1. Shared problem solving

2. Integrating new technologies

3. Importing knowledge

4. Experimenting

HUMAN RESOURCE SHOULD UNDERTAKE STRATEGIC PLANNING

1. To meet future staffing needs

2. To cope with change

3. To attract high talent workforce

4. To remain competitive

5. To help satisfy equal employment opportunity

HUMAN RESOURCE PLANS ARE CONTINUOULY CHANGING BECAUSE

1. Required knowledge, skills, and abilities may change

2. Technology changes

3. Supply: Workforce availability shifts

4. Supply: Retention of workforce varies with strategies for recruitment, retention, transfer, retirement, and termination

5. Demand: Changes in the environment, workforce, or organization

PLANNING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. External Relations: Planning is an open process in government. External relations have strong input into the governmental planning process. Very political. Governmental planning efforts receive much more media coverage than do private sector.

2. Management Responsibility: Managers must deal with constituents (internal and external) demand in additional to planning and evaluation of their program. In government, making services available takes precedence over cost efficiency.

3. Budgeting: Budgets tied to political and not strategic issues. Governmental budgeting cycles require a greater lead time than private sector. There is a greater emphasis on contingency planning.

4. Human Relations: Governmental employees may have constitutional rights that private sector employees do not have. Governments often have a monopoly on services performed. Key individuals may be in a position to manipulate planning efforts.

NEED FOR PLANNING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Strategic planning is relatively new to local government but has proved to be highly effective.

2. The public demand for better services pressures government to focus on results.

3. Ethical, legal, and environmental issues pressure government to be more socially responsible.

4. Integration of information systems becomes more important as governments deal with fragmented and outdated systems.

LATENESS

Problems arise when employees are often late arriving for work or returning from lunch. Their work may not get done on a timely basis, or they may put extra burdens on co-workers. It is important for supervisors and employees to know organizational policies on lateness. Supervisors must alert employees with a lateness problem to the problems they create and any possible penalties.

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Most employees arrive at work on time, or even early. Some don’t even use their full lunch break. Others, however, have problems starting work on time. They have a variety of reasons, from tough commutes to personal responsibilities, from a poor sense of time to simply not feeling that their arrival time makes much difference.

Being late on occasion with a good reason is not a problem. But it is important that employees know they are responsible for working a full day and meeting their responsibilities to co-workers and the customer or public as the case may be.

Frequent lateness puts burdens on others, so let employees know policies and take action before lateness problems get out of hand. Be sure to communicate policies on lateness. Be consistent. Ask for and respond to any questions. Let it be know that the hours of work must apply to everyone.