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Solution
5HR01- Employment Relationship Management
Table of Contents
1.1 Employee involvement and participation. 2
How EI and EP build relationships. 2
1.2 Union and non-union employee representation. 3
Similarities and differences. 3
1.3 Relationship of Employee voice AND organisational Performance. 4
1.4 Concept of better working lives and designing. 5
Concept of better working lives. 5
Ways organisation design better working lives. 6
2.1 Organisation conflict and misbehaviour 6
Formal and Informal Conflicts. 7
2.2 Emerging trends in conflict and industrial sanctions. 8
2.3 Third-party conciliation, mediation and arbitration. 9
3.1 Principles of legislation of unfair dismissal 10
Dismissal because of capability. 10
Dismissal because of misconduct 11
3.2 Causes of employee grievances. 11
Inequality and Bullying in workplace. 12
3.3 Importance of handling grievances. 12
Briefing Paper
1.1 Employee involvement and participation
Employee involvement (EI) is defined in CIPD (2024) as an approach where the employees are called upon to take part in formulating their input and opinion pertaining different operations of an organisation without influencing decision making. Employee Participation (EP) on the other hand is defined in CIPD (2024) as a structured strategy of employees/delegates are in a formal way engaged in making decisions by embrace of collective undertakings including work committees and unions.
Differences of EI and EP
The first criteria which differentiate the two concepts is decision-making power. Considering the EP concept, employees are facilitated with a chance to generate their input on different issues in their workplace with the final decision made by management. According to CIPD (2022), by leverage on the provided platforms including survey (questionnaires), suggestion box and team meetings, EP is successful. The outcome of this is the employees gaining a feel of high inclusion and engagement despite of failing in offering them with ultimate authority in making independent decisions. Conversely, for EP, it entails offering the employees or delegated authority (reps) with a chance for actively making decisions. The decision making is by leverage on formalised systems including joint consultation committees, work councils and union agreements involving mutual-based decisions made amongst the employees and employer.
The second criteria to differentiate the two concepts is their Formal Nature. The EI is largely informal with its large focus is embrace of flexible approaches including brainstorming strategies and open-based engagements. Conversely, EP is well planned and informed by existing frameworks where employees or reps are engaged in facilitating organisation operations or making decisions specifically pertaining to their strategic direction (Qin et al., 2016).
How EI and EP build relationships
The EI and EP have a direct correlation with building strong relationships in employment. According to Santoro et al. (2021), they both enhance trust-based relations, collaboration and commitment. Specifically, for EI, relationships are established by enhancing two-way communication including the feedback forms application and discussing in teams. The outcome of this is identified in Bulińska-Stangrecka and Bagieńska (2021) as assisting staff in appreciating their functions, improved morale and being confident in their organisation leadership.
Further, the EP facilitates staff or their representatives in participation in discussing in areas of policy development, workplace condition and set entity strategies (CIPD, 2022). The outcome of the shared function is anchoring accountable and mutual-based appreciation of each other hence sustainable relations. Hence, an entity is in a position of aligning staff interests with organisation strategies by leveraging on both approaches.
1.2 Union and non-union employee representation
Union Form (Unison)- Unison ranked as a leading UK union is mandated with promoting their staff health, capacity development opportunities and administration. According to CIPD (2025), for their enrolled members, it fights for their rewards, improved workplace working and improved employment support. For example, in 2023, Unison successfully negotiated for NHS employees increased remuneration and appropriate working conditions in line with health and safety. Additionally, unison provides a legal foundation and conflicts management strategy offering employees with strong. Bargaining power and a platform for championing workplace rights.
Non-Union (Employee Forums)– According to CIPD (2025a), the employee forums represent internal-based teams initiated by an entity for enhancing communication amongst the employees and admin/management. For instance, employee forums could be customised towards focusing on areas of employees wellbeing, satisfaction and alteration of set policy framework in an organisation. These forums does not integrate third parties with organisation management having overall power. The outcome of their input is identified in CIPD (2022a) as fostering open-based engagement with employees expressing opinion and ideas informally.
Similarities and differences
For Similarities; the union and non-union representation is broad but clear targets in representation of employees with their interests prioritised. Irrespective of if their implementation is by collective bargaining or negotiation, they prioritise on improving workplace conditions and satisfied staff (Opute & Mahmoud, 2023). Further, they promote communication amongst the staff and management teams. The process facilitate holistic conflicts management and managing any complaints and harmonious workplace co-existence.
Considering differences; the first one is that union representation operates externally and is not within the precincts of an organisation. Therefore, as noted in CIPD (2022a) it prioritise on the employees interests with zero biasness. Conversely, non-union representation including employees forums operate internally and with management control directly reducing autonomous nature and holistic.
A second difference is trade unions generally prioritise and could consider the employees demands in specific industries or jurisdiction. According to De Stefano and Taes (2023) this is while leveraging on embrace of the power for effective negotiations for appropriate legal rights and gains. This is different from the non-union forms which are organisation-based offering solution to specific organisation issues with their scope lacking broad influence.
1.3 Relationship of Employee voice AND organisational Performance
In a study published in Hosseini et al. (2022), it identify the employees voice as a critical aspect promoting organisation performance by harnessing trust- based relations and engagement. Employees whose voice is heard end up assisting an entity in achieving set objectives efficiently with innovativeness embraced as staff have a higher feeling of being of value. The authors similarly underscore the importance of having open-based engagement including using surveys and feedback strategy for effective decision making. Similar to Azevedo et al. (2021), the authors noted culture supporting employees voice as enhancing good relations of employees and leaders increasing retention and hence improved organisation performance in long run.
A different research in Basheer et al. (2021) focused on evaluating the sub-categories of employee voice including organisation-based and employee-based. To start with, the organisation voice is mandated to enhance feedback on an organisation effective performance. This is with the feedback on how to enhance the staff wellbeing and satisfaction recommended. These dimensions are equally identified in Barry and Wilkinson (2022) as core in development of appropriate employment relations in organisation. In line with the author findings, employees voice is relevant for improved commitment, decreased turnover and innovativeness enhanced. In the flipside/challenge, the authors highlight failure of putting the voice into action affect trust levels lowering organisation performance. This affirms on criticality of putting into action the employees voice.
Further, in Dorta-Afonso et al. (2021) research, an exploration of impact of high-performance working systems and organisation performance by initiating employees voice and innovativeness. This study findings evidenced organisations promoting employees voice by enhanced high-performance work systems as leading to improved performance levels. The research similarly hypothesised that employee voice establishes continuous improvement (Kaizen) culture and technology embrace hence a feeling of inclusion in making core organisation decisions.
Brief Summary
In line with the different reviewed sources, there exist a positive implication of employee voice and organisation performance. The studies have collectively identified antecedents of employees voice as including trust-based relations, innovativeness and how they are committed. For example, Sepahvand et al. (2021) study had evaluated existence of direct positive implications of staff engagement and retention levels. The discussions are expanded by Sypniewska et al. (2023) through evidencing on possibility to integrate employee voice to develop high performance working systems. Nevertheless, the scope of employee voice entail the impact depending on if or not leaders would implement the employees voice. This is since the entities which source for employee voice and fail to put them into action lead to trust issues reducing scope of performance. Hence, there is a need for organisations embracing balance-based strategy for promoting success in embracing employees voice and guaranteeing execution of areas of employee voice with holistic leadership in place.
1.4 Concept of better working lives and designing
Concept of better working lives
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