Challenges in Employee Relations in Australia

This essay discusses the main challenges in employee relations in Australia, including managing workplace change, dealing with disputes, discrimination, working hours, and leave. It also explores the current challenges faced by the union and enterprise bargaining system and the impact of the pandemic on employee relations.

ESSAY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
Discuss the main challenges regarding employee relations in Australia...............................1
Current challenges faced by union and enterprise bargaining system...................................3
Describe the impact of pandemic on it...................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Employee relations defines the efforts of company in order to manage effective relations
among employee and employers. In an organisation, healthy and good employee relations
program tends to offer fair and consistent treatment of all the employees so that they can easily
committed to their job. In regard of this, employees are the most essential part of an organisation
as no business run prominently without effective workforce. In terms of this, employers need to
manage effective relationships within an organisation in terms of effective functioning and also
tends to avoid problems for effective performance (Jennings & Undy, 2017). For this,
organisations tends to develop employee relations programs which is the part of human resource
strategy that is designed in order to make sure the appropriate use of employees in order to
achieve the mission and vision of company. Along with this, human resource strategies are
deliberately develop plan for organisations that are useful for them in terms of gaining
competitive advantage in the market area. The report is going to cover the prominent challenges
concerning the employee relations in Australia and also discuss the current challenges that are
faced by bargaining system. Lastly, it also describe the significant influence of these challenges
on the pandemic.
MAIN BODY
Discuss the main challenges regarding employee relations in Australia
Every workplace is dynamic in nature and always changes as per the trends and demand
and it depicts the range of issues that tends to deliver the uberisation that impact the delivery of
services considering the recruitment, responding to ageing workforce and other demographic
changes. Moreover, the range of possibilities are endless which include significant changes in
technology that result in the modification is skills composition at various workplaces. Along with
this, various issues that are associated with the changing nature within the organisation and also
undertake best management of opportunities and risk that occur from the evolution of modern
entity (Sahoo & Sahoo, 2019). In terms of this, significant changes concerning the employee
relations represent the effective engagement of employees at the workplace and also engage
them with flexible working arrangements. In terms of this, few challenges are mentioned as
under:
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Managing workplace change: It depicts the prominent management and involvement of
employees within an organisation and it is important especially at the time of implementing
change and meeting consultation obligations with dispersed workforce. Furthermore, flexible
working hours and effective culture is important in an organisation in order to manage workforce
more effectively (Samwel, 2018). In regard of this, clear and rigorous communication is require
with effective engagement strategies. Along with this, proper consulting with employees is
important and also mitigating the adverse impact on the employees regarding the flexible and
unique arrangements which is more careful at the time of effective planning.
Dealing with disputes: It depicts the effective procedure of prominently dealing with
disputes and other grievances in order to provide information for effective discussions within an
organisation. Furthermore, effective escalation and proper involvement of employee
representative is also important at the senior level in terms of dealing with significant changes
and other disputes (Maheshwari, Samal & Bhamoriya, 2020). Along with this, it is also
important to make sure prominent steps appropriately regarding the participants that may be
different as per the work locations and also undertake that their will be no clear organisational
hierarchy for effectively manage services. Along with this, if any kind of disputes and grievances
tends to remain unresolved for the particular period of time and also undertaken with inefficient
processes that tends to deal with these various arrangements. It also tends to represent the
chilling effect for resolving issues and concerning grievances that become entrenched.
Discrimination: Employees have the right under fair work act and also undertake several
state and national anti-discrimination statues that should not be discriminated against because of
race, colour, sexual preferences, age, martial statues, family and other kind of disability. In terms
of this, each and every organisation need to undertake anti-discrimination act and concerning
principles and standards that should be apply effectively from the stipulate period of time
regarding job application and throughout the employment relationship (Kataria & Gupta, 2020).
In regard of this, in Australia, various types of discrimination is seen among employees on the
grounds of post, physical appearance, gender and so on that tends to discourage the motivation
level of individuals.
