![Page 1: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Inside the WorkplaceFirst Findings from the
2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey
WERS Research TeamRoyal Society of Arts
London5 July 2005
![Page 2: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Overview
• What is WERS?
• Design and conduct of WERS 2004
• First Findings
• Timetable for survey outputs
![Page 3: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
What is WERS?
• Survey mapping the state of employment relations across Great Britain
• Data are collected from managers, employee representatives and employees at the same workplace
• Multi-sponsored survey: DTI/ESRC/Acas/PSI
• Previous surveys held in 1980, 1984, 1990, 1998
![Page 4: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Design and conduct of WERS 2004
![Page 5: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Aims of WERS 2004
• To map workplace employment relations in Britain and changes over time
• To inform policy development and stimulate and inform debate and practice
• To provide a comprehensive and statistically reliable dataset on British workplace employment relations– which is made publicly available and easily accessible.
![Page 6: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Survey structure
WERS 2004
2004 Cross-section 1998-2004 Panel Survey
Survey of Managers Survey of Managers
Survey of Employee Representatives
Survey of Employees
Financial Performance Questionnaire
![Page 7: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Survey content
• Management of personnel and employment relations• Recruitment and training• Consultation and information• Employee representation• Payment systems and pay determination• Grievance, disciplinary and dispute procedures• Equal opportunities, work-life balance• Workplace flexibility• Workplace performance• Employee attitudes to work
![Page 8: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Fieldwork outcomes
Total responses Response rate
Number %
2004 Cross-Section
Survey of Managers 2,295 64
Survey of Employee Representatives 991 78
Survey of Employees 22,451 61
Financial Performance Questionnaire 1,069 52
1998-2004 Panel Survey
Survey of Managers 956 77
![Page 9: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
First Findings
![Page 10: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
First Findings
• Key dimensions of employment relations are
explored
• Analysis is based on workplaces with 10+
employees
• Primary focus of the presentation is on change
since 1998
![Page 11: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Recruitment, appraisal and training
![Page 12: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Selection tests, performance appraisals and off-the-job training, 1998 and 2004
19
47
73 73
19
46
78
84
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Personality tests usedroutinely for some
occupations
Performance testsused routinely for some
occupations
Performanceappraisals
Off-the-job training forexperienced core
employees
Pe
r ce
nt o
f w
ork
pla
ce
s
1998 2004
![Page 13: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Work organisation
![Page 14: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Work organisation, 1998 and 2004
7469
16
41
72
66
21
48
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Some core employeeswork in formally
designated teams
Some core employeestrained to be
functionally flexible
Problem-solvinggroups involving non-
managerialemployees
Some core employeestrained in team-
working,communication orproblem-solving
Pe
r ce
nt
of
wo
rkp
lace
s
1998 2004
![Page 15: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Employee representation
![Page 16: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Employee representation, 1998 and 2004
57
33
20
30
64
27
14
22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
No unionmembers
Union recognition Joint consultativecommittees
Any collectivebargaining
Per
cen
t of w
orkp
lace
s
1998 2004
![Page 17: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Joint regulation of terms and conditions – all workplaces
71
71
73
75
70
5
9
11
10
6
8
5
6
13
5
16
15
10
3
18
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Hours
Holidays
Pensions
Training
Pay
Pe
r ce
nt
of
wo
rkp
lace
s
Nothing Inform Consult Negotiate
![Page 18: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Joint regulation of terms and conditions – workplaces with recognised unions only
18
19
22
36
16
10
17
25
24
10
20
13
16
31
13
53
52
36
9
61
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Hours
Holidays
Pensions
Training
Pay
Pe
r ce
nt
of
wo
rkp
lace
s w
ith r
eco
gn
ise
d u
nio
ns
Nothing Inform Consult Negotiate
![Page 19: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Extent of trust between managers and employee representatives
Managers and employee representatives asked to rate each other on 3 dimensions of trust:
• whether the other party could be relied on to live up to the commitments they had made
• whether the other party was sincere in their attempts to understand each other’s point of view
• whether the other party could be trusted to act with honesty and integrity
![Page 20: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Extent of trust between managers and employee representatives
Mutual trust
31%
Mutual trust
64%
Managers and union representatives Managers and non-union representatives
No trust23%
No trust
7%
Reps trust managers13% Reps trust managers
17%
Managers trust reps
33%
Managers trust reps 12%
![Page 21: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Addressing workplace conflict
![Page 22: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Indicators of workplace conflict, 1998 and 2004
5
3
4
8
18
6
2
3
6
20
0 5 10 15 20 25
Collective disputes
Industrial action
Threatened action
EmploymentTribunal claims
Grievances raisedthro' procedure
Per cent of workplaces
2004 1998
![Page 23: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Incidence of grievance and disciplinary procedures
• 88 per cent of workplaces had grievance procedures – little change since 1998
