Principle of employee/ Labour Welfare
Generally speaking, the following guidelines should be adhered to while establishing an employee wellness programme:
The programme ought to meet the workers’ actual needs:
This implies that the management has to ascertain what the actual demands of the staff are beforehand. The choice to provide a certain employee service should be made with great care and thorough investigation. More proof is needed than just the manager’s blatant partiality.
The programme need to be designed in a way that makes group management the most effective:
For instance, buying life insurance as a group might result in a much cheaper cost than buying insurance individually. However, it is believed that there are significant variances in the benefits that workers choose, based on factors such as sex, age, marital status, number of children, kind of employment, and income level.
Therefore, it is advised that a package total value of benefits be established and that each employee be free to choose the combination of benefits that best suits their needs. We refer to this as the “cafeteria method.” Such a strategy, although potentially challenging to implement and manage, individualises the benefits system.
The employer ought not to adopt a charitable stance:
Some companies encourage employee reliance, which is not beneficial. The employee’s quest for freedom and dignity has caused the paternalistic and kind approach to lose credibility.
The program’s cost should be determinable and its funding should be secured on reliable premises.
Many employee benefits, including insurance, provident funds, pensions, and so on, are expensive to manage. It is difficult to classify the expense of these perks as a fringe. Therefore, it is imperative that appropriate finance arrangements and reliable actuarial cost estimates be produced prior to agreeing to any such service over the collective bargaining table.
The management must guarantee the collaboration and active involvement of labour unions and employees in the creation and execution of the programme.
The programme should be periodically assessed or evaluated, and any required improvements should be made as soon as possible based on input.
The field of labour welfare has become a recognised profession.
It follows particular principles to guide its unique goals and objectives, much like any other applied profession.
(a) Integration or coordination principle: Programs for welfare cannot be divided. They cannot be addressed piecemeal. The whole programme is there. For instance, all facets of health and hygiene, including moral, social, and physical cleanliness, should be included under health and wellbeing.
(b) Principle of Association: Employees should be involved in the program’s creation and implementation for any welfare initiative aimed at fostering a sense of community among workers. Employees should collaborate to carry out tasks.
(c) Principle of Responsibility: Employees need to be included in and held accountable for initiatives that promote their well-being. Employees take part in sports committees, cafeteria committees, safety committees, etc.
(d) Accountability Principle: All activities, individuals, and programmes should be held accountable. Social audits and evaluations are conducted on welfare programmes. A programme that is successful is maintained. Programs that are weaker are strengthened.
(e) Timeliness Principle: Help that is provided promptly is helpful. Nine saves with a stick in time. There should be a suitable amount of time when a worker needs financial support to trade in a sick kid or to construct a home, but beyond that point, he is unable to wait. Starting appropriate action for welfare may accomplish the goal. When help is delayed in some emergency situations, human worth and justice are denied..