Maintaining positive employee relations (ER) goes beyond just offering competitive pay and a pleasant working environment. Companies need to foster a supportive culture where employees feel valued and heard, particularly when confronting career-related challenges. Whether it’s dealing with long-term sickness, grievances, or family-related leave, employees expect consistent policies and equitable resolutions.
However, as organisations expand, typically around the 1000 employee threshold, managing each HR case efficiently, fairly and effectively through email, folders, and spreadsheets becomes increasingly challenging. That’s where a robust Employee Relations (ER) case management system proves invaluable.
In this blog, we’ll explore the essential features that an effective ER case management system, such as Assure HRCase, should have to ensure efficiency, compliance, and a positive employee experience.
Why you need an ER Case Management system
Before we dive into the features, let’s quickly understand why an ER case management system is indispensable:
- Scalability: Managing increasing volumes of cases without losing track.
- Compliance: Adhering to regulations and maintaining consistent policies.
- Efficiency: Reducing the time and effort spent on managing cases manually.
- Transparency: Ensuring all cases are visible and properly documented.
Now, let’s break down the key features you should look for in an ER case management system.
Here are the 14 key features you should look out for in an effective ER Case Management system
1. User-Friendly Dashboards and Reporting
A good system should offer easy-to-use dashboards and ‘click of a button’ reports, eliminating hours spent collating data from various sources. This ensures that all relevant information is available at a glance, enabling quick and informed decisions.
2. Consistent Data Collection
Data consistency is crucial for generating reliable and up-to-date Management Information (MI). A system that standardises data collection processes ensures that all case-related information is uniformly gathered, making it easier to analyse and report on.
3. Built-In Compliance Rules
An effective ER case management system ‘hard wires’ essential rules and procedures, such as timescales or specific protocols that must be followed. However, it should also allow professional leeway to maintain a personal touch in handling cases.
4. Alerts and Reminders
The system should include alerts and reminders to prompt caseworkers when deadlines are approaching, or actions need to be taken. This feature helps compliance with timelines and ensures no critical steps are missed.
5. Flexibility and User Permissions
Flexibility is key for caseworkers who may need to move back a stage, re-open a case or escalate an issue. A robust system should offer case-level user permissions, controlling who can perform specific actions to maintain security and accountability.
6. Security Features
Security is paramount when dealing with sensitive employee information. Essential features include encryption, robust user authentication and SSO, including multi-factor authentication, enabling your company to comply with Cyber Essentials Certification.
7. ISO27001 Accreditation
Ensure the system and its hosting environment meet ISO27001 accreditation standards, guaranteeing that the system adheres to international information security management best practices.
8. Template Letters and Emails
Having template letters and emails, along with reference documents, streamlines communication and ensures a consistent and professional response across all cases.
9. Task Management
An effective system should include task management features, such as time-controlled, highly visible action lists, enabling caseworkers to track and manage their responsibilities efficiently.
10. Case Sharing and Escalation
The ability to share, reassign, or escalate cases as needed ensures that cases are handled by the appropriate personnel and that no case falls through the cracks.
11. Complete Case Summary and Audit Trail
A complete case summary and audit trail are essential for maintaining visibility and accountability. This feature ensures that every action taken on a case is recorded and can be reviewed later if needed.
12. Integration Capabilities
Most organisations need to connect their ER case management system to other systems like payroll or a wider HR system. Having the ability to integrate case notes and correspondence sent by email to the relevant case with the Microsoft Certificate HRCase Outlook Add-in making it easier to keep track of email relating to each case. Therefore, having APIs for easy integration is crucial.
13. Secure Information Exchange
The system should facilitate easy-but-secure information exchange, including the ability to receive and send emails directly within the system, ensuring that all communications are documented and traceable.
14. System Access
Finally, the system must be easy to use, robust, reliable, and accessible from any location and device. This ensures that caseworkers can manage their tasks efficiently, regardless of where they are.
Conclusion
A comprehensive ER case management system, such as HRCase, is a vital tool for any growing organisation. By incorporating the features outlined above, such a system can enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and foster a supportive work environment.
Ready to take your ER management to the next level?
Book a demo of HRCase today, and our experienced team will take you through the solution in more detail.
