NCVO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
GOOD GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT FACTSHEET
Employee Relations
This information is taken from the publication The Good Guide to Employment. Find out more at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk.
This factsheet provides information on the relationships between an employer and its employees.
Communication and consultation with staff
Effective communication and consultation of the workforce is likely to bring certain benefits such as higher levels of motivation, feeling of worth, trust and value and support of management decisions.
A variety of methods can be adopted to ensure that you are communicating effectively with your workforce, holding face-to-face meetings, issue written communication or undertaking group consultation.
Employers have certain requirements placed on them in relation to consultation with the workforce, for example, consultation with employee representatives on collective redundancies and they should provide information in certain circumstances.
Staff attitude surveys are a good method of finding out the views of your workforce on such issues as what the organisation is like as a place to work, communication processes, job satisfaction and opportunities for development or promotion.
A trade union may be recognised in the workplace which means that the employer will need to consult and negotiate certain items, resulting in a collective recognition agreement. For further information, see www.bis.gov.uk.
Staff and joint committees are two further methods of collective consultation.
Legal requirements
The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 are effective from 6 April 2005 for organisations with 150+ employees, 6 April 2007 for organisations with 100-149 employees and 6 April 2008 for organisations with 50-99 employees.
The regulations require employers to inform and consult with employees in certain circumstances.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act gives legal protection to workers who ‘blow the whistle’ about wrongdoing in the organisation.
To find out more on employee relations matters, visit the following websites:
1. Acas: Provides information relevant to all new and existing employers www.acas.org.uk
2. NCVO provides free information, signposting and services for trustees, staff and volunteers www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
3. Business Link: Provides information for those becoming an employer for the first time www.businesslink.gov.uk
4. The Directory of Social Change: Provide information and training for the voluntary sector www.dsc.org.uk
5. Public Concern at Work (PCAW): Provides free help and advice around whistleblowing www.pcaw.co.uk
6. Trades Union Congress (TUC): Produces leaflets and publications around employee relations; provides advice around employee relations www.tuc.org.uk