Team Member Relations

Team Member Relations Specialist

The team member relations specialist is responsible for facilitiating and resolving all people matter related team member issues. They will also assist in creating and informing team members of policies that are fair and consistent for all Bramble team members. As part of the people group the team member relations specialist works with both the manager and team member in an intermediary function to understand and help resolve workplace issues. The team member relations specialist can also help coach and advise managers and team members on policies and processes.

Team member relation issues can range from simple coaching questions to serious code of conduct violations. We classify these different level of team member cases by tiers. Example of issues/cases by tier level:

Tier 1

Coaching support
Performance Management
Unprofessional behavior
Relocation concerns
Absenteeism

Tier 2

Job abandonment
Manager/team member conflict resolution
Team member/team member conflict resolution

Tier 3

Ethic Violations
Harrassment
Retaliation
Any Code of Conduct Violation

All Tier 3 cases will be managed together with Legal and the TMR specialist.

Discussing Private Concerns

Team members who would like to discuss a private matter should send an email requesting support from our Team Member Relations Specialist to teammemberrelations@brmbl.io. Please include the following in your email:

Subject Line should be “New Request for assistance”
Name of Team member requesting support (Name of the person sending the email)
Name of Team member(s) involved in the matter
Team members location (example Orlando, Florida or Berlin, Germany) for managers who are requesting support regarding a team member issue on their team please use the location of the team member and not your location.
Tier level as listed above
Job title of team member requesting support
Division
Department
Brief description of type support needed. Example - I am looking for guidance for managing a team members' performance.

The Team Member Relations Specialist will reach out within 24 hours from when the request was sent via email during the business week.

Team members and the team member relations specialist should both respond to questions or queries via slack or email within 24 hours to continue making progress on the issue and get to a timely resolution.

For urgent requests that need immediate attention please ask for urgent assistance by sending a message marked URGENT to teammemberrelations@brmbl.io and in the #people-group Slack channel. If you do not receive support in a timely manner, below is the escalation path:

An urgent request would be something that needs immediate attention like team members safety or a code of conduct violation.

Team Member Relations Philosophy

Bramble believes in preserving the dignity of each team member and expects everyone to treat others with fairness, respect, and transparency. We encourage mutual responsibility for constructive work relationships and communication, information sharing, problem solving and a safe neutral processs through which differences can be resolved. Direct and honest communication is strongly encouraged between all team members regardless of title or level and per our values we do not pull rank. Such communication is likely to enhance understanding, avoid misunderstandings and create rapid solutions to concerns.

We have built this philosophy to focus on these 4 pillars in line with our values:

Commitments

We are committed to providing a safe environment for all Bramble team members to achieve maximum career development and goal achievement.
We are committed to treating each team member as an individual and providing a workplace where communication is transparent and where problems can be discussed and resolved in a mutually respectful environment. To foster this environment we take into account individual team member circumstances and the individual team member while balancing the needs of the business.

Team Member Relations Function

To support our team members, Bramble has established a Team member relations group to assist team members and their leaders with resolving work related issues. The Team Member Relations Specialist (TMR) respects the privacy of all team members and treats discussions with the fullest degree of confidentiality possible. We have incorporated our Values and the Code of Conduct into our team member relations practices and philosophy. We believe that by communicating with each other directly and transparently, we can continue to resolve any difficulties that may arise and continue to make Bramble a great place to work.

For Team Members

The team member relations function provides all Bramble team members an avenue to express workplace concerns and to resolve conflicts in a safe and unbiased forum.

Team members can express themselves openly and freely without fear of retaliation.
Professional behavior and conduct is expected from all team members. As a reminder use judgement in your conversations with other team members. We encourage all team members to provide direct feedback to each other. The team member relations group is here to listen to team members concerns in an unbiased, open and professional manner.
Team members can discuss reasonable accommodations or any related questions.

For Managers

Team member relations provides guidance to managers in their efforts to improve team member performance or to correct unacceptable personal behaviors. Managers are responsible for setting priorities and motivating their team members. They are also responsible for ensuring the care of their team members as well as meeting Bramble’s goals. These two things can be done simultaneously. As managers it is considered one of your primary responsibilities to understand Bramble’s Code of Conduct, Values and People Group policies and processes. People managers are responsible for upholding compliance on the their teams and considering the best interest of the business. If a manager is made aware of a situation that potentially runs afoul of the Code of Conduct, Values and People Group processes or policy they should immediately reach out to the team member relations specialist. If uncertain about a specific policy or procedure, the manager should reach out to a leader, their aligned PBP or the Team member relation specialist for further clarification. When in doubt, it is always best to ask.

Team Member Performance Improvement Management Guiding Principles

A critical responsibility within the role of a Bramble leader is to spend the time required to truly understand the causes of the performance issue and how to address them properly. Bramble managers will determine if the performance concerns are skill-based or behavior (will)-based to determine next steps. Below are the definitions of both skill- and will-based performance concerns.

Skill-based performance management

Team member lacks the technical knowledge or capability to be successful in the role
Team member is unable to prioritize work effectively
Team member lacks the understanding on how to complete tasks
Team member exhibits difficulties working with team members and/or communicating effectively

Sometimes skill-based issues appear as a will-based or behavior concern. However, after delving into the cause for the behavior, the leader may find a skill-based gap causing the disruptive behavior. The team member may be embarrassed or concerned about their ineffectiveness or ability to perform their role and may react in a way that is inappropriate.

The following are a few recommendations for a manager to address skill-based performance issues:

Provide the team member with additional training
Provide the team member with a mentor or buddy
Provide the team member with clear directions and examples

If the team member is still not making progress after the manager has provided additional resources or coaching please review the underperformance page in the handbook for next steps.

Will-based performance management

Will-based issues are described as undesirable behavior that impedes the success of the Team Member, the Team, and/or Bramble as a whole. The leader may hear about the behaviors from others or experience the undesirable behavior directly. It is important that the manager address the concerns right away. While “will” issues can be disruptive, there are different levels of severity which must be considered when determining next steps. The tiers below are examples and are not exhaustive, and should be used for comparision purposes to determine the impact to Bramble.

Tier 2 - Misconduct resulting in limited material risk to Bramble

Violations of the company code of conduct (excluding harassment and discrimination)
Team member uses inappropriate language that others may find offensive
Team members behavior creates a negative or toxic team environment
Behavior continues even after coaching from manager

For Tier 2 level concerns, the Manager should reach out and discuss with the team member relations specialist immediately.

Tier 1 - Gross misconduct or a violation with serious implications to Bramble.

Violates a law/regulation (theft, fraud, drug use, etc.)
Poses a serious operational, reputational, or financial risk to Bramble
Poses significant health or safety risks
Harassment
Severe and/or pervasive language or conduct that could be perceived as discriminatory or creating a hostile work environment

Since situations differ, managers should immediately reach out to a team member relations specialist for guidance before taking any action. If unable to contact the team member relations specialist directly, please follow the escalation path listed in the handbook

Please review the underperformance page in the handbook for further information regarding managing team member performance.

Reasonable Accommodation Management

The Team Member Relations team will receive and manage all requests or discussions for reasonable accommodation, on a global scale. The Team Member Relations team will follow the stated accommodation process as listed in the People Operations Internal Handbook, Reasonable Accommodations section.