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Collective employee relations

Laura Merrylees Editor's message: Establishing good relations with trade unions and employee representatives can reap numerous benefits for your organisation. A good relationship will help when it comes to consulting in connection with key business changes, such as large-scale redundancies and TUPE transfers. Having an effective and productive relationship with your representatives can help consultations to run smoothly and avoid the risk of multiple employment tribunal claims.

Beyond any legal requirement to consult, establishing a culture where collective employee relations is fundamental to the way in which your organisation engages with its workforce can help to engender trust and transparency. Where there is the potential for conflict, good employee relations can provide a mechanism for resolution and open channels of communication. Conversely, where collective employee relations have broken down, organisations are exposed to the risk of industrial action, business disruption and a loss of productivity.

Laura Merrylees, senior employment law editor

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