From April 6 2008, companies and organisations employing more than 50 staff need to put systems in place to allow meaningful dialogue to take place between managers and staff, providing enough staff request them.
The new Information and Consultation Regulations implement rights contained in an EU Directive. They are rights that many workforces across Europe already enjoy, and mean that for the first time Britain will have a general framework requiring employers to inform and consult employees and their representatives on a range of key business, employment and restructuring issues.
Employees now have a right to be told what's going on and a right to be heard. It should put a stop to the 'bolts from the blue' where in the past staff heard their jobs were to be axed via text messages or by listening to the local radio.
Of course, many well-run, successful companies have been informing and consulting with their employees for years, through agreements negotiated with unions, or through Works Councils or staff forums. Sensible employers know only too well the competitive edge that comes from helping staff feel more valued and involved in the running of their firm or organisation. Only bad managers who insist on keeping their staff in the dark have anything to fear from these new regulations.
The rights under the Directive are meant to add to any existing rights employees have rather than replace them. Therefore in cases of collective redundancies and Transfers of Undertaking (under TUPE Regulations) the existing rights for recognised unions to be informed and consulted will continue to apply.
