Employer/Employer Relationships

Question 1

Contract of employement

Answer 1

Lays out the roles and responsibilities of both employer and employee

Question 2

Employment law

Answer 2

Make specific rules that each side are expected to abide by

Question 3

Minimum wage

Answer 3

The minimum amount that an employer can pay their employee per hour

Question 4

Advantages of minimum wage to employers

Answer 4

•more motivated workforce- they are receiving more money
•more use of zero-hours contract- employees are only paid for the hours they work
•an increase in the minimum wage may lead to more disposable income for employees- this could increase business
•reduces the need to negotiate with unions about pay which could have lead to disputes

Question 5

Disadvantages of the minimum wage to employers

Answer 5

•wage costs would increase with any rise in minimum wage which impacts profits- business may be forced to reduce the number of employees to cut wage bill
•increase in the minimum wage could lead to cost-push inflation- the costs of raw materials could rise
•may be tempted to employ cheaper, younger workers rather than older workers, or use legal workers to make the wage bills cheaper

Question 6

Advantages of minimum wage to employees

Answer 6

•more disposable income
•benefits industries that were traditionally lowly paid
•more supply of labour as working becomes more attractive
•younger people may find it easier to get jobs as its cheaper to employ younger workers

Question 7

Disadvantages of minimum wage to employees

Answer 7

•older workers are at a disadvantage- employer favours employing cheaper, younger workers
•loss of job security- business may dispose of employees if the wage bills increase
•increase in minimum wage may not be substantial, therefore have very little benefit
•businesses may move production abroad in favour of cheaper labour elsewhere in the world

Question 8

Equality Act 2010 and protected characteristics

Answer 8

Legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society
•e.g. age, transgender, marriage, pregnancy, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation

Question 9

Direct discrimination

Answer 9

Treating someone with a protected characteristic less favourable than others

Question 10

Indirect discrimination

Answer 10

Putting rules or arrangements in place that apply to everyone, but that put someone with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage

Question 11

Harassment

Answer 11

Unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that violates someone’s dignity or creates an offensive environment for them

Question 12

Victimisation

Answer 12

Treating someone unfairly because they have complained about discrimination or harassment

Question 13

In the workplace, what does the law protect people against discrimination in relation to?

Answer 13

•dismissal and redundancy
•imposition of unfair employment terms and conditions
•pay and benefits
•promotion and transfer opportunities
•recruitment and opportunities for training

Question 14

trade union

Answer 14

An organisation that represents employees in a particular trade, industry or occupation- its purpose is to protect and improve its members’ terms and conditions of employment

Question 15

Activities that trade unions are involved in

Answer 15

•collective bargaining- to obtain the best possible terms and conditions of employment for employees
•protecting employees’ employment rights- protect legal rights at work, offer info and advice, represent members and offer legal assistance
•offering info and legal advice- for those who have been unfairly treated
•health and safety- investigate the causes of work-place accidents and work-induced ill health

Question 16

Advantages of trade unions to employers

Answer 16

•communication link between managers and the workforce
•avoids time consuming need for individual bargaining
•a strong union may encourage managers to take employee needs seriously

Question 17

Disadvantages of trade unions to employers

Answer 17

•employeea are more likely to take industrial action
•high wages negotiated by trade unions
•employees know their rights
•free legal assistance in cases of unfair dismissal and discrimination
•high health and safety requirements

Question 18

Advantages of trade unions to employees

Answer 18

•collective bargaining- negotiation of pay and conditions with employers
•help ensure high standards of health and safety
•local union representatives can help in case of unsafe or unfair practices
•access to free legal advice and support

Question 19

Disadvantages of trade unions to employees

Answer 19

•may call on members to take industrial action
•redundancies necessary due to high wage demands
•health and safety requirements may reduce productivity, lowering piecework wages
•costs money to become a member

Question 20

Employee actions and examples

Answer 20

Actions that are taken by employees to encourage management to comply with their wishes
•strike- withdrawing labour completely
•work-to-rule- only doing tasks that are mentioned in the job description
•go-slow
•overtime ban- orders may not be completed on time for customers

Question 21

Employer action and examples

Answer 21

•withdrawal of overtime- to encourage employees to agree with the changes
•lock-out- until any grievance has been settled to stop production breakdown

Question 22

Employment tribunal

Answer 22

If an employee feels they are being unfairly treated, they can ask the union representative to help sort out the difficulty with the employer, but if the problem cannot be solved amicably then they will go to the employment tribunal which makes sure that employment laws are adhered to properly

Question 23

ACAS services to employers and employees

Answer 23

•industrial disputes- can intervene at the request of the management or the unions to try encourage a settlement that all parties agree to
•arbitration- recommends a solution to a dispute which both parties have previously agreed they will abide by
•mediation- recommend a possible solution to a dispute and leave the two parties to find a settlement
•advisory work- such as contracts of employment, industrial relations, legislation and payment systems
•codes of practice- practical guidance on how to improve industrial relations
•individual cases- such as unfair discrimination and dismissal