Working hours: Employees covered by the national workplace relation system
significantly have the standard working week of around 38 hours and it is provided by the NES
and for this, employers are not able to make any request for employees regarding to work more
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than the standard 38 hours and employees also have the right to refuse to work extra hours
undertaking their rights which is unreasonable. Along with this, as the matter of standards,
working hours more than 38 hours in a week tends to get agreed to between employers and
employees which is also reasonable and provide things overtime which is more applicable
awarded and agreed with terms and conditions. Away with this, NES also specifies that flexible
working hours are important within an organisation also have been working for the employers
for at least 12 months prior to the request for the flexible hours for the employees in order to
continue the effective employment.
Leave: It become the biggest issue as many organisations does not offer prominent leaves
to their employees that tends to influence their overall performance. Along with this, it is quite
ineffective regarding the supplementary leave allowance for the effective shifts of workers.
Along with this, employees also entitled to have 10 paid personal leaves in a year that also cover
personal illness and the prominent need of care for the members to their immediate family. In
regard of this, employees also entitled to take 2 days unpaid leave for each occasion in they need
proper care to their immediate family member. Along with this, employees tends to cover an
award for the enterprise agreement or individual contract which is different and also offer
significant entitlements regarding excess of those minimum standards (Abdullah, 2017).
The unfair dismissal: This challenge undertake the significant issues regarding the
treatment of employees and for this, unfair dismissal provision of fair work act is apply to the
national workplace relations employees. For this, least period of service applies in terms of
qualifying employees in order to bring an unfair dismissal claim and prominent employees for
the high income earner. Along with this, under the unfair dismissal scheme, if dismissal is quite
harsh or unreasonable then the employees are able to challenge for dismissal to the fair work
commission (De Prins, Stuer & Gielens, 2020). Furthermore, particular considerations should be
apply for the small business and it should be claim and lodged with fair work commission within
21 days for the dismissal. Furthermore, commission also has significant power like reinstatement
and effective payment for the compensation to the wronged employee.
Current challenges faced by union and enterprise bargaining system
The current survey is done by the Australian employers across all the industries that has
revealed some sort of interesting outcomes in order to find significant things for the current
enterprise bargaining landscape and also undertake some federal labour proposed changes for the
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effective work legislations that tends to impact the businesses if they are elected for the
significant regulation. In regard of this, various polices and schemes are discussed as under:
Labour's IR policy: It is undertaken as the labour's key proposal which is amended to the
fair work act in order to significantly launch and introduce compulsory arbitration under the
prominent agreement of company. In regard of this, from the prominent survey it is identified
that around 60% of the employers are more concerned by the respondents and also tends to
comment like unions should include us in the commission at every other day of meeting but it is
not possible for the unions. As involvement of many employees in the union tends to occur
conflict among them and create confusion between people. Furthermore, labour's proposal
highlights the prominent challenges for the employers in order to achieve flexibility at the
workplace only when the unions are increasingly seek more and more prescription for the
industrial instruments (Brander & Zhang, 2017). Furthermore, the majority of employers
surveyed and also concerned regarding the proposals of labour that prohibit employer lockouts at
the time of effective bargaining and represent effective limit and competence in order to
terminate expired enterprise agreements.
Survey: Many of the factors tends to negotiate enterprise agreements and undertake
findings for the experience of employers when the bargaining will be quite unsurprising. For this,
some of the prominent finding consider the signifiant complexities for the existing enterprise
agreement system and some of the risk which is involved with bargaining as it is mentioned as
under: Increased industrial action: It is quite clear that the industrial action tends to remain
with the key features for bargaining around 55% of employers surveyed that indicate the
prominent approval for the actions of industries and also sought when they occurred in
the recent bargaining criteria. Along with this, it also tends to represent approximately
50% increase in survey that tends to include the prominent rise in both unprotected and
protected industrial actions taken by the employees (Khoreva, Vaiman & Van Zalk,
2017). Increased time frames for effective negotiation: Around 39% of the employers surveyed
depicts that it took around 12 months to bargain from an agreement and leads to increase
the prominent length for the time taken to negotiate agreements.
