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According
to Armstrong (2014), employee relations are the methods and approaches adopted
by the employers to deal with the employees, either collectively through their
trade unions or individually. These are concerned with managing the employment
relationship and the psychological contract.
Employment
Relationship Defined
International Labour Organization defines employment
relationship as the legal attachment between employers and employees. This
attachment is created when people engage in work or services under certain
rules in return for wages.
As mentioned
by CIPD (2005), the following are included in
employment relationship,
• Managing
the employment contract.
• Ensuring
compliance with employment law.
• Communication with employers by way of employee surveys and team briefings.
• Promoting
retention,involvement and engagement.
• Discussion and negotiation, with or without trade unions to achieve the collective goals.
Psychological
Contract Defined
As
per Schein (1988), an implicit contractual relationship exists between employer
and employee, which is created from a series of assumptions on
the part of employer and employee about the nature of their relationship. Assumptions
which are mutual understandings, creates a series of expectations that may have
a considerable degree of moral force, but may not be legally enforceable.
The
main assumptions are that,
• Fair
and honest treatment from employers.
• Equity and justice will be the base of the relationship, which will require adequate information about developments and changes.
• Employee
loyalty to the employer will be reciprocated with a degree of employment and
job security.
• Employer will value and recognized the input from employees.
International Example on Employee Relations
According to Fortune's Global Most Admired Companies list Dell is placed third. They maintain a very strong employee relations, through adopting a winning culture and has become a great company and a great place to work’.
Employee relations in ITV (The oldest and largest commercial
terrestrial television network in United Kingdom) is based on collective
bargaining, consultation with elected employee representatives and direct
engagement with individuals.
Conclusion
Organizations formulate and implement plans according to their
policies, to achieve the set goals, with the consideration of productive
relationships and the needs of employees to be treated justly.
Reference
Armstrong, M., 2014. Armstrong's Hand of Human Resource Management
Practice. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Kogan Page.
Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development (2005). What in
Employee Relations?. London: CIPD
Leat, M., 2014. Employee Relations. Edinburgh
Business School, 1041(January).
Schein, E., 1988. Organizational
Psychology. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Accessed on
23rd May 2018 at 11.20am