Importance of Employee Relations - Essay Example

Trade union membership in the UK has plunged below six million for the first time since World War II and according to Blyton and Turnbull (2004), here are the reasons for this decline:·
• The drop in the manufacturing industry that employed most union members and the rise in the service sector like retail where unions are not very well established.
• The increase in small firms that have little regard for trade unions· Better work conditions with employees more involved eliminating the need to collectively bargain·
• The rise of part-time employment does not call for protection from unions.

To attract new members, trade unions have developed an organizational-level strategy where ad hoc committees within the unions have representation to serve the interest of particular groups of workers. So women, equal opportunities, migrant workers send young worker committees are all being set up to help appeal to such groups and assure them of their interests in the decision-making process within the unions. This strategy, however, has not yielded significant results.
Critically analyze the influence of the role of the state in UK employment relations from 1979 to the current day.

According to Kavanagh (2011), the UK government, after World War II, committed to adopting Keynesian techniques to maintain full employment. This implied that ministers would use available policies like tax cuts, and increased state spending to improve economic activities and achieve full employment. Unlike in the pre-war era, trade unions were encouraged by the UK government and regularly consulted on the most suitable workplace relation and relevant economic policies. With the economic changes that happened in the 1980s when the government reduced its role in the utility industry like gas and electricity following their privatization, a significant impact was experienced in employee relations. Companies had more control over their internal employee association policies unlike in the early post-war years when the government had ultimate authority. The government’s welfare policies through the national insurance system and National Health Service (NHS) have since 1979, shaped employment relations by ensuring that employers are held accountable to the wee-being of their employees. By promoting equality through social frameworks and progressive taxation policies, the government is significantly influencing employment relations.

Discuss the concepts of employee involvement, empowerment, engagement, and industrial democracy. Which of these forms is most likely to represent the interests of workers and why?
Employee involvement is when an environment where members of staff have a contribute to decisions that touch on their jobs. It is used as a philosophy for continuous improvement within organizations when people are allowed to make contributions. Empowerment, on the other hand, occurs when lead employees are given room to make managerial decisions. Employee engagement is the art of keeping the workforce occupied for maximum productivity and may include letting them play games during breaks. Finally, industrial democracy occurs when policies that touch on employee welfare are a joint product of the organization’s management and representatives of the workforce. From these forms, industrial democracy is the best representative of employees’ interests because it involves them at the policy level. Getting involved at the policy level is a safeguard that anchors any agreements in the organization’s constitution that makes it difficult even for a change in management.
Discuss the realities of managing the employment relationship in contemporary UK organizations.
Modern-day UK has several challenges with new laws enacted to protect the rights of all, from migrant workers to married women.

The drastic change in the workplace which has given forth virtual offices makes, relationships much more involved because it is now possible to have employees who do not live in the UK and yet must be managed as if they were physically around. Read More