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 Increase scrutiny in the approval process: It depicts that more than half of the surveys
tends to face more difficulties in order to get most recent enterprise agreement and their
overall approval. For this, key reason tends to include not passing the prominent position
for the union opposing for their applications and also consider the significant needs and
requirements of employees. Moreover, most of the employers also note that their should
be more difficulties in order to obtain fair work commission for their approval regarding
the significant agreement and also wait for around 6 months to apply for the prominent
approval of agreement (Conway & Bailey, 2016). Furthermore, fair work commission
tends to speed up the prominent approval for all the enterprise agreements. For this,
current indications that are undertaken for the commission process and takes up around 4
months for the hearing and prominent approval for the prominent issues that are no
longer raised. In terms of this, it tends to delay and reduce the existing needs of
employers and employees regarding the prominent certainty of results in the prominent
conditions of employment.
New technology at the workplace: It undertake signifiant technology and other
concerning equipments at the workplace in order to replace workers. It is more famous and
trendy in Australia and other western countries for the collective bargaining which is likely to
face these issues. Along with this, outsourcing can also be used in terms of spotting the unions
and also for workplace automation which is quite similar for the threat of jobs and future
expansion. Away with this, at the workplace technology, discussion for the effective use of
technology is likely to become prominent key for the bargaining and undertake the possibility of
automation (Brewster, 2019). Despite from this, anticipating the signifiant impact on workers
tends to open the door for employers in order to bargain for the gains in the favour when the
union opposes regarding the limit of autonomous technology.
Transparency with employees and other staff members: Effective unions becomes quite
savvy in order to communicate with staff members concerning their potential employees. Along
with this, union leaders tends to prominently focus on the being more transparent with their
members at the time of bargaining process. In terms of this, they also tends to develop strong
communication and concerning networks which is more centred on the social media and other
online modes regarding the effective development of mobile applications and company specific
websites, twitter accounts and other facebook pages. In regard of this, employers face union
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organising campaign for the effective negotiation of a contract and need to invest within the
robust communication strategies and consider employees as well. Away with this, social media
and other online communications boards are important especially to millennials and other
employee demographics in order to seek prominent information from all these sources.
Favorability of unions on the rise: The prominent favourable union rating is important
for the effective awareness and in terms of this, employers need to be very aware in terms of
upcoming trends especially at the time of communicating with employees within an organisation
and also undertake bargaining campaign (Pawar, 2016). Moreover, criticizing unions as well,
prominently could backfire in terms of effective communication and other strategies that should
be formulated in order to focus on concerning issues instead of signifiant unions and membership
of union itself. Despite from this, responding towards the organising campaigns and also prepare
for the collective bargaining which is the signifiant challenge and also think about prominent
issues for investing in significant training and education of managers that will help in order to
manage the process and also helps in achieving favourable outcome.
Describe the impact of pandemic on it
The government of Australia has opted special measures in order to manage the spread of
COVID 19 and also announce it to the state of general mobilisation considering the majority of
both private and public sector companies that are placed under the lock-down, suspension of
commercial flights, public gatherings were restricted and other institutions and businesses were
forced to shut down. In terms of this, signifiant businesses who offer essential goods and the
healthcare sector were exempted in the lock down situation. Along with this, banking sector and
operations have been more restricted to the minimum and undertake all the prominent safety
measures that were imposed by the government (Moore & Piwek, 2017). Furthermore, they also
tends to execute essential measures in order to offer safe working environment that prevent from
the transmission of COVID 19 at the workplace. Hence, the prominent measures that are adopted
by the employers are basically governed by the labour law and also regulate within the
relationship among employers and employees and also develop effective rights and obligations.
In regard of this, impact of employee relations on pandemic is mentioned as under:
Remote working: Many organisations tends to embrace remote working in order to
maintain effective productivity and also make sure the prominent continuation of significant
business activities. Therefore, moving to the remote working also tends to bring challenges that
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also impact the efficiency. Moreover, the prominent guidelines and standards have been issued
by the government in terms of offering effective services to remote working and also tends to
identify mechanisms for effective management. Along with this, no regulation have been issued
considering the rights and obligations for both employers and employees. Hence employees are
significantly expected to retain their obligations under the existing employment agreement and
also agreed for the mandatory legal provisions.
