  • Progressive relaxation
  • Spas
  • Alternative/ natural medicine
  • Social activity
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Conflict resolution
  • Deep breathing
  • Reading novels
  • Prayer
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Listening to Music
  • Yoga
Management Notes

Future of Stress Management

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Stress can be effectively managed in many different ways. The best stress management plans usually include a mix of stress relievers that address stress physically and psychologically and help to develop resilience and coping skills.

Use Quick Stress Relievers

Some stress relief techniques can work in just a few minutes to calm the body’s stress response. These techniques offer a “quick fix” that helps you feel calmer at the moment, and this can help in several ways.

When your stress response is not triggered, you may approach problems more thoughtfully and proactively. You may be less likely to lash out at others out of frustration, which can keep your relationships healthier. Nipping your stress response in the bud can also keep you from experiencing chronic stress.

Quick stress relievers like breathing exercises, for example, may not build your resilience to future stress or minimize the stressors that you face. But they can help calm the body’s physiology once the stress response is triggered.

Develop Stress-Relieving Habits

Some techniques are less convenient to use when you are in the middle of a stressful situation. But if you practice them regularly, they can help you manage stress in general by being less reactive to it and more able to reverse your stress response quickly and easily.

Long-term healthy habits, like exercise or regular meditation, can help to promote resilience toward stressors if you make them a regular part of your life.3 Communication skills and other lifestyle skills can be helpful in managing stressors and changing how we feel from “overwhelmed” to “challenged” or even “stimulated.”

Eliminate Stressors When You Can

You may not be able to completely eliminate stress from your life or even the biggest stressors, but there are areas where you can minimize it and get it to a manageable level.

Any stress that you can cut out can minimize your overall stress load. For example, ending even one toxic relationship can help you more effectively deal with other stress you experience because you may feel less overwhelmed.

Ten ways you can help them manage stress now and in the future:

  • Create a culture that promotes stress management.

Since we are on call 24/7 work must be more like home since home is already more like work. This could be achieved by promoting activities like napping at work, taking meditation breaks, walking during lunch, engaging in chair yoga during breaks, having more social time at work, etc.

  • Managers must lead by example.

It’s a well-known fact that when the manager of a department works late every night, works through lunch and puts his or her own needs last, everyone in that department is going to do the same. Managers need to model balanced behavior that leads to balanced workers.

  • Manage stress while it’s happening.

The two best techniques for managing your stress while it’s happening are cognitive restructuring and mindfulness. Cognitive restructuring teaches you how to recognize your irrational thinking (AKA, negative self-talk which causes you boatloads of stress) and teaches you how to change it, on the fly, so you stop stress before it starts. Mindfulness teaches you how to find refuge in the present moment and thus liberate you from lots of anxiety (future-oriented thinking) and lots of anger (holding onto events that happened in the past). This also allows you to keep a lot of stress at bay.

  • Train employees to recognize stress-related illness so they can discuss it intelligently with their doctor.

Doctors receive little or no training in medical school on how to treat stress-related illness and are quick to prescribe pharmaceutical solutions that usually involve side-effects and don’t address the source of the problem. This allows their patients to effectively ignore their stress symptoms which are now masked by their prescription.  Your employees need to know this and know what alternatives are available to them to prevent stress-related health problems in the future.

  • Make the message of stress management simpler.

What if we start with the problem and work backwards to the solution, which in this case would be various forms of stress management. So, if we start with everyday health problems like migraine headaches, insomnia, chronic pain and many gastro-intestinal issues for example, and work backwards to a stress management solution from there like biofeedback, meditation, yoga and mindfulness (match these in the same order with the health issues listed above), people would be more motivated to participate in programs that solve their specific problems that don’t involve side effects. 

  • Stress science could also include the new brain science.

Stress management has always been about maintaining an internal locus of control (AKA feeling like you are in the driver’s seat of your own life). We now know that our locus of control may actually reside in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain. Knowing how to access and nurture the PFC ultimately leads to greater control over our emotions, our fears and our stress.

  • Make stress management proactive.

