6.5 Improving employer-employee relations Flashcards

Question 1

Q

How can employees be represented in negotiations with employers?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Trade Unions</li> <li>Works councils</li> <li>Other types- factory or office committee & staff association.</li></ul>

Question 2

Q

What is a trade union?

Answer

A

An organisation of workers established to protect & improve economic position and working conditions of its members.

Question 3

Q

What are the aims of trade unions?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Maximising pay.</li> <li>Achieving safe & secure working conditions.</li> <li>Attaining job security.</li> <li>Participating in and influencing decisions in the workplace- through collecive bargaining or through having representatives on works councils and other employer-employee coommittees.</li></ul>

Question 4

Q

Trade Unions achieve their objectives via what functions?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Protecting members interests over issues such as discrimination, unfair dismissal and health & safety matters.</li> <li>They negotiate pay & conditions for their members through collective bargaining.</li> <li>They provide members with a range of personal services including legal advice, insurance, education, training & financial advice.</li></ul>

Question 5

Q

How can employers benefit from the existence of trade unions?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>They act as a communications link between management & employees.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Professional negotiation of behalf of a large number of employees can save time & lessen the likelihood of disputes occuring.</li></ul>

Question 6

Q

Why are unions in a better position to negotiate than individuals?

Answer

A

They have better collective negotiating skills & increased power.

Question 7

Q

What is a works council?

Who is normally elected?

Where is it common for works councils to be used ?

However what happens in businesses where works councils & trade unions co-exist?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>A forum within a business where workers and management meet to discuss issues such as working conditions, pay &training.</li> <li>Employee representatives.</li> <li>Common to be used in workplaces where no trade unions co-exist.</li> <li>The former is normally excluded from discussing pay & working conditions.</li></ul>

Question 8

Q

What do employees like to know about their employers?

What have all UK employers been obliged to do since 2008?

Answer

A

What they are planning!

All UK employers with 50+ staff have been legally obliged to keep employees regularly informed & consulted on issues at work.

Question 9

Q

Under the European Union's Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) regulations, what are companies required to establish?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Required to establish formal works councils on demand.</li> <li>Even if employers to not have an agreement in place, the business must still consult if they are planning:</li></ul>

- 20 or more redundancies.

- To sell their business or buy a new one.

- Certain changed to an occupational or personal pension scheme.

Question 10

Q

What other forms can employee representation take place in?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Other forms- although these are similar in structure and operation to a works council.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>However, these type of employee representation differ from trade unions in that they are not backed by regional and national organisations & do not have professional employees.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Instead- they are solely organised for the individual business & its particular curcumstances.</li></ul>

Question 11

Q

Where mayfactory or office committes which may be established elect members from?

What matters do they discuss?

What should happen for this to be effective?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Elect members of the work force, alongside the employer's representatives.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Discuss matters such as working conditions, employment and production changes, safety and welfare matters.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Committees should meet regularly.</li></ul>

Question 12

Q

Staff associations

Why may they be formed?

What do they usually operate on behalf of?

They are also used as a means of representation for who?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Formed to provide employee representation.</li> <li>Operate on behalf of a single company.</li> <li>Used as a means of representation for police officers & civil servants.</li></ul>

Question 13

Q

Staff associations

What are they often independent from?

Answer

A

External influences & this can be a reason for them to be popular with both employees & employers, though they are frequently established at the request of employers to avoid trade unions gaining recognition for negotiations.

Question 14

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making?

Answer

A

<ol> <li>The leader and management style in the business.</li> <li>The overall/ corporate objectives of the business.</li> <li>The history and ownership of the business.</li> <li>The nature of the work and the employees hired.</li> <li>Employment legislation.</li></ol>

Question 15

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making

Leadership and management style used in the business?

Answer

A

Some management- operate to deliberately aim to reduce/ eliminate any employee representation within their business.

<ul> <li>Leadership style- autocratic.</li> <li>Wish to retain control over decision making & seek any employee rep.</li> <li>Operate with a 'Hard' style of managing HR- treating employees like resources.</li></ul>

CONTRAST- other businesses may be more democratically led.

<ul> <li>Use a 'soft' approach to managing HR.</li> <li>Can result in extensive involvement of employees in decision making.</li></ul>

Question 16

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making

The overall or corporate objectives of the business?