Annual leave with pay: Employers tends to need their employees to take paid annual
leave in terms of low business activity and also tends to offer full time employees that are
entitled for the 15 days and minors have 21 days of annual leave with full pay which is provided
for the effectively employed for one year. Because of the pandemic, the annual leave criteria
tends to eliminate or removed by the employers and also lay off their employees as it leads to
save money factor. Furthermore, annual leave is significantly granted on the grounds of
employee request as employers have wish to start the employees annual leave for their discretion
(Ugoani, 2019). Along with this, labour law provide to employer the effective determination of
timing of annual leave which is based on the work requirements and also does not set out with
the process of doing things.
Unpaid leave: This factor also tends to under the applicable law as for this, the labour
law tends to offer minimum 15 days annual leave with full day payment. For this, employers and
employees are agree on the additional leave that reduces and employee get no payment. As this
factor has major impact on the jobs and prominently functioning of an organisation. In general,
these measures are regulated for the employment contract undertaking the work schedules or
other internal employment regulations. Despite from this, it also consider the written agreement
which is done by employees in general and also tends to sought things with the evidence of
arrangement (Nazir & Tran, 2016). In regard of this, the subject matter remains with the effective
assessment and discretion on the basis of situation.
Reduction of salaries: The current pandemic has negative impact on the jobs and salaries
of employees as in this, employers leads to cut down a part or section of salary from their
employees that leads to destroy effective relations among employees and employers and tends to
develop issues among them. In terms of this, business hours are significantly concerned with the
salaries and based on the employment contract and employee work schedules for both internal
and employment regulations.
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CONCLUSION
By considering the significant information, it is analysed that it is important to have
effective relationship among employees which is useful in achieving significant goals and
objectives on the stipulated period of time. Moreover, it is also useful for company to have good
and healthy relations among employees which is useful in enhancing their overall performance
and productivity. Furthermore, in this report various challenges are described for employees
relations in Australia and prominent issues that are faced due to bargaining system. It also
describe the significant influence of these challenges on the pandemic.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abdullah, A. B. M. (2017). Managing the psychological contract: Employee relations in South
Asia. Springer.
Brander, J. A., & Zhang, W. (2017). Employee relations and innovation: an empirical analysis
using patent data. Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 26(4), 368-384.
Brewster, C. (2019). Comparative Employee Relations: An Overview of Contemporary
Developments and Scholarship. In International Comparative Employee Relations.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
Conway, E & Bailey, C. (2016). Demands or resources? The relationship between HR practices,
employee engagement, and emotional exhaustion within a hybrid model of employment
relations. Human Resource Management, 55(5), 901-917.
De Prins, P., Stuer, D., & Gielens, T. (2020). Revitalizing social dialogue in the workplace: the
impact of a cooperative industrial relations climate and sustainable HR practices on
reducing employee harm. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management, 31(13), 1684-1704.
Jennings, C & Undy, R. (2017). Employee Relations Audits. Taylor & Francis.
Kataria, A & Gupta, B. (2020). Forty years of Employee Relations–The International Journal: a
bibliometric overview. Employee Relations: The International Journal.
Khoreva, V., Vaiman, V., & Van Zalk, M. (2017). Talent management practice effectiveness:
investigating employee perspective. Employee Relations.
Maheshwari, M., Samal, A., & Bhamoriya, V. (2020). Role of employee relations and HRM in
driving commitment to sustainability in MSME firms. International Journal of
Productivity and Performance Management.
Moore, P., & Piwek, L. (2017). Regulating wellbeing in the brave new quantified
workplace. Employee Relations.
Nazir, S & Tran, Q. D. (2016). Influence of organizational rewards on organizational
commitment and turnover intentions. Employee Relations.
Pawar, B. S. (2016). Workplace spirituality and employee well-being: An empirical
examination. Employee Relations.
Sahoo, R., & Sahoo, C. K. (2019). Organizational justice, conflict management and employee
relations. International Journal of Manpower.
Samwel, J. O. (2018). Effect of Employee Relations on Employee Performance and
Organizational Performance-Study of Small Organizations in Tanzania. Global Journal
of Management And Business Research.
Ugoani, J. (2019). Managing Employee Relations and its Effect on Organizational
Success. International Journal of Social Sciences Perspectives, 6(1), 1-10.
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