Inform and consult your employees
Introduction
If you employ people you'll need to communicate with them to exchange views and ideas, and to issue and receive instructions. In certain situations you are legally required to inform and consult employees.
Successful consultation and information-sharing between you and your employees is also critical to your business' success. Benefits of making your employees feel involved and empowered can be higher productivity and reduced recruitment costs.
This guide explains your legal requirements, such as those set out in the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations, and the opportunities for communicating with your employees. It explains when pre-existing agreements (PEAs) may meet your requirements under the ICE regulations and how you can negotiate and implement an agreement with your employees. It explains the 'fall-back provisions' that work when you do not already have a PEA in place or if you and your employees fail to agree an information and consultation process.
It also discusses the requirements for information and consultation through a European Works Council if you are part of a multinational company.
It also sets out how your business can benefit from successful communication and outlines examples of good practice.
Subjects covered in this guide
- Introduction
- Why good communications are important
- Legal requirements for communications
- Consulting your employees
- Legal requirements for informing and consulting employees
- The Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations 2004
- ICE Regulations: pre-existing agreements and fall-back provisions
- ICE Regulations: enforcement, protections and confidential information
- European Works Councils
- Informing and consulting - ways and means
- The art of good communication between employer and employees
- Examples of good information and consultation in practice
- The role of communications and consultation training in successful business
- Here's how asking employees for ideas improved our business
