Managing the conflict between the Police officers of the City

Workforce Planning, Recruitment and Selection

Conflict caused by Cuts in Overtime pay; a report for managing it Management of conflict between the City’s Police officers

Any discord between existing between the management and employees is known as Workplace conflict. This conflict arises by actual or perceived opposition of values, interest and needs between the employees and the management. A scenario of where there is a clear discord between the city’s management and its police is an instance of a workplace conflict. The inadequacy of the police officers who are available for employment is one of the factors that cause the conflict. Even though the city’s management insists on the need to hire new officers, those who are available do not meet the criteria set out by the police department.

The overtime pay which the police officers have been earning will also be reduced as the mayor insists of the hiring of new recruits after finding out that some officers make more salary than him in a year. The reduction of the overtime pay has caused a lot of conflict between the officers and the city management as the officers had adjusted their living standards due to the increased salary.

Finally, the realisation that some police officers earn more salaries annually than the city mayor has also caused conflict. It has led to the firing of the director of the human resource manager in the police department. The mayor feels embarrassed that some police officers would earn more than him.

Possible Short Term Outcomes if the Conflict is not resolved

The reduction in the overtime pay is likely to cause stress and anxiety among the police officers. Most of them have worked overtime schedules for a long term that they feel it has become an entitlement. They have also adjusted their living standards and even taken loans with the hope that the increased salaries will help guarantee for them.

The officers are also likely to develop feelings of defeat which may make them feel demeaned. The main reason why the mayor is asking for new officers is that he has learnt through the newspaper that some of the officers are earning more salaries than him annually. As such, this is likely to decrease their morale towards their job.

Possible Long-Term Outcomes if the Conflict is not resolved

The dispute between the city management and its police officers is likely to cause a decrease in their productivity. The officers may begin to focus more on the city management and even spend most of their time gossiping about the conflict. As such, the time they spend working to minimize crime in the city will decrease significantly.

The conflict is also likely to lead to employee turnover and even resigning. The police officers may feel that their jobs do not meet their needs anymore and as such resolve into overtime jobs elsewhere or take up different careers. The employee turnover may eventually lead to a decrease in the number of officers who work in the city.

Possible Actions for Resolving the Current Conflict

One of the possible cause of action that may be used to address the dispute is the use of clear communication style between the city management and the officers. They need to involve the police personnel in the decisions they make by helping them understand the need to increase the number of officers (Giang, 2013). The management will also understand the issues that the officers are facing and look for more ways to increase their remuneration.

The city management should also develop a plan to work which involves even the officers. For instance, the former director of the human resource department should not have been fired without consultation with the police officers. The plan should also ensure that the program gives the officers some time to prepare themselves financially and not cutting down on their salaries abruptly.

Finally, the two parties should identify points of agreement and disagreement. The police officers should explain to the management the areas they are willing to comprise on and the management also come up with the extent to which they can adjust their stand. If the two parties came up with such an agreement, it would reduce the impact of the conflict significantly.

A plan to create a Positive Work Culture in the City’s Police Department

Essential components for a Work Culture that Prevents Negative Conflict

Clear communication where both parties learn to understand each other is one of the building blocks that reduces negative conflict in an organization (Giang, 2013). The two sides will understand the priorities of each other and the extent to which they can compromise their stands. They will also develop strategies that should be used if a conflict arises and this reduces abrupt decisions such as the firing of the human resource director in the police department.

The managers should be trained to be mediators in the case that a conflict comes up. The directors in the police department and the city administration are the people who speak on behalf of their members. Therefore, as a component to reduce workplace conflict, they need to be trained and empowered on how to handle conflict effectively by ensuring that both parties are satisfied.

Specifications for Candidates who can be City Police Officers

1. One has the experience of working as a police officer not less than two years.

2. One has undergone training on workplace conflict management from relevant professional bodies.

Three Situational Interview Questions

1. Describe a recent situation where you dealt with upset employees.

2. Describe a time when you had to defend an unpopular decision made by the management.

3. Tell me about your most challenging team of directorate and how you were able to deal with them.

Evaluating Improvements in Employee Relations in the City Police Department

Employee engagement is one of the best methods to use when evaluating employee relations in the city police department. Employee engagement will be used to show the extent to which the police are committed to the goals of the city which include the elimination of crime by the kind of service they offer (Maylett & Warner, 2014). It will also show the commitment to the values of the police department and how much they are willing to contribute to the success of the police department in the city.

Workplace attendance is another method that can be used to assess the improvements in the city police department. The attendance schedule will show the number of hours each officer spends in their designated place of work and the kind of output that they register. Moreover, the rate of attendance will also show the number of officers who seek transfers to other cities. A high rate of attendance indicates that the employee relations has improved significantly.

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