Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371

CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D

North Sydney Campus: 116 Pacifc Highway North Sydney NSW 2060 P 02 9955 0488 F 02 9955 3888

BSBLDR 502 Lead and manage efective workplace realtionships

FINAL ASSESSMENT- PROJECT WORK

Part B – Project work

Task overview and context:

You receive an email from Sarah Voss, Customer Service Manager.

Subject: Customer service assistant complaint

Hello,

Gina Harris, Human Resource Manager, has advised me that one of our customer service
assistants has made a complaint to the human resources department. Trevor claims to be
experiencing age discrimination from his work colleagues. Trevor says that for two years he has
been subjected to offensive comments regarding to his age. He claims, that he was called ‘old’
and ‘expired’ and was subjected to a betting game about his possible age of retirement. Trevor
also claims that that the persistent comments have caused him much distress and isolation within
his team.

As Trevor is one of your team members that directly reporting to you. I need you to follow-up
and produce a response that clearly identifies the key issue; recommends ways to resolve any
conflict; and promotes the organization’s cultural diversity and ethical environment within your
team. Trevor’s employee profile is provided below.

Regards,

Sarah Voss

Customer Service Manager

Employee profle: Trevor

Trevor is employed as a customer service assistant at BizOps. He is 66 years old and is unsure as
to what age he will retire. He has worked at BizOps for more than 10 years and participates in
mandatory workplace training every 12 months.

Trevor’s role is to receive and respond to incoming telephone call and emails from BizOps
customers.

Read the ‘instructions to the candidate’ section that follows.

This explains everything the company needs you to do.

Instruction to the candidate:

Access and read the following BizOps policies and procedures:

BSBLDR502 - Assessment Task 2 Project v2.0

 Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371 CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D

North Sydney Campus: 116 Pacifc Highway North Sydney NSW 2060 P 02 9955 0488 F 02 9955 3888
· Equal opportunities policy

BSBLDR502 - Assessment Task 2 Project v2.0

· Conflict resolution procedures

See the ‘resources required’ section for how to access these documents.

Respond to each of the following tasks. Task 1 to 4 should be submitted in a single word-
processed document.

1. Summaries in dot-points the key issues relating to the situation and describe how
they relate/impact on Trevor’s work responsibilities.

Trevor claims to be experiencing age discrimination from his work colleagues.

Trevor says that for two years he has been subjected to offensive comments regarding to
his age. He claims, that he was called ‘old’ and ‘expired’ and was subjected to a betting
game about his possible age of retirement. Trevor also claims that that the persistent
comments have caused him much distress and isolation within his team.

2. Plan and list the steps you will take to manage Trevor’s complaints promptly and
describe how these comply with the BizOps policies and procedures.

Used Equal opportunity policy in the Department is not only about compliance
with legal procedure, but also good management practice. The CORE Values of the
Department uphold the principles of respect and diversity providing fairness and equal
opportunity. This helps the Department to be an attractive organisation and safe
workplace for all. Managers and principals are required to ensure that equal opportunity
and anti harassment policy, legislation and supporting diversity principles and practices
are integrated into appropriate workplace plans and activities.

Step to manage
Understand the issue
First, consider all aspects of how you employ people to ensure freedom from
potential direct or indirect age discrimination. Examine your recruitment policy, your
employment terms and conditions, promotions and transfers, training, redundancy and
dismissals. Also, review policies and procedures to identify areas of age bias, such as sick
leave, annual leave and flexible working. Now, carefully assess your staff across the
board, from directors to managers to the shop floor, for any indications of age-related
harassment, bullying or victimisation.

Have a policy
The policy should include definitions of age discrimination, with examples, as well
as reporting procedures and grievance procedures. For example, if a manager sees
unacceptable behaviour, they must take an immediate defined (by you) course of action
to deal with it. In the first instance, this may involve taking the person who has been
discriminated against aside and assessing the situation from their perspective.
 If they do not want to take formal action at this time, this may involve an informal
warning to the perpetrator, pointing out the effect of their behaviour and requesting
they desist. If this fails, or if the person being harassed prefers, it will be necessary to take
formal action within your organisation’s normal disciplinary procedures. Above all, make
sure your policy expresses your commitment to a supportive work environment for
employees of all ages. Organisations such as ACAS have 30 years experience in helping
committed employers create effective policies and strategies to make part of these
important strategies.

Make sure your leaders are on-board

Ensure your directors and managers are not only familiar with the law and your
company's new policy, but that they are also as committed as you to upholding it.
Make your organisation’s position clear
Prominently communicate your age discrimination policy by announcing it at an all-staff
meeting, as well as posting it in detail on bulletin boards or the intranet. Incorporate it in
your employee handbook.