We need to elevate stress management practices like exercise, yoga, and meditation to the same status as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. It doesn’t take any will power to brush your teeth or take a shower every morning, you just do it. In the future, the same will be true of stress management. When you talk to any group ask the people in your audience if they do any of the above activities on at least a 3-day a week basis. Then ask if they would ever go back to NOT doing them. The answers you get will serve as powerful testimonials to kind of results one gets by making these activities a part of one’s daily and/or weekly routine.

  • Acknowledge stress sensitivity.

Some people are wired differently. The best way to deal with a wiring problem is by rewiring. You rewire your brain through affirmations, skill-building and habit formation. In addition, meditation practice can facilitate the whole process and literally change the structure of your brain.

  • Embrace the European model.

In Europe the employer takes responsibility for the stress levels that its employees experience at work and makes an effort to both lower these levels AND teach the employee better methods for coping with the stress that can’t be lowered by changing certain aspects of the job itself.  In the UK mindfulness training at work is mandated by law.

  • Teach employees about underlying sources of stress in their life like time pressure, relationship problems, disorganization and financial stress.

In order to address time pressure, employees need to build in extra time for things to go wrong or that take longer than they think. For relationship problems they can spend time every day connecting with the most important people (friends and family members, coworkers) in their lives. In order to address disorganization, they need to be encouraged to set aside time every day for planning and getting organized. (Maybe the first 5-10 minutes after arriving at work.) In order to address financial stress, bring in financial counselors who can teach people about the importance of lowering credit card debt and saving a small amount each month. Addressing these MAJOR underlying causes of stress will bring about a growing sense of inner peace that is quite simply more valuable than gold.

Management Notes

Stress Management Therapy concepts and Benefits

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Popular examples of stress management include meditation, yoga, and exercise. We’ll explore these in detail, with a range of different approaches to ensure that there’s something that works for everyone.

First, let’s set one thing straight: we’re not aiming towards being stress-free all of the time. That’s unrealistic. After all, it’s an unavoidable human response that we all experience from time to time and it’s not all bad either.

However, we can all benefit from identifying our stress and managing it better. Before we dive any deeper into managing stress.

The stress response pattern looks like this:

  • Life Situation: caught in traffic jam; late for work
  • Perceived as Stress: I’m incompetent; boss will be angry; lose promotion
  • Emotional Arousal: irritable, paranoid; poor concentration; overly sensitive
  • Physiological Arousal: elevated heart rate and breathing; sweating
  • Consequences: loss of tranquility, poor performance; stinky

There are many healthy ways to relieve stress. Multiple methods can also be used together! This can help people relieve stress that affects them at different levels, like physically and emotionally. 

When deciding how to manage stress, it is important to make sure your method is healthy and will work long-term. For example, eating comfort food may help someone feel better in the short term. But if eating comfort food becomes a primary method for dealing with stress, their health can be affected. This may result in another potential stressor, poor physical health. 

Talking to a therapist about stress can also be a key part of addressing and reducing it in the long-term. After getting to know you, a therapist may recommend healthy strategies for dealing with stress. They might personalize these to best suit your needs.

Over 75% of people in the United States report having physical symptoms of stress, according to a 2014 study. These symptoms included tiredness, tension, headaches, and upset stomach. On top of this, 43% said they eat unhealthy food or eat too much when stressed. Both of these habits can lead to serious health problems. A therapist or counselor can help you learn to manage stress in ways that improve, not reduce, your health and longevity. 

Counseling for Stress Management

When stress leads to drug abuse, chronic illness or pain, lack of pleasure or relaxation, or otherwise negatively affects well-being, meeting with a mental health professional or medical doctor can help. Health care professionals can work with you to treat your stress symptoms and work through the issues causing it.

Therapy can help address stress that occurs as a result of life events. When a person is stressed due to loss, divorce, or a life-altering medical diagnosis, therapy can help address these concerns and other effects they can have on a person’s life. When workplace issues lead to stress, for example, a therapist may help a person explore ways to deal with those issues. If an individual is stressed because of a family or relationship issue, couples or family therapy may help them resolve the issue. This can reduce stress for everyone involved.

