UK employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UK employee relations - Essay Example Employer-employee relationship is something that has been a cause of concern for the better part of history. In the past, there was little that employees could do to object to the treatment that was a part of their daily lives as a consequence of the actions of the employers. Then the springing up of various trade unions granted both employees and workers some power to sit at a table with businessmen and argue for their rights. Recent years have seen a trend in countries across the globe that has led to more protection to employees and programs have been introduced to better the interaction between employers and their respective employees. It is important however, to assess with a critical eye how the multiple legislations and laws that have been created are being implemented and if they truly are helping the workers. Employee relations is a complicated branch of interactions in the economic context and encompasses the interaction of employees, employers, trade unions, and government s on a regular basis (Rose, 2008, p.3). Employee relations are a term that has only recently been bought to the forefront in order to change the layout of how the relationship is between employers and their employers. This term indicates a particular subject matter unique to it and was previously known as industrial relations, which may still be used now. Debate may arise as to the meaning of the two terms and some say that it is clearly insignificant. There are some who argue that the use of the term industrial relation would drag in trade unions that are no longer as strong as they used to be. Employee relations would encompass the service sector which is currently employing about seventy percent of the workforce of a country that is developed (Leat, 2007, p. 5). Employee relation would also include as well as leave out if it is applicable, the idea of unions and other blocs. Industrial relation systems were mainly established in the early twentieth century when there was a demand for labor and a large amount of employment to go with that and not a lot of skilled labor (Dicker, 2003, p. 9). When there grew a scarcity of labor the trade unions gained more bargaining power and wages were higher yet there was no clear relationship that existed between employers and employees and the unions were becoming a way of life. So in the twenty first century there was change in mindset as to the idea of relations in the market and employees were seen to not test boundaries by questioning and participating in a business. With employee relations there is now an emphasis on searching for talent and then grooming it and allowing it to continue. Employee relations can mean various things to the employers. Some of these may be that employee relations can mainly be looked at as more of a philosophy rather than some form of management that is well defined. A shift is also beginning to take place now with power shifting from the trade unions to the individuals in workplaces. This may be due to the drop in membership of trade unions which was at one time at a high of about twelve million plus and has since fallen to about seen million (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, 2010). The review of the Employment Relations Act of 1999 was an example of the legislative measures that were taken to curb the role of trade unions. The reason for the passing of this review was to make changes to the labor market in order to provide a more fair and long-lasting platform for the development of healthy employee relations. It was purported that the review of the Employment Relations Act of 1999, and the subsequent measures, would help to boast the rate of employment and to integrate both justice and flexibility in the industrial system of the country. According to the Employment Relations Act of 1999, the employers had the authority to recognize or derecognize a trade union for the intention of collective bargaining where most of the employees are in favor of it. I n a research study conducted, most of the