Managing Employee relation
CHAPTER 8
Employee relations learn ing outcomes
After reading this chapter you will:
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understand the changing nature and continuing importance of employee relations be able to define the differences in the purposes, content and operation of disciplinary, capability and grievance procedures understand the good practice steps and statutory requirements that ensure the effective handling of conduct or capability cases be able to assess the suitability of a range of tools for managing long- and short-term absences realise the importance of responding appropriately to employee grievances concerning individual and collective matters appreciate the part played by employee involvement initiatives, including employee communications and consultation, in unionised and non-unionised environments, in seeking to introduce change and maintain harmonious employee relations be able to analyse which employee involvement approaches are likely to be suitable for your own organisation.
i n troduction
In this chapter we will be considering employee relations within organisations.
David Farnham (2000: xxiii) defined employee relations as: that part of managing people that enables competent managers to balance, within acceptable limits, the interests of employers as buyers of labour services and those of employees as suppliers of labour services in the labour market and workplace. Within this framework, the main task of those responsible for managing the employment relationship is to develop appropriate institutions, policies and rules to promote ‘good’ working relationships with those whom they employ. This means preventing unnecessary conflict between management and employees over those matters in which both parties have mutual, though sometimes diverging, interests. CD22620.indb 214
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Employee relations
215
However, it is a field of HR practice and an approach that has changed much
Employee relations learn ing outcomes
After reading this chapter you will:
●●
●●
●●
●●
●●
●●
●●
understand the changing nature and continuing importance of employee relations be able to define the differences in the purposes, content and operation of disciplinary, capability and grievance procedures understand the good practice steps and statutory requirements that ensure the effective handling of conduct or capability cases be able to assess the suitability of a range of tools for managing long- and short-term absences realise the importance of responding appropriately to employee grievances concerning individual and collective matters appreciate the part played by employee involvement initiatives, including employee communications and consultation, in unionised and non-unionised environments, in seeking to introduce change and maintain harmonious employee relations be able to analyse which employee involvement approaches are likely to be suitable for your own organisation.
i n troduction
In this chapter we will be considering employee relations within organisations.
David Farnham (2000: xxiii) defined employee relations as: that part of managing people that enables competent managers to balance, within acceptable limits, the interests of employers as buyers of labour services and those of employees as suppliers of labour services in the labour market and workplace. Within this framework, the main task of those responsible for managing the employment relationship is to develop appropriate institutions, policies and rules to promote ‘good’ working relationships with those whom they employ. This means preventing unnecessary conflict between management and employees over those matters in which both parties have mutual, though sometimes diverging, interests. CD22620.indb 214
18/03/2010 15:42
Employee relations
215
However, it is a field of HR practice and an approach that has changed much
References: ACAS (2009) Advisory Booklet on Managing Attendance and Employee Turnover. Leicester: ACAS ACAS (2009) Advisory Booklet on Bullying and Harassment at Work: A guide for managers and employers. Leicester: ACAS ACAS (2005) Advisory Booklet on Employee Communications and Consultation. Leicester: ACAS ACAS (2009) Code of Practice 1: Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures ACAS ACAS (2009) Discipline and Grievances at Work CIPD (2009) Absence Management: Survey Report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD (2005) Change Agenda – What is Employee Relations? EVANS, A FARNHAM, D. (2000) Employee Relations in Context. London: Institute of Personnel and Development GENNARD, J. and JUDGE, G. (2002) Employee Relations, 3rd edition. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development PARKIN, M. (2009) The Employer’s Guide to Grievance and Discipline Procedures: Identifying, addressing and investigating employee misconduct ACAS (revised 2009) Code of Practice 1: Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.