HR / Payroll Services
Employee Relations
Employee Relations Overview

Overview

IANR is committed to maintaining healthy employer-employee relationships and ensuring all employees have the tools and opportunities to succeed. In conjunction with UNL HR, IANR HR will take a proactive approach to addressing workplace conflict by engaging all parties in successful resolutions. All employee relations issues will be addressed in a consistent manner according to UNL and IANR guidelines, policies and procedures.

What's Happening Now

Our HR team is available to provide confidential, proactive and impartial consultation to managers to help facilitate positive working relationships with employees. HR can also help develop the communication strategies and best methods in working through difficult conversations and conflict resolution.

Employee Relations Resources

Are you a supervisor? Effective communication skills can improve team dynamics and performance. Be sure to attend the two supervisor training workshops currently offered by UNL HR – 1) Performance Management and 2) Communication Tools for Difficult Conversations. Visit training.unl.edu to register.

IANR Human Resources Policies

These policies apply to office/service and managerial/professional employees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Some policies may also apply to faculty and academic/administrative employees where indicated.

https://hr.unl.edu/policies/

IANR HR will add value by:

  • Providing confidential, pro-active, impartial consultation to managers to facilitate a positive working relationship with employees.
    • Proactive = Addressing issues before they become problems. Facilitating conversations.
    • Impartial = Utilize a mediation approach rather than “taking sides”; provide a safe environment to listen to parties; facilitate the process rather than leading the process, so the parties resolve the situation themselves.
  • Promoting a collaborative relationship with UNL-HR and giving them a heads up in situations that could have a larger impact.
  • Advising and supporting managers in developing management/leadership skills, communication strategies and best methods in working with employees (i.e. difficult conversations, conflict resolution).
  • Providing performance management and development guidance to managers for coaching and career development (i.e. coaching employees on technical skills, how to have performance evaluation conversations, how to provide development opportunities to employees).
  • Creating templates (in consultation with UNL HR) to provide to HR Generalists and managers (i.e. letter to send FML paperwork, temporary employee RIFs).
  • Developing IANR processes to support ER services (in consultation with UNL HR).
  • Ensuring issues are addressed in a consistent manner according to guidelines, policies and procedures.
  • Educating managers and staff on guidelines, policies and procedures.
  • Interpreting guidelines and policies (consulting with UNL HR as appropriate).
  • Identifying issues with repeating themes and develop training as appropriate.
  • Referring issues to UNL-HR, UNL-OD, EAD, EAP, etc. as appropriate.

IANR HR will refer situations directly to UNL-HR when:

  • A known or perceived EAD or ADA related concern is mentioned (issue will be directed to UNL HR and/or EAD).
  • A decision is made to move forward with a written warning (IANR HR will consult with UNL HR to determine the appropriate way to address the situation).
  • A decision is made to formally address a performance issue (probation, termination).

UNL’s Family and Medical Leave Act

View the Policy & Forms

Medical Maternity and Adoption Leave Procedures for IANR Faculty

View Procedure

What is Wellness?

Wellness is an interactive process of becoming aware of and practicing healthy choices to create a more successful and balanced lifestyle. Aware means that you are by nature continuously seeking more information about how you can improve. Choices mean that you have considered a variety of options and selected those that seem to be in your best interest. Success is determined by you to be your personal collection of accomplishments for your life.

What is the UNL Wellness Initiative?

UNL Wellness Initiative

UNL has established a campus wellness initiative which is coordinated by the Chancellor's Committee on Wellness. To support wellness as a UNL priority, all departments/units are encouraged to designate and support a wellness ambassador to create and/or organize wellness initiatives within their area. UNL is focusing on seven elements of wellness: physical, social, emotional, occupational, spiritual, environmental, and intellectual wellness.

IANR has several wellness ambassadors. We feel strongly that our employees strive for wellness and balance in their lives. As we roll out Talent Management, IANR wants to continue creating a workplace environment that supports wellness.

For more information on the wellness initiative and events please visit http://wellness.unl.edu.

Book Recommendations

For employee relations questions/issues, please contact Nancy Re, Senior Human Resources Specialist at nre2@unl.edu