HR Employee Relations Flashcards
What is the meaning of employee relations?
The relationship between an employer and their employees. Good employee relations is vital as it leads to a motivated workforce.
The impact of positive employee relations
- The organisation can gain a positive reputation for being good employers, and this can lead to a higher quality of candidates applying for vacancies.
- Employees and more motivated, leading to higher quality and more output, lower staff turnover and lower absenteeism
- Change is easier to implement as employees are more flexible, not as reluctant.
Poor employee relations could result in
- Industrial action
- Demotivated workforce (low productivity, high staff turnover)
- Bad reputation for the organisation
- Uncooperative staff
Different types of industrial action
- Strike
- Go slow
- Work to rule
- Demonstrations
- Sit in
- Overtime ban
Describe Grievances
A complaint an employee has to make about a work related issue such as working conditions to their manager. This is often done through a grievance procedure. If the problem is not dealt with, the employee can take the problem up with ACAS.
Impact of grievances on employee relations
A company with an effective grievance policy and deals with grievances successfully will have better employee relations.
Discipline
All companies will have a discipline procedure that will be used if an employee doesn’t follow rules. For example, absenteeism, poor conduct, behaviour, performance.
Sanctions used in a discipline procedure include:
- verbal warning
- formal written warning
- final written warning
- suspension
- demotion
- dismissal
Dismissal
When an employee breaks their contract of employment, for example with bad timekeeping, poor behaviour, sexual harassment, the company has the right to dismiss them and terminate their contract.
Dismissal should only happen once all other disciplinary procedures have been completed.
If an employee thinks they have been incorrectly dismissed, they can take their case to an industrial tribunal.
Absenteeism
A high level of absenteeism can mean that staff are unmotivated and employee relations are poor. This can reduce the output of the organisation.
All companies should have an attendance/absences policy to address why employees aren’t attending work and how to fix the problem.
Redundancy
When a company needs to downsize and reduce the number of staff they employ, they will have to give employees redundancies.
This can be done through voluntary redundancy, compulsory redundancy (first in first out), or retention by merit.
Those made redundant will receive a redundancy payment and period of notice to find a new job.
Impact of redundancy on a company
Can generate negative publicity for the company and cause a bad corporate culture and poor employee relations as there is a lack of job security.
ACAS
The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration service is an independent body set up by the government to settle disputes and claims between employees and employers and improve employee relations.
They can advice companies how to improve employee relations, conciliate by trying to get both sides to compromise and arbitrate to resolve a conflict which wont conciliate.
Trade Unions
Trade unions are organisations which support and represent employees. There are different unions for different jobs and members pay an annual fee. They believe that they have power as a collective voice is stronger than an individual voice. Eg EIS teachers strikes
Their roles include:
- Improving their members’ pay
- Improving working conditions
- Supporting members at grievances
Describe works councils
Works councils are made up of employees and managers and discuss factors that can impact the business. They are used to promote discussion between managers and employees or to set up policies and procedures.
Advantages of works councils
- Staff feel motivated because they are included in the process
- Staff are less resistant to change as they had a part in deciding it
