This unit examines the key approaches, practices and tools to manage and enhance the employee relationship to create better working lives and the significant impact this can have on organisational performance.

The Professional Map – Employee Relations

Employee relations is about creating and maintaining a positive working relationship between an organisation and its people.

An important part of that relationship is the culture, and the extent to which the organisation seeks to be resolution-focused. People professionals have an important role in setting that culture through the development of policies and processes which apply the law in a practical, fair and transparent way. So, specialists in this area need a deep understanding of employment / labour law, keeping up to date with legislative developments in order to advise the business and line managers to create the best outcome for individuals and the organisation.

Employee voice

Wellbeing, commitment and innovation are negatively impacted when employees feel they are without ‘voice’ in their organisation. We believe all employers should have policies and practices in place which enable employees to express themselves on matters that are important to them in their work.

Employee voice means individuals being able to safely put forward their viewpoints on their work, at work, irrespective of where, when and how they do their work. When employee voice channels work effectively, employees can feel valued, trusted and influential. In turn, this can increase their job satisfaction and performance.

For employers, effective employee voice can mean better relationships with their employees and, ultimately, improved organisational performance. Line managers, people professionals and voice champions have a responsibility to actively bring out, listen to and respond to employees’ voices. They can encourage employees to express themselves in individual and collective channels, both directly, for example to their team leader, and indirectly, for example through an employee representative.

Employee voice channels include individual self-representation, for example one-to-one meetings with a line manager and employee surveys, as well as collective representation such as trade unions and an employee representative on the company board. Employee voice platforms increasingly include digital technologies, for instance for group meetings, and protected social networking apps for more informal communication

Engagement

Employees who have good quality jobs and are managed well, will not only be happier, healthier and more fulfilled, but are also more likely to drive productivity, better products or services, and innovation. This mutual gains view of motivation and people management lies at the heart of employee engagement, a concept that’s become increasingly mainstream in management thinking over the last decade. As part of our work in this area, we sponsor Engage for Success, the voluntary UK movement promoting employee engagement.

Employment law regulates the relationship between employers and employees. It governs what employers can expect from employees, what employers can ask employees to do, and employees’ rights at work.

Please note that the purpose of this insight is to link you to CIPD’s research and evidence within the subject area, so that you can engage with the latest thinking. It is not provided to replace the study required as part of the learning or as formative assessment material.

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