Answer

A

They shape relationships between employers & employees.

<ul> <li>Businesses persuing growth in which demand is strongly price elastic may opt to minimise the extent of employee rep- for fear of wages being forced up as a result.</li> <li>Businesses persuing social obj may place lower emphasis on generating profits/ increasing market share and may welcome employee rep in decision making.</li></ul>

Question 17

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making

The history and ownership of the business?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Some businesses have a history/ culture for employee rep. Might reflect origins of the business/ the views of influential managers or leaders of the past.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Another influence- the extent to which the business is owned by its employees. Is natural for businesses owned by its employees to give them a say in decisions.</li></ul>

Question 18

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making

The nature of work and employees hired?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>May be more likely that businesses that employ highly skilled employees will offer them opportunities to become involved in decision making through a system of employee representation.</li> <li>Will give them a sense of value and increase employee engagement, which may offer further benefits to the business.</li></ul>

IN CONTRAST

<ul> <li>Businesses relying heavily ontemporary & seasonal employees- less incentive to establish systems for employee representation- as have limited knowledge & experience to offer- don't value the employees in the same way.</li></ul>

Question 19

Q

What influences on the extent and methods of employee representation in decision making

Employment legislation?

Answer

A

Information & Consultation of Employees (ICE) regulation. This regulation obliges all UK employers with 50 or more staff to keep employees regularly informed & consulted on issues at work.

Question 20

Q

What does the process of communication look like and what happens at each stage??

Answer

A

1) The Sender: The company who commences the process of communication.

2) The Message: The information that the business wishes to send to its audience.

3) The Medium: The way in which the message is communicated e.g. email.

4) Reciever/audience: The audience is the target group at whom the communication is aimed- this might be a business's employees/ customers.

5) Feedback: The response to the communication, which can confirm it has been received or raise a query or comment about its content.

Question 21

Q

What types of communication does a business use?

Answer

A

Electronic mail.

Social media.

Intranets.

Video conferencing.

Question 22

Q

What are intranets?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Electronic, computer-based communication networks, similar in nature to the internet but used internally by individual businesses.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>They are ideally suited to large companies, especially those with a number of locations. They provide an email service as well as access to information of interest to large numbers of employees.</li></ul>

Question 23

Q

The effective management of communication with employees is not simply about choosing the right medium with which to exchange information.

What other factors make up an effective employer-employee communication package?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Appreciating the nature of effective communication.</li> <li>Using the appropriate style of management.</li> <li>Adapting the organisational structure to encourage effective communication.</li></ul>

Question 24

Q

What could cause difficulties in communication?

Answer

A

Mergers & takeovers.

Scale (size) of a business.

Locations.

Delayering.

Communcation mechanisms.

Question 25

Q

Managing employer- employee relations.

An important part of managing employer- employee relations is to have what in place & what does this do?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>To have systems in place to deal with any disputes before they can become too serious and possibly result in industrial action.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Effective communication is one means of preventing and resolving disputes quickly and many employers have agreed procedures in place to avoid disputes escalating into industrial action.</li></ul>

Question 26

Q

We can divide managing employer-employee relations into what two sections?

Answer

A

Avoiding industrial disputes.

Resolving industrial disputes.

Question 27

Q

How do you avoid industrial disputes?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>No strike and single union agreements- a 'no stike deal' is an agreement between employers and unions whereby in return for a pay and conditions package, a union agrees to refrain from strike action for an agreed period.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>ACAS (Advisory, Concilation and Arbitration Service)- is an independent and impartial organisation established to prevent and resolve disputes & to build harmonious relationships at work.</li></ul>

Question 28

Q

Resolving industrial disputes?

Answer

A

Arbitration- procedure for the settlement of disputes. 3 Types- Non-binding arbitration, Binding arbitration, Pendulum arbitration.

Conciliation- A method of resolving individual or collective disputes in which a neutral third party encourages the continuation of negotiations and the postponement (at least) of any form of industrial action.

Employment tribunals- Informal courts where legal disputes over unfair dismissal or discrimination can be settled.

Question 29

Q

What is arbitration?

Answer

A

Procedure for the settlement of disputes. 3 Types- Non-binding arbitration, Binding arbitration, Pendulum arbitration.

