3. Employee power and voice in the workplace

Question 1

Why do employees want or need a voice in the workplace?

Answer 1

Having voice is a right and any organisation that does not allow this right will struggle to be successful. Employees like to have input in the decision making process, having a voice within the workplace is a key tool in gaining this. Employers having a voice will increase the morale and overall productivity of the workplace, although a good management systems will input control systems as to not let the employee gain too much power and remain within their controlled bounds of the employment relationship.

Question 2

Why employees might want or need representation in the workplace?

Answer 2

If a workplace is very anti-union, and running with a unitarist approach then an employees voice is imperative to maintain control. Contrast to this, employees sometimes don’t have the skills or knowledge to voice their opinions and require representation from external actors such as legal representation and trade unions.

Question 3

What are different forms of employee representation?

Answer 3

Trade unions are the most common form of employee representation through collective bargaining and collective representation. In the contemporary workplace individual representation takes place in the form of employee voice and this increases the ER with trust and cooperation in the workplace.