Communication, Manager Training Can Prevent Employee Disputes
DLA Piper, November 2010
Available
online
In September and October 2010, DLA Piper, in partnership with YouGovStone, conducted a research study of more than 500 senior UK decision makers to gauge the current mood in employee relations and identify the impact industrial unrest is having on UK businesses. The report, Economics of Employee Relations, reveals that 88 percent of respondents anticipate increased industrial action in the coming months and 26 percent had been involved in an industrial dispute in the last five years. The most common cause was pay and benefits.
The best option for any employer seeking to prevent disputes arising is communication. Employees are more likely to accept workplace change if they are consulted about it. It is also vital for senior management to endorse proposed changes in communication with employees. Effective training of managers, so they are prepared for how to deal with resistant staff, is also key, the report says.
A positive working relationship with employees can bring long-term benefits in enabling better communication, avoiding future disputes and working together to establish new work practices and increase productivity. When attempting to resolve a particular dispute, employers should keep in mind the benefits of achieving a long-term solution that is acceptable to both sides, rather than attempting to avoid immediate industrial action in the short term while risking damaging relations with the workforce.