• 91 per cent had disciplinary procedures– an increase from 85 per cent in 1998
![Page 24: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Procedures for handling grievances and disciplinary actions
47
29
70
22
9478
13
83
12
95
0102030405060708090
100
Yes, alw ays Yes sometimes,depends on the
issue
Yes, alw ays Yes sometimes,depends on the
issue
Yes
Employee/employer required toset out concern in w riting
Employee attends formal meetingw ith manager
Employee hasright to appeal
Per
cen
t
Grievance Disciplinary action
![Page 25: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Equal opportunities
![Page 26: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Incidence and coverage of equal opportunities policies
72
5661
82
70 68
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Workplaces with EO policywhich covers religion
Workplaces with EO policywhich covers sexual orientation
Workplaces with EO policywhich covers age
Per
cent of w
ork
pla
ces w
ith E
O p
olic
y
1998 2004
![Page 27: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Work-life balance
![Page 28: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Flexible-working and leave arrangements for non-managerial employees in continuing workplaces, 1998 and 2004 (1)
64
41
73
92
31
46
31
38
48
24
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Switching from full topart-time hours
Job-sharing
Parental leave
Paidpaternity/discretionary
leave for fathers
Special paid leave inemergencies
Per cent of continuing workplaces
2004 1998
![Page 29: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Flexible-working arrangements for non-managerial employees in continuing workplaces, 1998 and 2004 (2)
5
13
28
28
26
3
8
14
16
19
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Zero hours contracts
Annualised hours
Term-time only
Homeworking
Flexitime
Per cent of continuing workplaces
2004 1998
![Page 30: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Responsibility for work-life balance
• 65 per cent of managers believed that it was up to individual employees to balance their work and family responsibilities– down from 84 per cent in 1998
• 58 per cent of employees considered that managers were understanding of their responsibilities outside of work – up slightly from 55 per cent in 1998
![Page 31: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Job-satisfaction
![Page 32: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Job satisfaction (1)
72 72 7063
18 19 19
22
11 10 1116
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Scope for usinginitiative
Work itself Sense ofachievement
Job security
Pe
r ce
nt
of
em
plo
yee
s
Satisfied Neither Dissatisfied
![Page 33: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Job satisfaction (2)
5751
38 35
28
26
39
24
1423 23
41
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Influence over job Training Involvement indecision-making
Pay
Pe
r ce
nt e
mp
loye
es
Satisfied Neither Dissatisfied
![Page 34: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Management-employee relations
![Page 35: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Managers and employees’ perceptions ofmanagement-employee relations, 1998 and 2004
8893
56 60
86
2724
4 1
18 16
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1998 2004 1998 2004
Managers Employees
Good Neither Poor
![Page 36: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Summary
![Page 37: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Stability in a number of ER areas:
• Incidence of procedures for handling grievances
• Incidence of industrial action
• Employee’s satisfaction with pay or management-
employee relations
• Proportion of workplaces with methods of work
organisation
![Page 38: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Continued decline of collective organisation
• Employees less likely to be union members in 2004
• Decline in the rate of union recognition
• Collective bargaining less prevalent
However,
• Fall in union recognition had arrested in workplaces with 25+
• Decline in collective bargaining was confined to the private sector.
• Joint regulation remains a reality for many employees:
– half of employees were in workplaces with a recognised union
– 40 per cent had their pay set through collective bargaining.
![Page 39: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Work-life balance
• Substantial increase in availability of a number of flexible
working and paid leave arrangements
– at least amongst continuing workplaces
• Employers increasingly concerned about employees’ needs
to balance work and family life
• However, employees did not perceive such a change in
employer attitudes
![Page 40: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
State of employment relations
• Overt workplace conflict remained low
• Managers’ perceptions of management-employee relations have improved– though there was little change in employees’ views
• Mutual trust appeared in only a minority of management/union rep relationships– but was more prevalent amongst managers and non-union
reps
![Page 41: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
WERS 2004 Timetable
![Page 42: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Timetable for survey outputs
Activity Timing
WERS 2004 questionnaires
December 2004
Data deposited in UK Data Archive
November 2005
‘Sourcebook’ of findings Spring 2006
Report on ER in small businesses
Spring 2006
![Page 43: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Further information
• Further information about the design and development of WERS 2004:
www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar/wers5.htm
• Routledge companion website to the ‘sourcebook’ of findings:
www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415378133
![Page 44: Inside the Workplace First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey WERS Research Team Royal Society of Arts London 5 July 2005](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022081414/5513c06455034646298b494f/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)