Train to prevent it
If you have no in-house expertise on the subject, hire a specialist to carry out
training to raise employee awareness. Require participation for all employees. The
training should aim for real changes in understanding and behaviour and cover such
areas as, not only what ‘discrimination’ and ‘harassment’ mean but also why they are
hurtful, unlawful and totally unacceptable. Ensure staff are in no doubt about what to do
if they either witness it or are subjected to it. Emphasise and encourage individual
responsibility.

Rethink promotion and training

Opportunities for promotion, job-related training or other development opportunities
should be available to all employees regardless of age. (Except if you have objectively and
legally justified reasons for age criteria). Ensure your style and location of training is
suitable for people of all ages and that everyone eligible is encourages to participate.

Encourage mentoring
Companies which embrace mentoring are generally warm and inclusive places to
work. Pair workers of different ages. Workers of any age can pass on their experience -
upwards and downwards - and help others develop through their unique knowledge and
skills.

3. Describe how you would ensure that consultation processes would provide
opportunities for Trevor (and any other relevant BizOps staff) to contribute to the
issues and appropriate manner.
• consistently and actively encourage their staff to participate in
 workplace diversity education activities;
• ensure that all performance agreements include tangible elements of
adherence to workplace diversity principles; and
• promptly deal with any complaints or observations of harassment or
bullying in the workplace;
• uphold merit principles when recruiting and selecting employees; and
• be supportive and assist staff to access flexible working arrangements
or conditions.

4. Describe how you will provide feedback to Trevor and other staff on the outcomes of
the consultation process.

Observations of different treatment between yourself and other employees with

the same level of qualification for the job who differ in protected class status

5. Develop an issue management process to ensure that have been raised would be
resolved promptly and/or referred to relevant personal. Compile the information into
a word-processed document using the following as a guide:
· Indications – early warning signs of the issue
· Facts – identify the problem by gathering the facts, determining who is
involved, talking to relevant people and establishing causes
· Analysis – evaluate the extent of the issue, determine the potential
implications, consider the interest of all those of affected and ensure
adherence to the BizOps anti-discrimination equal opportunity policy, conflict
resolution procedures and legislative requirements
· Options for resolution – define and evaluate options for resolution in
consultation with relevant personnel and determine the best course of action
· Action plan – develop a plan of action, implementing the solution within
BizOps’s organizational processes, and follow-up to ensure implementation
· Monitor outcomes – describe the process to monitor outcomes of the action
plan, including ongoing support, counseling or guidance to assist co-workers
in resolving their work difficulties

Ans

6. Prepare a report that describes how you display professional leadership behavior
through your own conduct. Include:
· Ways you could or do gain and maintain the trust and confidence of
colleagues and external contacts
· Methods you use or could use to adjust your own interpersonal
communication style to meet the BizOps organization’s cultural diversity and
ethical environment
 · Techniques you use or could use to guide and support team members in their
own personal adjustment process.

All great leaders know getting there is the challenge, of course. Here are 5
behaviors for leaders and hiring managers to adopt when struggling to keep
employees happy and loyal:

1) Tell the truth. Not everyone is a star. Pick out those with leadership or other
valued talent potential and nurture them. This will come back to the business as
these individuals, in turn, nurture other workers.

2) Communicate roles and responsibilities. Provide a path to success not only for
those with leadership promise but for all employees. Sometimes this will mean
difficult changes, but remember the most important skill of a leader: never
surprise an employee with bad news. Have a development plan for all, and a get-
well plan for those whose performance lags. Make sure everyone knows the plan.

3) Create a workplace culture that values real people relationships. For many
employees, workgroup relationships and relationships between managers and
workers drive engagement and loyalty more effectively than foosball machines,
logo T-shirts, and Thirsty Thursday gatherings.

4) Be fair and open. This does not mean treat everyone equally – it means have
transparent processes for managing and leading. Employees are more likely to
respond positively to change when the process used to manage change is fair.

5) Model the behaviors you seek. Just as the headmaster at the high school did,
accept your responsibility as a leader and act with engagement, commitment
and responsibility. Do this every day.

Each of us possesses skills, strengths, talents and flaws. Each of us seeks to

belong, to be engaged, to relate to those around us. Loyalty is built on
relationships, shared understanding and trust. Engagement and commitment
require loyalty, shared goals and fair treatment. Don’t take loyalty and
engagement for granted – create a remarkable culture where there are possible
and rewarding outcomes of the workplace.

Step 1
Research the various styles of leadership, but keep in mind that effective leadership often
requires you to switch between styles according to the type of work being performed and the
employees you are leading. For example, behavioral theories include autocratic leaders who make
decisions without considering team input, democratic leaders who obtain team input before
making decisions, and laissez-faire leaders who take a laid-back approach by allowing the team to
make many decisions. Contingency theories examine how the situation at hand affects leadership.
Trait theories argue that leaders share certain common personality traits. Power and influence
theories examine the various ways leaders use power and influence to get the job done.
 Transformational leadership is one of the most frequently used styles because it includes the
behaviors you must display to become a true and trusted leader.