Question 30

Q

What is conciliation?

Answer

A

A method of resolving individual or collective disputes in which a neutral third party encourages the continuation of negotiations and the postponement (at least) of any form of industrial action.

Question 31

Q

What are employment tribunals?

Answer

A

Informal courts where legal disputes over unfair dismissal or discrimination can be settled.

Question 32

Q

What are the costs to employers for good employer-employee relations that may arise from any sort of dispute?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Business may lose revenue from products if dispute results in strike action.</li> <li>Business may loose future sales if its customers believe that it is an unreliable supplier.</li> <li>Business's relationship with employees may be damaged long term with negative implications for engagement and productivity.</li> <li>May be regarded as a more risky investment and encounter more difficulty in raising finance- or be expected to pay higher interest rates.</li> <li>Businesses image may be damaged if involved in a dispute with its employees- may alienate some of its customers.</li></ul>

Question 33

Q

What are the costs to employeesfor good employer-employee relations that may arise from any sort of dispute?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Employees may lose pay if the industrial dispute takes the form of a strike.</li> <li>The dispute may weaken the employer's finances putting employees' job security at risk.</li> <li>A financially weakened employer may not be able or willing to pay for training for employees, denying them the chance to improve and update skills and knowledge.</li> <li>Employer may respond to the threat of, or actual, industrial action by replacing people with technology in the production process or by moving overseas.</li></ul>

Question 34

Q

What are the benefits of good employer-employee relations to employers?

Answer

A

Helping to develop a strong employer brand.

Promoting employee engagement.

Improving the businesses corporate image.

Strengthening competitiveness.

Question 35

Q

The benefits of good employer-employee relations to employers.

How will it help to develop a strong employer brand?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Employers who avoid disputes with employees & have effective mechanisms to resolve any disputes quickly will be viewed as more favourably by potential employees.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>This will assist it in attracting more able and productive employees.</li></ul>

Question 36

Q

The benefits of good employer-employee relations to employers.

What are the benefits of promoting employee engagement?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Having an engaged workforce is a valuable asset for any business.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Poor employer relations are likely to lead to employees believing they are not valued and will reduce their sense of well being. Such factors can damage employee engagement severely.</li></ul>

Question 37

Q

The benefits of good employer-employee relations to employers.

How is improving the business's corporate image beneficial to employers?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Avoiding disputes/ settling them quickly helps a business to develop or maintain a reputation as a fair and reasonable employer.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>This can have positive effects on a range of stakeholders including customers & investors.</li></ul>

Question 38

Q

The benefits of good employer-employee relations to employers.

How can it strengthen competitiveness?

Answer

A

<ul> <li>Good relations can be a powerful competitive weapon.</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Can reduce costs by eliminating lost production, add to a business's reliability as a supplier as its production is not interrupted & can enhance labour productivity (thereby lowering units labour costs) - as workers are motivated by what they regard as fair pay & working conditions.</li></ul>

Question 39

Q

What are the benefits to employees of having good relations with employers?

Answer

A

Financial benefits- Avoid loss of pay during periods of industrial disputes if good relations are maintained. As employer may be financially stronger as a result of avoiding wasteful disputes- there is a greater possibility of future imporvements in pay & conditions.

Job security- Employer is less likely to consider replacing employees with technology or moving overseas to locations where industrial action rarely/ never occurs.

The possibility of greater participation in decision making-way to help maintain good relations & relationships.

Question 40

Q

Methods of resolving industrial disputes

What are the three types of Arbitration?

Answer

A

Non-binding arbitration.

Binding arbitration.

Pendulum arbitration.

Question 41

Q

Methods of resolving industrial disputes

What is Non-binding arbitration?

Answer

A

Involves a neutral third party making an award to settle a dispute that the parties concerned can accept or not.

Question 42

Q

What is binding arbitration?

Answer

A

Means that the parties of the dispute have to take the award of the arbitrator.

Question 43

Q

What is pendulum arbitration ?

Answer

A

A binding form of arbitration in which the arbitrator has to decide entirely for one side or the other. It is not an option to reach a compromise or to reach a middle ground. This system avoids excessive claims by unions or miserly offers by employers.

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6.5 Improving employer-employee relations Flashcards

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