Employee Relations

There are many different reasons for organisations to want a good relationship with their employees, but most of all, I believe it comes down to loyalty. A loyal employee is an individual that values his/her job, shows gratitude through effort and quality of work and easily goes the extra mile, should that be required from the task at hand. Needless to say that an organisation with a large number of employees would benefit enormously from their loyalty and trust.

HRM has a very important role to play in developing employee relations. The purpose of the department itself, the main reason for its existence, is to manage the employees’ life cycle. A few of the operations that HRM can run to do that are:

· organize training sessions;

· create an induction program for new employees;

· offer guidance for the employees’ needs;

· support the development of the workers’ careers.

The main objective of Industrial Relations is, without a doubt, to guarantee healthy relations between employers and employees, but we can also include:

· to facilitate overall production and individual productivity;

· to avoid strikes, work stoppages and the likes;

· to create and maintain industrial democracy;

· to safeguard the rights of workers and employers.

Among the many functions of a good industrial relations system we can find:

· open communication: it’s fundamental for the employee to feel he/she can express his/her thoughts freely and communicate openly with colleagues and superiors;

· recognition: Recognizing and rewarding an employee’s good work is a practice that provides many benefits to industrial relations. Other employees can get motivated looking for the same kind of reward or recognition for doing a good job, and the rewarded employee can see the appreciation of what he/she does and keep up the good work;

· constant feedback: it’s a good habit for managers to often provide employees with feedback, whether it be praise or constructive criticism. It may not be possible to congratulate or correct an employee’s work right after completion of a task, so building a habit of continuous feedback can make up for employees’ doubts about their doing and where they stand in their managers’ eyes;

· investment: a great way to build good relations in the workplace is for managers to invest in employees’ private lives, encourage them to pursue hobbies outside of work or even offer gym memberships to help them take care of their bodies.

The elements that form an employee relations system are generally:

· the employment policies and practices;

· rules that determine how employees are expected to behave at work and the regulation of the way they are treated by their employers. Systems that decide for rewards and the handling of disputes. It is also included the development and application of such systems and set of rules;

· anything concerning how employees can communicate and voice out their concerns and opinions;

· the occurrence of the process created by the continuous communications between supervisors, managers and employees’ representatives;

· policies, rules and philosophies of the main components of the market in which the organisation operates, such as the government, trade unions and management;

· all the human components of the industry: the state, management, employers’ organisation, trade unions, employee representatives and employees;

· the legal structures;

· institutions such as the “ACAS” and the employment tribunals.

There are countless benefits that an organisation can gain from a strong functioning relationship with its employees, and there’s not a single one to wish otherwise. Harmony in the workplace is always an upside, and there are several ways in which an organisation can make attempts to achieve that:

· The creation and periodic revision of an employee relations plan, some sort of document that states how and when training should be conducted, how to deal with disputes and so on;

· the conduction of an employee relations assessment, to verify the effectiveness of the plan and hear out any opinions or concerns;

· praising effort, recognizing the hard work of your employees, which also motivates them and the others around them to keep it up, as they feel valued and appreciated. Taking the workers and their efforts for granted is the easiest way not to build any trust and make the job tough on everyone, managers included;

· being clear in communicating the roles and the expectations for everyone’s work;

· ensuring a chance for growth: career development can play a motivating role in the employees’ efforts and loyalty to the organisation;

· defining clear boundaries for employees and their decision making, trusting them with responsibilities can encourage them to be proactive;

· avoiding micromanaging, as it’s a clear sign of a lack of trust from the management;

· setting parameters to determine what’s acceptable and what isn’t, then operate between those boundaries being forgiving, supporting and encouraging.

All these practises and strategies can easily improve production, reduce conflicts, guarantee loyalty and increase individual motivation.

“Employee relations” is a term used to define every aspect of an industrial relationship between the organization and its employees; specifically, it concerns the physical, emotional, contractual, and practical efforts to maintain a positive relationship with its employees. The main goal of every employee relations strategy is to improve relationships and collaboration in the workplace. Harmonious employee relations develop trust and mutual respect.

Building a strong relationship between employer and employees is the ultimate key to a successful business. In more detail, a successful employee relations system can:

· ensure development and growth for the organization;

· reduce conflicts;

· increase the revenue;

· create more loyal employees, as modern companies face a huge amount of turnover resulting in wasted training and a decrease in reputation;

Every individual looks forward to working in a comfortable place with a healthy atmosphere. The owner then has to work in developing a culture that promotes positivity, discipline, and coordination among people. When employees are happy, they look forward to contributing to their establishment's vision, mission, and goals.