Employee Relations (ER)

The Employee Relations (ER) training course is designed to empower professionals with the expertise needed to effectively manage and strengthen workplace relationships. It emphasizes creating a positive, productive, and transparent environment between organizations and their employees, grounded in legal compliance and ethical principles.

Geared toward experienced ER practitioners, this advanced program explores the nuanced challenges of modern employee relations. Participants will gain deeper insights and practical tools to balance organizational objectives with employee expectations. By the end of the course, attendees will be equipped to lead impactful ER strategies that address the evolving needs of today’s diverse and dynamic workforce.

Section 1: Transformational Employee Relations

• Building a positive employee relations framework

• Exploring current trends in employee relations

• The evolving role of trade unions in the global workforce

• Understanding the psychological contract

• Effectively engaging with Generations Y, Z, and Alpha

Section 2: Stakeholder Engagement Essentials for HR Professionals

• Core principles of stakeholder management

• Differentiating between engagement and management

• Risks and impacts of poor stakeholder collaboration

• Techniques for identifying key stakeholders

• Three practical tools for stakeholder analysis

Section 3: Negotiation Skills in Employee Relations

• Fundamentals of effective negotiation

• Exploring the win-win approach: Getting to “Yes”

• Introduction to the Coleman Raider “Bare Bones” model

• Understanding and applying BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)

• The role of national culture in negotiation dynamics

Section 4: Conflict Management in the Workplace

• Assessing conflict-handling styles

• Proven techniques for conflict resolution and management

• Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

• Best practices in discipline and grievance procedures

• Conducting effective grievance investigations

Section 5: Introduction to Workplace Mediation

• HR’s role in mediation processes

• Identifying issues appropriate for mediation

• The stages of the workplace mediation process

• Reaching and formalising mediated agreements

• Developing a personal action plan