Simplifying Union Complexity: 5 Essential Software Capabilities
Labor relations in unionized environments are never simple – between tracking grievances, managing job bids, staying ahead of compliance changes and navigating collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), even the most experienced HR and ER teams can find themselves overwhelmed.
Without the right tools, organizations risk falling behind – exposing themselves to legal vulnerabilities, strained employee relations and escalating operational costs.
That’s where labor relations software comes in – but not all platforms are created equal.
Whether you’re representing a large utility, public agency or private enterprise with complex labor dynamics, here are the top 5 features your labor relations solution should deliver – and how Sodales can help you get there.
AI Integration and Workflow Automation
Manual intake processes, paper trails and email chains just don’t cut it anymore. Today’s labor relations landscape requires agility – especially when case volume surges or deadlines loom.
Grievance backlogs, inconsistent outcomes and a lack of transparency are some of the most common pain points for unionized organizations. Labor relations teams are often stretched thin with logistical headaches and manual input tasks.
Sodales helps alleviate these problems by harnessing the power of SAP business AI capabilities to enhance workplace safety and labor compliance in a number of ways – such as streamlining case routing, suggesting similar historical precedents, enabling intelligent data retrieval and reducing manual processes for field entry. With our Premium Certified Endorsed App, organizations can proactively mitigate risks and foster accountability through step-by-step grievance, discipline and arbitration workflows.
Automation helps to eliminate guesswork, reduce bottlenecks and ensure that timelines defined by CBAs are met with precision and speed.
Real-time Compliance Management
Regulations evolve, directives change – and tracking it all manually can be a recipe for disaster for any organization.
Staying compliant across multiple CBAs, jurisdictions and employment types is no small feat. A missed timeline or improper documentation can invalidate a grievance process – or worse, land an organization in legal trouble – which means compliance tasks that are buried in inboxes or lost in disconnected spreadsheets leave far too many gaps in visibility.
Sodales supports real-time compliance monitoring across union environments – whether you’re aligning with shifting legislation, updating policies after bargaining or preparing for an audit – Sodales keeps you covered with up-to-date document libraries, role-based permissions and automated step progression.
With real-time compliance tools, you don’t just react – you stay a step ahead.
One Employee, One File Approach
Disputes don’t happen in isolation – if your team has to log into several different systems or complete painstaking manual processes to report, review or revise labor relations data – processes along the way tend to break down.
If you find yourself toggling back and forth between case management software, spreadsheets, SharePoint and a legacy ERP system – it’s hard to see patterns before they become problems.
Sodales’ “One Employee, One File” model centralizes labor relations data across all touchpoints – disciplinary history, grievances, accommodations, job bids and more. It’s a holistic view of the employee journey, enabling fair decisions and meaningful dialogue, backed by a single source of truth.
Configurable and Accessible Interface
A system’s functionality is often considered acceptable if it works – but that doesn’t mean it works for you. Dated UI, archaic login pages and locational restrictions don’t contribute to ease of access or employee satisfaction – and that’s a real issue for progressive businesses.
Legacy systems can be rigid, and rigid systems require workarounds – Sodales doesn’t.
Our platform is built with your organizations Business Functionality Requirements Document (BFRD) in mind, meaning it’s highly configurable without IT-heavy customization. On every level of an organization, from report to resolution – Sodales empowers teams to work efficiently and accurately.
The intuitive interface is also accessible across devices – offices, plant floors or on the go – ensuring every stakeholder can engage where and when they need to.
Data-Driven Insights for Proactive Problem Solving
Too often, organizations are stuck firefighting – responding to grievances without ever addressing root causes.
Most older systems lack advanced reporting capabilities – you’re exporting CSVs, manipulating them manually and hoping someone has time to run pivot tables. It’s not sustainable – and it’s definitely not strategic.
Sodales offers robust reporting and analytics that reveal patterns before they become problems. From tracking grievance themes to identifying departments with recurring arbitration outcomes, our platform turns raw data into real-word insights you can act on.
Reactive organization simply don’t have the tools to do more than respond to labor issues – so your LR software should enable you to move beyond mitigation to prevention.
Why Sodales?
Labor relations isn’t just about policies – it’s about people. When the stakes are high, having the right technology behind your processes is essential.
At Sodales, we’ve built a platform that not only understands the nuances of unionized workforces, but elevates the entire labor relations function through transparency, automation and insight.
We work with you to simplify the complex, bridge the gaps between employees, employers and unions – and integrate your workflows to reduce risk and improve oversight. There is no greater ROI than confidence, defensibility and convenience – all in one place.
Sodales – Saving Employees, Saving Employers.
About Sodales
Sodales is an all-in-one SaaS platform that offers a unified, integrated approach to managing health, safety, labor, and employee relations through a single, comprehensive record for each employee. More than just a safety compliance platform, Sodales empowers organizations to enforce policies that protect their most valuable asset – their people. By closing operational gaps with AI-driven insights and seamlessly integrating into downstream processes, Sodales helps highly regulated, labor-intensive industries reduce safety risks, boost productivity and build high-performing workplaces.
