Biz Quiz

6th Nov - http://www.tutor2u.net/business/bizquiz/061109/quiz.html

13th Nov - http://www.tutor2u.net/business/bizquiz/131109/quiz.html

The organisational costs of workplace conflict

(From the ACAS website)Workplace conflict – the organisational costs:
• the risk of time-consuming formal proceedings such as grievances and employment tribunal claims
• sickness absence costs as the individuals concerned take time off to deal personally with the effects of the conflict
• management time being diverted to dealing with the conflict instead of focusing on managing the business
• staff turnover and recruitment and re-training costs where conflict leads to the departure of those affected from the organisation
• lower staff morale leading to less commitment to exerting discretionary effort, leading to lower productivity
• poor working relationships within the teams affected
• loss of focus on corporate goals and common objectives as people are distracted by the disagreement
• the potential for a blame culture to develop, rather than one focused on innovation
• the employer’s external reputation could be compromised
Mediation

Employers' associations

E.g. Engineering Employers' Federation:


EEF is a trusted partner to businesses across Britain. We provide our members with business advice, resources and support services to help them operate more effectively and help them tackle a whole range of employment issues.

http://www.eef.org.uk/UK/default.htm

e.g. Police Federation of England and Wales:


The Police Federation of England and Wales is the staff association that represents all 140,000 police officers up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector. We have a statutory obligation to ensure that the views of our members are accurately relayed to government, opinion formers and key stakeholders. To ensure this we measure the work we do and what we seek to achieve against our organisational aims and objectives.

http://www.polfed.org/

e.g. British Medical Association (BMA)


They are the independent trade union and professional association for doctors and medical students, with over 140,000 members worldwide.

http://www.bma.org.uk/

Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

The CBI's mission is to help create and sustain the conditions in which businesses in the United Kingdom can compete and prosper for the benefit of all. The CBI is the UK's top business lobby organisation. Our specialist services and unmatched influence with government, policymakers, legislators, and unions mean we can get the best deal for business at home and abroad.

http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/staticpages.nsf/StaticPages/home.html/?OpenDocument

Trade Union Congress (TUC)

With member unions representing over six and a half million working people, we campaign for a fair deal at work and for social justice at home and abroad.

http://www.tuc.org.uk/

Resolving disputes (ACAS)

Acas stands for Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. We aim to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. We help with employment relations by supplying up-to-date information, independent advice and high quality training, and working with employers and employees to solve problems and improve performance.

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1461

Trade Unions

History of trade unions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_union

Also: http://www.unionhistory.info/timeline/timeline.php

General:
http://www.thesite.org/workandstudy/working/workersrights/tradeunions

Advantages/Disadvantages of:
http://www.economicshelp.org/2007/04/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-trades.html

Government advice:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/TradeUnions/index.htm

ATL (Association of Teachers and Lecturers):
http://www.atl.org.uk/

NUT (National Union of Teachers):
http://www.teachers.org.uk

Life without trade unions, eg. working in Dubai (Panorama programme - slumdogs and millionaires):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jqgww