NATIONAL PEN LIMITED

National Pen Limited

National Pen Limited

Introduction

Given the immense uncertainty within which businesses in Ireland across all sectors are currently operating, harsh new economic realities are now taking holds which are fundamentally reshaping the nature of the employment relationship.

In many respects what we are now witnessing is the re-emergence, albeit perhaps on a temporary basis, of the old "master-servant" employment relationship as the "balance of power" shifts towards the employer. Skilled highly-paid employees engaged in all areas of the service sector are now no longer in the ascendancy as they recalibrate their priorities. Stability within their working lives is now being given a higher priority over the pursuit of variety, flexibility and self autonomy in how they provide their services.

Of course it is not that the basic floor of statutory or contractual rights has diminished, but rather that it is now National Pen Limited that are running with the flexible working baton and in a very practical sense are able to impose sweeping changes to terms of the employment contract, which would have been unthinkable only a matter of months ago.

Impact of Economic Downturn

Businesses and Irish employers need to ensure they are taking great care over the employee relations in order to ensure they are in a strong position to grow as the recession ends. While recent research indicates employee satisfaction levels seem to be currently high, this is a reflection of work that Irish employers have put in the past to create good relationships. Now, as the downturn leads to job losses and other strains on the workforce, Irish employers must ensure that they keep employee relations as a core tenet of their business operations.

Irish employers are looking beyond the recession as part of an effort to determine what kind of workforce they will have in the future and if the business is in a suitable position to be able to increase momentum. There has been a lot more care ... about employee relations in this recession than perhaps in previous ones. Irish employers have been keen to protect their relations with staff throughout this recession and, indeed, over recent years, noting that the development of such relationships is not something that comes and goes with economic circumstances. Ensuring workers are equipped with the correct skills for their job is beneficial for business success. Recent research from the Work Foundation found that around 40 per cent of employees have more skills than their jobs require, with some 20 per cent of graduates currently working in log knowledge content jobs.

Key Issues Facing National Pen Limited

Below is a summary of some of the key issues that face National Pen Limited seeking to impose fundamental changes to terms and conditions of employment and/or to reorganise their businesses in Ireland:

Identify the key strategic objectives and be clear and concise in communicating to the employees what changes are being sought and why those changes are necessary. Establish a clear timeline as to when it is intended that the changes will take ...