|
Staff Representatives Forum |
Staff Representation within business became a legal requirement in April 2005 when the Information and Consultation Regulations (ICE) came into force meaning that if the workforce request it a Staff Representative Body should be formed. As of April 2008 the regulations apply to all businesses with 50 or more employees.
The Information and Consultation regulations give employees and their representatives the right to be informed and consulted about specified issues. In order to facilitate effective communication and consultation, staff representatives are elected from existing staff members by their colleagues to represent them at meetings with the employer.
The staff representatives and the employer meet in a forum, which is essentially a joint consultative committee made up of management, HR and staff representatives from selected parts of the business. The forum is then used as a way to facilitate discussions and raise issues that impact or are likely to impact employees.
Why do I need one?
Depending on the size of your business it could already be a legal requirement if requested by staff. They can benefit the business by bridging the gap between management and the workforce and assist in two-way communications between employer and employee. If you set one up voluntarily, you avoid the risk of the default arrangements applying and can therefore operate it on your terms.
How can staff representatives have the best interests of the business at heart when they have no experience or understanding of the business strategy and management issues?
For this very reason it is very important that staff representatives have the appropriate training, development and continued support to best able them to fulfil an important, and what could potentially be a mutually beneficial role.
What are the benefits to my business?
Effective consultation is said to increase loyalty to the business, help to reduce staff turnover, keep recruitment costs down and keep expertise within the business. However, if there has not been the appropriate training and development then there is the potential that representatives may slow down the business decision-making process, create discontent within the workforce by ineffectual feedback processes and there may be occasions where confidential business information becomes available to them, you know the old saying 'loose lips sink ships!'
|
