Mertz HR Consulting Services

09/05/2025

Customer Overshadowing

In a world where a consumer or customer is a critical part of a company's existence, in small businesses or organizations, the customer is often on the receiving end of bad service or a company declining claims. A few examples:
• The product was not exchanged due to malfunctioning or poor quality, although it was within the guarantee period for absurd reasons. Negligence or intended damage, without substantive proof, serve as reasons for not exchanging or repairing the product;

• Poor service, time involved in resolving complaints or requests for service from private institutions to government. Even when using the escalation procedure, it feels like you are "talking" to yourself or sending an email to a dark world.

• Entitlement in different types of insurance claims, such as life, temporary & permanent disability, theft, and accidents, to mention a few, declined.

In defense of companies declining any form of complaint, the reality is that they need to assess or judge whether it is a legitimate claim and determine whether it is fraudulent or customer intent damage/negligence to a product. People can stage a situation that creates the impression of damage or theft, and the life claims for death, and there are so many cases where people are killed in strange or horrific ways for a beneficiary to get access to the benefit.

However, this article focuses on claims with a valid and legitimate reason for a claim consideration and is within their warranty/guarantee or the terms contained in the policy contract.
Insurance Industry

Many clients find themselves with the claims declined without substantiation. It creates the impression that the starting point from an organization is to decline a claim where there is a grey area that can be an argument of interpretation and then await a client's response or challenge such a decision. Also, companies allow for discretion in approving a claim, which is purely browbeat, a form of bullying. The discretion creates a blank cheque to find a loophole not to approve a legitimate claim, and some discretions are purely based on opinions. It leaves the consumer with no other alternative than taking it on review to the Ombudsman or even the courts.

My advice: Be awake before entering into any policy contract. Please read all the fine print, and where you have questions, ensure to place them in writing to receive a written response for clarity. Be cautious not to be intimidated.

08/05/2025

Expat remuneration continues......

08/05/2025

Expat REM.......

08/05/2025

Expat Remuneration Continues

22/04/2025

In the following weeks, I will publish an Article about Expat life in Africa.

28/02/2025

Employee Bullying Employer…...continues

To follow up on my publication, I hope the message reaches a broad audience, including the various media platforms reporting sensationally on "employers bullying their employees". Investigative journalism or research on "employees bullying their employer" will yield a fascinating perspective. I hope this provokes some interest for someone (student or HR professional) to conduct a research paper or publish an in-depth article.

However, it leaves the question of what preventative measures an employer can introduce to minimize the risk of an employee initiating various bullying tactics towards their employer:

1. Reference checks, from criminal, social media visibility/activity and pending on their role, their financial situation;

2. Strict Code of Conduct to enforce an ethical culture within the company;

3. Address corrective measures immediately – a delay in this regard allows the accumulation of other issues, only complicating managing it;

4. Consistency – treat all employees the same, irrespective of job level, gender, generation or race;

5. Continuous review of Company policies to ensure they remain updated with the latest trends or people practices;

6. Ensure employment contracts represent the interests of both parties and add annexures to the company's rules; &

7. The Labour Relations Act allows employers to separate from employees whose actions are counterproductive and impact the organisation's reputation through their actions.

If you would like any advice, please don't hesitate to contact me.

27/02/2025

Employees bullying or victimizing employers!!!

Mostly, we read about the victimization or bullying of employees by their employers. These matters result in disciplinary action, grievances or creating a working environment that forces the employee to resign or sometimes a separation with compensation.

But when the situation is different, an "employee victimizes an "employer". Victimization refers to when an employer is being unfairly targeted or treated negatively by an employee, often as a result of the employer taking disciplinary action against the employee, reporting misconduct, or enforcing company policies, which could include actions like making false accusations, spreading rumours, sabotaging work, or excessive complaints with the intent to damage the employer's reputation or position within the company.

It leaves a question of how much protection an employer has besides the legal process. I have recently observed that various media, including social media, find sensation in such publications without investigative journalism to establish the facts and then selectively report on such cases. What are the consequences for the media (including the press) of such reporting before the "victimization" process is not finalized?

Strangely, I find it rare that the media report on such cases, or the social media and media ensure accuracy in their reporting and find it sensational….What if you are on the receiving end?

18/07/2022

Part-Time Lecturing

As an HR Professional with more than 30 years of experience, local & international, I am available for part-time lecturing opportunities relating to Human Resources courses or subjects. I will facilitate workshops or Strategic/Operational planning sessions where there is a need.

Please get in touch with me.

14/07/2022

Foundation of a Retention Strategy, outlined in Diagram, is underpinned of various components that will ensure an organization has a variety of information to provide an informed position of the success or shortcomings of their strategy. The retention strategy starts with first impressions are a link to retention where 90% of employees make their decision to stay within the first 6 months.

04/07/2022

Unique to our services, is the Art of Personal Development Planning course/workshop on offer for employees and people manager.

Apart from our broad HR service offerings from a business employing less than 10 to Medium/Larger companies, we also offer People Management Coaching and Mentoring………..a practical focus dealing with the people realities on the “ground floor”.

Employee Relations Expat Remuneration HR Management Consulting Organisational Design Performance Management

01/07/2022

https://mertzhrconsulting.co.za/
Apart from our broad HR service offerings from a business employing less than 10 to Corporate level, we also offer People Management Coaching and Mentoring………..a practical focus dealing with the people realities on the “ground floor”.

Employee Relations Expat Remuneration HR Management Consulting Organisational Design Performance Management

30/06/2022

Retention bonuses will not improve employee performance

§ Their productivity will not improve because the money is “for staying” – retention bonuses are essentially “pay for staying, but doing nothing.”

§ The retained employee will probably still be poorly managed, so their performance will not improve – if one of the reasons that the employee wanted to leave was a lousy manager or the poor way that they were managed not improve after the bonus will not deliver the optimal results.

Contact us for any assistance regarding retention of employees.