Employee Relations

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Who are Employees?

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The people or Human beings who work together in an organization to achieve a particular objective or goals are called employees. They are the main asset of an organization.

What is Employee Relations?

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Employee relations is the relationship between Employer and employee which based on trust, collaboration, Effective communication, Understanding, solving problem together and decision making together which contribute to satisfactory, productivity, motivation, morale and discipline and to maintain a positive productive and unified work environment in an organization.

According to Kessler & Undy, (1996) Employment relationship is the interconnection between employer and employee in a workstation. This can be formal (e.g. employment of contract) or they may be informal in the shape of the psychological contract which express certain assumption and expectation of what the employer can offer and willing to deliver.

Employee expect that they are treated fairly and consistently, the job roles are given according to their capabilities, to show their talent and performance, that they will be rewarded for their performance, that they will be given opportunity for their personal growth and career growth, Appraisals are done reasonably, a good and safety working environment, pursue grievances if these expectation are not met and so on.

The Employer also expect that the employees fully dedicated to do their job role which will benefits the organization, loyalty, integrity, teamwork, developing the brand image and so on. If these expectations are not met or psychological contract is breached the performance of the organization can be affected and the employee relation can be jeopardized.

Employee Relations Policies

Employee relation policies is the resolution made between employee and employer to resolve disputes regarding employee relations issues such as wages, benefits, work environment, etc. Employee relationship policies direct what kind of relationship between the management and employees and their representatives are wanted (Armstrong, 2006).

Approaches to employee relations

There are four approaches followed by the Employers in Industrial relations

ü  Adversarial

It’s like dictatorship; the employee had to do what the Employer wants otherwise employee can leave. No bargaining. It’s a win lose situation. My boat my rule attitude. Employee mostly refuses to corporate to show their protest (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014).

ü  Traditional

It’s a good day to day working relationship between management and the employee (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). It’s like give and take.

ü  Partnership

The employer collaborates or involves the employees to do the business together. It is our organization so we work together and put our effort to achieve the goal. But employer will keep the managing part for themselves (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). It’s a better way to develop employee relation. (E.g.: Employee Stock Option Plan)

ü  Power Sharing

In this approach the employees even in the bottom line workers involve in decision making. Sharing the power with employee for a betterment of the organization. This is one of the successful approaches to improve employee relation in the modern world. However this approach is rarely used.

Few key arears covered by Employment Relations Policies

ü  Trade union recognition

Whether trade union should be recognized or derecognized, which union or unions the organization would prefer to deal with, and whether or not it is desirable to recognize only one union for collective bargaining and employee representational purpose (Armstrong, 2006). The employers have the upper hand in this arrangement which they can consider the relationship history with the union, lack of importance on the regularity process on collective bargaining, reputation of the union which a satisfactory relationship can be maintained and the extent to which the management has freedom to manage with  can be some of the influencing factors in recognizing and derecognizing Trade unions.

ü  Collective bargaining

Collective bargaining can be define as negotiation between the organization and the group of workers or their union representative to regulate the terms and condition of the employment. The collective bargaining arrangement should determine for which extent it should be centralized or decentralized and the scope of areas to be covered by collective bargaining (Armstrong, 2006). The areas which should be considered when developing the collective bargaining arrangements are the collective agreement, the level at which bargaining should take place, single table bargaining and dispute resolution (Armstrong, 2006).

ü  Participation and Involvement

Participate employees in decision making process and share the responsibilities with worker so they will commit to execute the decision.  For which extent the participation and involvement on management should be determine by the Employer in their employee relation policies. (E.g.: To merge two companies under one brand the management can involve both trade unions to decide the execution of the merger and to decide new employment regulation)

References

Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resources Management Practices. 10 ed. London: Kogan Page Limited .

Armstrong, M. & Taylor, S., 2014. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 13 ed. s.l.:Kogan Page Limited.

Kessler, S. & Undy, R., 1996. The new Employment Relationship: Examining the Psycological contract. London: Institute of Personal and Development.

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