EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

Employee Relations

Abstract

Employees are the most important part of an organization. All the processes, systems, methodologies and operations take place because of the employees. This paper studies employee relations from the perspective of an organization based in the USA that wishes to set up a call centre in the United Kingdom. This paper evaluates two different options for employee relations within the call centre. The first is the formation of a trade union and the second is the empowerment of a few employees within the organization to serve as non-union voices for the workforce. Although trade unions provide better legal support to the workforce of an organization, it is in the organizations best interests to empower certain employees to serve as the voice for the entire workforce.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Background5

Nature of the workforce6

Feasibility of option one6

Advantages7

Disadvantages7

Feasibility of option two8

Advantages9

Share information with everyone9

Create autonomy through boundaries10

Replace old hierarchy with self-managed teams10

Disadvantages10

Decision and Recommendations10

Conclusion12

References13

Employee Relations

Introduction

Employees are the most important part of an organization. All the processes, systems, methodologies and operations take place because of the employees. It is the employees that 'make it happen'. It has been observed that organizations with satisfied employees have higher productivity and output as compared to organizations with dissatisfied employees. The relationship of an organization with the employees is known as Employee Relations or Industrial Relations (Kaufman, 2004). It is crucial for organizations to maintain good relations with its employees because they are the backbone of the organization. If the employees are not properly motivated and do not work efficiently then the organization cannot work properly.

There are three aspects to building great employee relations. The first is the science that goes into the relationship, the second is the problem solving aspect and the third is the ethical and moral aspect. The science building phase seeks to understand the relationship between the organization and the workforce. The workforce of an organization is a very dynamic element. It comprises of people from different backgrounds and culture. The workforce of two organizations is never the same. It is important for an organization to identify what type of workforce it possesses and what would be the most ideal way to interact and build good relations with that workforce. The problem solving aspect focuses on the policies of the organization and the systems that are put into place to maintain formal and efficient relations with the workforce (Beardwel & Holden, 1994). Employee facilitation, human resource management, salaries and compensation, conflict resolution etc fall under problem solving. The third is the ethical and moral aspect. It considers the level to which the organization gives consideration to the ethical issues of the workplace. If the employees of an organization feel that their rights are protected and valued by the management then it motivates them to perform better and treat the organization like their own.

Background

The company under consideration for this report is an insurance company based in the USA. It is a multinational company that operates in several countries across the ...