Survey: Employee communications

While employers' approaches to internal communication continue to range from the formal to the ad hoc, our survey identifies an increase in newly established consultative bodies and a steady flow of organisations tightening up their informing and consulting arrangements.

On this page:
IRS research on informing and consulting
Why communicate with employees?
      Chart 1: Why organisations communicate with employees
Methods used to inform employees
      Chart 2: Methods used to inform employees on organisational matters
      Most effective methods of informing employees
      Chart 3: Most effective methods of informing employees on organisational matters
Methods used to consult with employees
      Chart 4: Methods used to encourage dialogue with employees
      Most effective methods of two-way communication
      Chart 5: Most effective methods of encouraging dialogue with employees
Differing approaches to informing and consulting
Consultative bodies
      Chart 6: Year in which consultative bodies were established   
      Frequency of meetings
      Who attends consultative meetings?
      Consulting without a permanent consultative body
Legislation on informing and consulting employees
      Issues covered in communications
      Chart 7: Issues on which employers inform and consult staff
      Have the ICE Regulations provoked change?
      Recent changes made to informing and consulting arrangements
      Planned changes
      Focus on small organisations
HR views on informing and consulting arrangements
The importance of giving feedback
Box 1: Our research
Box 2: The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations
Table 1: Details of consultative bodies at 48 organisations
Table 2: Changes to informing and consulting arrangements
Box 3: Speaking from experience - respondents' advice on informing and consulting employees
Additional resources.