Step 2
Display positive leadership traits for employees to follow. For example, clearly
communicate your vision so they understand and believe in it, have integrity, recognize hard
work, reward deserving employees, and display courage and perseverance regardless of
obstacles. Further, look beyond self-interests and focus on what’s best for the team, take personal
responsibility for problems, encourage employees to take initiative, set goals and stay
communicative by conducting regular meetings, display infectious passion and zeal, and always
expect the best from the team.

Step 3
Avoid negative leadership traits to prevent setting the wrong example. For example,
refrain from focusing on details instead of the big picture; becoming irrational, temperamental or
emotional; vaguely communicating your vision; fearfulness of addressing conflict; and focusing on
hurdles rather than how to overcome them. Further, avoid unreliability, such as canceling and
rescheduling meetings at the last minute; failing to respect employees and dismissing their
accomplishments; and dictatorial behavior, such as discounting or ignoring valuable input from
the team.

Step 4
Strive for relationships that are built on mutual trust and understanding, but maintain a
professional distance between you and your employees. If you are too friendly, employees may
lose respect for you because they no longer view you as their superior. If you are too detached,
they may view you as cold and unapproachable. Balance is the key.

The final documents you submit for this assessment will be assessed using the project criteria
provided.
All project criteria outlined must be covered satisfactorily for part B to be completed
satisfactorily.

You must complete the project unassisted by the assessor or other personnel, but may refer to
reference material as needed.

Resources required:

The following materials are required for this project to be completed:

· equal-opportunities-policy.pdf
· conflict-resolution-procedures.pdf

Reasonable adjustment:

If you are unable to undertake the project assessment as designed, a further scenario/project
may be used as an alternative approach if negotiated with your assessor.

Part C – project work

Task overview and context:

In this project you will illustrate how you have led and managed effective workplace
relationships. Respond to these tasks in the context of your workplace.

You are required to demonstrate yours skills and knowledge to manage ideas and information,
establish systems to develop trust and confidence, and manage difficulties to achieve positive
outcomes.

Imagine that as a team leader in your organization you receive an email from your manager or
human resource department notifying you that one of your team members has made a complaint
claiming he is experiencing age discrimination from other team members. It is your responsibility
to manage this issue within your team.

Access and read your organization’s policies and procedures relating to anti-discrimination, equal
opportunity and conflict resolution.

The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects persons age 40 and over
against prohibited discrimination in the workplace. This includes discrimination in recruiting and
hiring practices, pay, benefits, training, promotions, discipline and mandatory retirement. As the
department that is responsible for enforcement of company policies and maintaining lawful
employee relations, human resources will handle and prevent age discrimination in an organization.

Step 1
Develop a clear HR policy—guidelines that reflect company philosophy and specify
actions for enforcement—on age discrimination. The policy should be consistent, applicable,
understandable and reasonable. The company should take a strong stand against any type of age
 discrimination, and the policies should support this view. It may be wise to have any policies
reviewed by a person with legal knowledge to ensure the policy makes legal and ethical sense.

Step 2
Distribute and communicate the age discrimination policy. Some companies may use
employee handbooks that provide employees with information about company policies and
procedures to implement the policies. Employees need ready access to important information
about how to conduct business and themselves. Supervisors and managers should use the
handbook to enforce the policies. Age discrimination policies address the treatment of
individuals on the basis of their ability to do their jobs rather than assumptions about their age.

Step 3
Establish a progressive discipline program as part of the policy process. This will be a sequence
of steps that progress from verbal warnings to a final written warning. Employees need to know
what the ramifications are when a policy is violated. Supervisors and managers need to receive
training on recognizing age discrimination. Human resources is responsible for delivering training
and providing consulting for any situation involving age discrimination. The department should
also educate all employees about age discrimination.

Step 4
Recognize a possible case of age discrimination. Some examples are supervisors assigning
more strenuous jobs to younger workers. Another example is to make references to old age and
retirement to employees, or to treat older job applicants differently from younger applicants.
Eliminate any age discrimination statements or actions in job advertising, recruiting, interviewing
and selection of new employees. Have consistent screening processes for all applicants. Treat
internal employees fairly and consistently in promotions, training, compensation and benefits.
 Marking Checklist

Satisfactor
y
Did the student: Yes No Comments

Implemented strategies to communicate information about work

responsibilities

Implemented consultation processes to allow employee input into

their work role

Facilitate feedback to employees

Ensured that issued raised are resolved or referred on

Ensured adherence to organisational cultural diversity and ethical

values, and relevant legislation

Acted professionally to maintain the trust and confidence of others

Adjusted own interpersonal communication styles to meet the

organisation’s cultural diversity and ethical environment

Guided and supported the team in their personal adjustment

process

Implemented strategies for resolving difficulties in workplace

relationships

Manage conflict constructively

Guided, counselled and supported co-workers

Implemented an action plan to address identified difficulties