Employee Relations Flashcards
What are the impacts of positive employee relations?
Employees will have their chance to discuss changes or grievances so will feel happier and more secure in the workplace.
Disputes are less likely to arise as the workers will have been consulted and understand why changes are necessary.
The workforce will be committed to the organisation and will help ensure it meets its objectives.
It will be easier to introduce change within the organisation as staff will be more flexible with suggestions from management.
What are the impacts of negative employee relations?
Poorer employee performance due to low morale.
Increased staff turnover as employees leave for a better work environment.
Increased staff absenteeism.
Less co-operation of staff during periods of change.
An increase in grievances and discipline problems.
What are grievances?
Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints raised by an employee.
How should grievances be dealt with?
Solve them early to stop them escalating into formal disputes.
Managers should be trained to deal with grievances.
Employees should be encouraged to be open and honest.
Managers shouldn’t blame or judge.
Managers should listen to concerns from the employee and seek a resolution.
What is discipline?
Organisations should have company policies (rules) regarding employee conduct and set procedures in place to deal with employees who fail to follow them.
What are the steps in a disciplinary procedure?
- Deal with cases of minor misconduct or unsatisfactory performance, or an employee’s first breach of company policy informally.
- Employers should deal with issues promptly, fairly and consistently.
- Where some form of formal action is needed, investigations should be carried out to gather and establish all the facts of the case.
- Employees should be given the facts of the case and allowed to put their response forward.
- Employees have the right to be accompanied to any formal disciplinary meeting and be allowed to appeal against any formal decision made on sanctions to be issued.
What is dismissal?
A dismissal is when an employer terminates the employee’s contract. Should be the last resort in terms of breaking company policy.
What is redundancy?
Redundancy is when an employer feels that they no longer need an employee. It is usually a process that is carried out when a business needs to cut costs and other options have been explored.
What are trade unions?
A trade union is an organisation that represents a group of employees.
Members benefit from the collective bargaining power of the trade union, the experience of the union leaders who represent them and the union.
What is ACAS?
When a trade union cannot come to an agreement with an employer on behalf of its members, the organisation can involve ACAS.
This is a government-funded organisation which attempts to solve disputes in the workplace to stop them going to court.
What are the methods of employee participation?
Worker-director
Work councils
Consultative committees
Quality circles
What are worker-directors?
When a worker-director position is created, a low-level employee such as a factory worker or a sales assistant is given a seat on the Board of Directors.
They have no voting rights but they present their views and the views of fellow workers to the board so employees feel that they have a say in decision-making.
What are works councils?
Groups made up of an equal number of employees and managers. The group discusses major suggestions for change in the organisation and has joint decision-making powers.
Reduces resistance to change from employees.
What are consultative committees?
Are similar to works councils and can also include members of the public, customers etc. to discuss important issues or changes.
What are quality circles?
Involve employees being consulted on how to improve the standard of the products they produce.
This makes employees feel involved in decision-making and that they can make a difference.