Types of Therapy to Relieve Stress

Therapists and counselors use many types of treatment to help people cope with stress in healthy ways. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often an effective form of therapy for stress. CBT can help change negative thought patterns that develop because of stress. It is often used to help people find new ways of thinking about events that cause stress. These new ways of thinking can help reduce the impact of the stressor.

Other types of therapy that can help with stress are often mindfulness-based. This means they promote mindfulness as a method for reducing stress. Many types of therapy incorporate mindfulness. A few of these include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). 

Stress can also come from other mental health conditions like anxiety, PTSD, or addictions. These conditions are also treatable with therapy. A therapist can help you understand your overall mental health. Based on what they find, they can recommend the best treatment plan for your situation. 

Treatment Options for Stress Therapy

Psychotherapy: This type of therapy takes place with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or another type of mental health professional. In psychotherapy, people are encouraged to discover the underlying causes of their stress so that they can learn strategies for improving their quality of life.

Behavior Therapy: There are several types of behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most beneficial ways to deal with stress. In CBT, people are taught to recognize and change negative thought patterns and apply different tools to help them improve their negative-self talk to be more positive. For relieving stress, this means people can learn to be less hard on themselves and to recognize that it’s ok to reduce some of their burdens without seeing themselves as a failure.

Alternative Therapies: In addition to traditional methods of stress therapy, there are many activities that an individual can do to alleviate their stress. Activities like exercise, yoga, acupuncture, massage, meditation, and social support are all useful tools to try if a person is faced with intense feelings of stress or pressure.

Common and Popular Stress Management Tools

Meditation

Meditation consists of attempting to focus attention on one thing a word, an image, simply counting slowly, or focusing solely on the flow of breath in and out of the body to the exclusion of all other thoughts. By focusing on only one thing, it’s much more difficult to worry, be afraid, hateful, or angry. This type of focus is also helpful in choosing what thoughts to focus on, as well as insight into persistent patterns of thinking.

Yoga

Yoga can be done from a chair and not only involves the same level of concentration and focus as meditation, but also improves flexibility a plus for people with SCI.

Visualization and guided imagery

This uses the power of the mind to achieve overall physical relaxation, often by visualizing very detailed peaceful and relaxing scenes. Several studies have documented increased athletic performance with the regular use of visualization. Actors regularly visualize themselves performing before they ever take the stage. More importantly, visualization has been practiced, studied and used with success in people with cancer, chronic pain, and those with headaches, muscle spasms and general or specific anxieties.

Progressive relaxation

This is the process of methodically tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups throughout the body, beginning with the head and working down, or with the feet and working up. The tensing phase normally lasts five to ten seconds, followed by 20 to 30 seconds of conscious and focused relaxation of the same muscle group.

Controlled breathing

Controlled breathing focuses on the process of breathing the full inhalation, the expansion of the belly and the lungs, exhalation, the contraction of the midsection, and all the various physical sensations and sounds that accompany breathing that we normally ignore. Improper or shallow breathing can lead to higher levels of anxiety, depression, muscle tension, fatigue, and headaches. Deep, controlled breathing increases the amount of oxygen taken into the lungs, as well as the amount of carbon dioxide expelled from them, helping the body and mind to work more efficiently and effectively.

Various controlled breathing methods are often used for one to five minutes, three to five times a day, or as needed to relieve symptoms or stress. Spinal cord injury may affect full and complete breathing capacity, either directly or as a result of poor posture. Practicing deep, controlled breathing may require reclining or lying down for some, but the benefits of managing stress, calming the body and the mind, and increasing oxygen flow are well worth the effort.

Benefits

There are numerous benefits to be had from reducing and managing stress, beginning with an increase in concentration, a decrease in anxiety, and a reduction in pain. Effectively managing stress often leads to improved health. Stress management programs are drug-free. Most importantly, stress management programs put you in charge and give you a sense of control, which leads to enhanced self-esteem, less likelihood of depression, and an overall improvement in quality of life. The primary cost consideration is an investment of your time.

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