Practical Ways HR Handles Employee and Labour Relations

Sometimes things unprecedented and unexpected happen in an organisation and employees are left in a dilemma. In such situations, they find the human resources department to be the most reliable for the expression of job concerns and securities.

In this post, we’ll be looking at two crucial topics in HR: employee relations and labour relations. They are two critical aspects of human resources management that focus on maintaining positive and productive relationships between employers, employees, and labour organisations.

What is Employee Relations?

Employee relations refers to the interactions and communications between an organisation’s management and its employees. For what purpose, you may ask? The purpose of interactions and communications between them is aimed at promoting a positive work environment, resolving conflicts, and fostering employee engagement.

Now, let’s get into labour relations.

What is Labour Relations?

While employee relations focuses on interactions and communications between an organisation’s management and its employees, labour relations, on the other hand, dwells more on the interactions and negotiations between an organisation’s management and labour unions or external labour organisations.

The purpose or aim for this is focused on collective bargaining, contract administration, and dispute resolution.

HR and Employee Relations

Human resources play a vital role in managing employee relations by developing and implementing policies, procedures, and programs that promote positive employee relationships. This includes creating a workplace culture that encourages open communication like we mentioned in our first paragraph, including other things like respect, and trust.

In carrying out this function, we find HR handling employee complaints, grievances, and conflicts, working to resolve issues promptly and fairly. This also includes developing and delivering training programs to enhance employee skills, knowledge, and well-being.

In addition, they promote employee engagement through recognition programs, employee feedback mechanisms, and other initiatives that promote a positive work environment.

HR and Labour Relations

From effectively carrying out activities in fostering employee relations, HR, in matters related to labour relations play a key role which includes negotiating and administering collective agreements, managing labour disputes, and maintaining positive relationships with labour unions and other external labour organisations. Importantly, they also develop and implement strategies to address labour relations issues, such as grievances, arbitrations, and collective bargaining.

This allow them to work closely with management and labour leaders to resolve disputes and negotiate agreements that balance the organisation’s interests with those of its employees. When issues related to unions, collective bargaining, and strike activities, the HR is found capable in handling that.

This is why we find HR prioritising training and development programs to enhance employee skills and knowledge for purposes such as employee and labour relations.

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