U2- Employee Relations Flashcards
What is employee relations?
A major role fulfilled by the HR department in conjunction with managers from across the organisation
It is concerned with how employers deal and interact with their employees as individuals or as a group
The term employee relations refers to the relationship between employees and employers
What is the impact of positive employee relations?
Helps to ensure the organisation meets its objectives
Employees are more likely to be happy and motivated to help the organisation achieve goals
They will be more accepting of change
More flexible in their response to requests
Will recognise the need for the organisation to achieve its objectives
What is the impact of poor employee relations?
Can lead to conflict
Less cooperation from employees
May present a poor image of the organisation to its customers
What is ACAS?
Advisory, conciliation and arbitration service (ACAS)
It has been created to help ensure that disputes between employers and employees are kept to a minimum
What are the 4 main ways which ACAS can assist?
Provide impartial advice and help to anyone with a work problem
Prevent and resolve problems between employers and employees and help settle disputes
Settle complaints about employees rights
Encourage people to work together effectively by running workshops and seminars on issues such as basic employment knowledge and the latest developments in legislation
What is an employers association?
Businesses in one sector of industry often form an association to look after the interests of all businesses in that particular industry
What are the benefits of belonging to an employers association?
They have a single strong voice to:
Lobby politicians
Deal with negotiations
Give a clear and uniformed message to the press and other media
They can pressure and influence the government
Market research can be carried out for the benefit of the members (many may be small businesses who are unable to otherwise afford it)
What is the CBI?
The Confederation of British Industry
It attempts to represent the employers from all the UK’s industries
They have a much stronger voice acting as a collective and may also voice their opinions on political matters that affect businesses
What is the TUC?
Trade Union Congress
Represents all trade unions in much the same way as the CBI represents the different groups of employers
It provides information and advice to its members
Give 5 advantages of the TUC
Brings Britain’s unions together to draw up common policies
Helps unions avoid clashes with each other
Campaigns on economic and social issues
Helps unions develop new services for members
Builds links with other trade union bodies worldwide
Give 5 aspects of employee relations
Negotiation
Consultation
Arbitration
Collective bargaining
Industrial action
What is negotiation?
The main purpose is to come to an agreement between the parties
Employers and employees meet to discuss issues that affect both parties to agree, plan and implement some changes in the workplace
This is often seen as the best method of achieving change in the workplace
What is consultation?
A term used to describe the legal process that is enforced on employers under employment law for some changes within the organisation
Dictionary definition- the action or process of consulting or discussing
What is arbitration?
When no agreement can be reached between the employee and employer there can be a stalemate. In this case an arbitrator will attempt to resolve the dispute
The arbitrator is unbiased and neutral to the discussion they will listen to both sides, gather other evidence and offer a solution
What is collective bargaining?
The process where the trade union or other body negotiates on behalf of the employees
The representative will meet the employers and negotiate and propose changes
Usually a compromise will be reached
The employer will attempt to make an agreement that will last several years to encourage a more settled workforce and save revisiting the agreement on an annual basis
Name 6 forms of industrial action
Sit- in
Overtime ban
Work to rule
Go slow
Strike
Boycott
What is a strike?
When a strike is called, all or most of the workers stop working
This is usually only done as a last resort
There is a legally binding set of procedures which a union must go through before it can call a strike, this includes balloting all of its members
Consequences:
Everyone loses their jobs
A sit in happens to attempt to stop closure
Change is implemented
Describe work to rule
Where employees work strictly in alignment to their terms and conditions of employment and do not allow for any flexibility
This reduces efficiency and output
What is an overtime ban?
This is where the workers refuse to work and overtime hours
What is a boycott?
Can be used when the employers introduce new machinery or duties that the employees disagree with
The employees refuse to use the new machinery or to carry out the duties
What is a sit in?
It occurs when the employees refuse to leave their place of work and continue to occupy the space outside of working hours
They may also combine this with refusing to carry out normal working duties
What is a go slow?
When employees refuse to work at a normal pace and carry out their duties in a deliberately slow manner
If the business produces goods this can have a negative impact on output
What is are works councils?
A group of representatives from the workforce which has the legal rights to access information about management and has joint decision making powers on most matters relating to the employees
What are possible employer actions to industrial action?
Withdrawal of overtime
Closure for a period of time
Lock out
What are company policies?
Every organisation will have a set of policies that employees have to agree to while they are in the employment of the organisation
What are the purposes of company policies?
To ensure health and safety of employees is protected
To ensure the image and reputation of the organisation is upheld and employees act in an appropriate manner
What are the 3 main areas that are covered by company policies?
Grievance procedures
Discipline procedures
Redundancy
What are grievance procedures?
They exist to deal with a complaint by an employee against their employer or a complain by an employee against another employee
All organisations must have a grievance procedure
If an employee is part of a trade union they may decide to involve the trade union in the process
What are disciplinary procedures?
Organisations should have written disciplinary procedures in place for employees know what will happen if they break the rules
There will be a scale of warnings which will eventually lead to dismissal
All employees should be subject to the same rules and treatment
What are the 4 stages of disciplinary procedures?
Verbal warning (issued by manager)
Written warning (issued by HR and kept on record)
Final written warning (usually issued after a written warning however could be a first step for a serious breach. Again in writing and kept on record)
Dismissal
Name 3 things which could lead to the eventual dismissal of an employee
Demotion (remove or reduce responsibilities)
Suspension (barred from place of work, may be suspended without pay)
Police action (when the law has been broken)
What is summary dismissal?
In cases where the action of the employee is very serious the employee may be sacked on the spot
There is no immediate recourse for the employee and no procedure is followed before removing the employee from employment
This is unlikely
When does redundancy happen?
When the employer finds they no longer require one or more of their employees
They will usually have a policy in place that allows for redundancy payments to be made and also gives those affected a certain amount of notice regarding the time period attracted to the redundancy
