MN7181 : People & Organisations : Principles & Practice in global context - Employee Relations

Employee Relations 

(Source : Transformative workplace solutions)

Employee relation is the effort to manage relationship between employers & employees in the organization. Companies with good employee relations provide fair & stable treatment to all employees so they will be committed to achieve organizational goals in a long term basis.employees feel self respect & significant identification when there is an effective employee relation in the company.

According to Armstrong, (2017) 'employee relation is the approaches & methods adopted by employers to deal with employees either collectively through their trade unions or individually'. 

Generally there are 4 approaches to employee relations in an organization

1.Adversarial
Employer decides what to do & employees follow the decision taken by employers. Employees can use their power by refusing the decision taken by employer.

2.Traditional
Management propose & work force respond through their elected representatives.

3.Partnership
Employers get the involvement of employees to draft & execution of organization policies,but retain the right to manage.

4.Power sharing
Employees are actively engaged in both regular day to day works & strategic decision making  

Both employers & employees have separate expectations from effective employee relations which create positive focus on both sides.

Employers expectations from employee relations

- Create unity in the organization
- Employees do their job well
- Take necessary actions if employees not meet the requirement 
- Reduce conflicts
- Collect new innovative ideas
- Enhance the involvement of both employer & employee to achieve company goal in an effective way 

Employees expectations from employee relations

- Employers treat them in a fair, reasonable manner consistently
- Follow proper investigations if actions taking against them
- They have right to speak or raise grievance if the expectations are not met
- Job security, better working conditions & healthy working environment
- Good say on terms & conditions of employment 

There are main 3 key policy considerations regarding employment relations which commonly used in an any form of organizations.

1.Trade union recognition
Forming a group including all employees for collective bargaining and employee representational purposes 

2.Collective bargaining 
Process of negotiating between employers & group of employee representatives aimed at agreement to regulate proper salaries & wages, working conditions, compensation ,other benefits etc.

3.Participation & involvement
The level which employers are prepared to give employee voice on matters affecting to them 

However to come to an final agreement between employers & employees there should be a proper negotiation method within the organization.Better negotiation is based on level of trust of both parties, perception on fairness & processes of handling conflicts.  

Employees used to take following formal industrial actions If there is a adverse employee relation in the organizations & negotiations ended with no positive response. 

**Working to rule - do minimum job requirement 
**Go Slow - Take more time to complete duties 
**Overtime ban - No work beyond specified in their contract
**Strike - Withdrawal of labour
**Sit-in - Sitting down in the work place 
**Work-in - Keep the company operate without management

Hence proper employment relations is very much required & important to continue the operations of the organization smoothly while achieving goals & objectives.


By Ishan Meegaswatte

References

Anon., n.d. Transformative workplace solutions. [Online]
Available at: https://www.transformativeworkplacesolutions.com/services/our-services/employee-relations/
[Accessed 18 12 2018].

Armstrong , M., 2017. Armstrong handbook of human resource management practice. 14 ed. s.l.:s.n.