Consultation at Work
Regulation and Practice
1st Edition
Published on 25. October 2012
Book
Hardback
226 pages
978-0-19-960546-0 (ISBN)
Description
The practice of consultation between senior managers and employee representatives has a long history in British employment relations yet has often been overshadowed by discussions on collective bargaining. In the last few decades, the importance of consultation has been elevated by two main trends: the decline in trade union membership and the retreat from collective bargaining in the private sector on the one hand, with the result that consultation may be the only form of collective employee voice available; and the programme of legislative support for consultation by the European Union since the 1970s on the other.
The book charts the meaning and development of consultation in the twentieth century and explores the justifications for the practice. It shows how EU intervention to promote consultation evolved and changed, paying particular attention to the adoption of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations, which became fully operational in enterprises with 50 or more employees in 2008. Analysing the half-hearted response to EU consultation initiatives by the social partners in Britain, it provides a critical assessment of successive UK governments' handling of the issue. Drawing on the authors' empirical research in twenty-five organizations, the book closely examines the take-up and impact of consultation regulations, and explores the processes involved in effective consultation.
Consultation at Work looks at the dynamics of consultation and draws a contrast between 'active' consultation of the type envisaged by the EU, and more limited consultation used as a means of communication. Discussing the UK experience in comparative perspectives, it asks what has to happen for the take-up of consultation to improve and suggests the changes that should be made to the EU Directive and UK ICE Regulations.
The book charts the meaning and development of consultation in the twentieth century and explores the justifications for the practice. It shows how EU intervention to promote consultation evolved and changed, paying particular attention to the adoption of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations, which became fully operational in enterprises with 50 or more employees in 2008. Analysing the half-hearted response to EU consultation initiatives by the social partners in Britain, it provides a critical assessment of successive UK governments' handling of the issue. Drawing on the authors' empirical research in twenty-five organizations, the book closely examines the take-up and impact of consultation regulations, and explores the processes involved in effective consultation.
Consultation at Work looks at the dynamics of consultation and draws a contrast between 'active' consultation of the type envisaged by the EU, and more limited consultation used as a means of communication. Discussing the UK experience in comparative perspectives, it asks what has to happen for the take-up of consultation to improve and suggests the changes that should be made to the EU Directive and UK ICE Regulations.
Reviews / Votes
In the book, [the authors] convincingly argue the case for government, employers, and trade unions ... taking a more positive attitude towards this institution. They situate consultation in its historical context in the UK ... ; explain the drivers behind the European Community's desire to generalise the institution at the turn of the century; and examine the British government's tepid transposition of the EU rules. Above all, they present the results of their own research on the impact of the EU rules in the UK to date and make powerful suggestions for a reassessment of the value of consultation, on the part of both domestic government and trade unions. A book to be studied with close attention by those interested in the future of the collective representation of workers towards their employers in a time of declining union membership and shrinking collective bargaining coverage. * Paul L. Davies QC (hon), FBA, Allen & Overy Professor of Corporate Law, University of Oxford * Consultation at Work is a worthy successor to the long line of classic monographs produced by members of the Industrial Relations Research Unit at the University of Warwick. It is a definitive study that presents invaluable original research, sets it in a policy and intellectual context, and advances our understanding of the process and significance of employee voice in the contemporary workplace. The writing of books of this kind has become less common amongst Industrial Relations scholars but Consultation at Work demonstrates the continuing value of this form of academic output. It is a work of immense scholarship that provides an integrated analysis of its subject and of which its authors can be justly proud. * Edmund Heery, Professor of Employment Relations, Cardiff Business School * The publication of this exceptional work could not be better timed - especially with the added interest being shown in the whole concept of consultation at work and its crucial linkage to Employee Engagement. Written by two of the most talented academics working in the field of British Employment Relations, the book provides a crisp analysis, and sometimes sorry history of consultation in British workplaces. I would recommend this book as compulsory-reading for CEO's, Trade Union General Secretaries, policy makers and politicians alike. Mark Hall and John Purcell provide not only analysis and history but crucial and gentle prescription of how consultation at work could be improved. * Ed Sweeney, Chair, ACAS * As the country struggles to escape from the current financial crisis, caused at least in part by rising inequality and poor boardroom behaviour, this illuminating and authoritative book on consultation shows there are better ways to run a firm and the UK economy. This is a must read for ministers, managers and trade unionists. * Lord John Monks, Former General Secretary, TUC and European TUC *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Academics, researchers, and graduate students in HRM, and Employment and Labour Law; employment relations policy makers, employment lawyers, trade union officers, managers, and employment representatives
Illustrations
Tables
Tables
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
508 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-960546-0 (9780199605460)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2012
1st Edition
OUP Oxford
€97.09
Available for download
Persons
Mark Hall is Professorial Fellow at the Industrial Relations Research Unit, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick. He previously worked on the TUC's head office staff throughout the 1980s. He has written extensively on the legal regulation of employee representation. He acted as a consultant to the European Commission, 1990-1, working on the European Works Councils Directive and revision of collective redundancies Directive, and to the Department of Trade and Industry, 1997-2001, advising on the UK implementation of the EWCs and information and consultation Directives. He co-edited European Works Councils Bulletin, 1995-2006. and is co-ordinator of UK input to the European Industrial Relations Observatory. His research interests include the legal regulation of employment relations, EU and British employment law policy, European Works Councils, and employee information and consultation.
John Purcell is a specialist in the management of employment relations and HRM with a particular interest in business strategies and the way they impact on employees' attitudes and behaviour and affect performance. He is an active researcher and has led research teams looking at HRM and performance, performance related pay, mergers and acquisitions, the role of line managers, the use of agency workers and the management of change. His latest research with Mark Hall focussed on the practice of collective consultation and the impact of the law in this area. Following 14 years as a University Lecturer at Oxford University, he worked for 12 years as Professor of Human Resource Management at Bath University before moving to the Industrial Relations Research Unit at Warwick Business School where he is now an Associate Fellow. He has written or co-authored 7 books and over 50 academic papers. He is an Acas arbitrator and a Deputy Chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee.
John Purcell is a specialist in the management of employment relations and HRM with a particular interest in business strategies and the way they impact on employees' attitudes and behaviour and affect performance. He is an active researcher and has led research teams looking at HRM and performance, performance related pay, mergers and acquisitions, the role of line managers, the use of agency workers and the management of change. His latest research with Mark Hall focussed on the practice of collective consultation and the impact of the law in this area. Following 14 years as a University Lecturer at Oxford University, he worked for 12 years as Professor of Human Resource Management at Bath University before moving to the Industrial Relations Research Unit at Warwick Business School where he is now an Associate Fellow. He has written or co-authored 7 books and over 50 academic papers. He is an Acas arbitrator and a Deputy Chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee.
Content
1. Consultation at Work: Competing Agendas, Differing Expectations ; 2. Justifications for Consultation ; 3. Legislating for Employee Consultation: the Significance of EU-level Regulation ; 4. Half-hearted Regulation in the UK ; 5. The Take-up and Impact of Statutory Consultation ; 6. The Practice of Consultation ; 7. The Dynamics of Consultation ; 8. The Future of Consultation ; Appendix