To what extent should there be ‘employee voice’ within the workplace? Essay Example

this area of corporate affairs. These findings confirm that although managers present themselves as professionals and promote equal opportunity, there are instances of gender-based discrimination.

Some measures are necessary to ensure that managers align their practices with policies. This further proves that concepts like employee 'involvement' and 'participation' have not resulted in a fair and just workplace, and it also supports the idea of expanding employee empowerment beyond its current scope (Phillips, Estelle M., p.79).

The impact of the decline of trade unions on employees:

The power imbalance between management and employees is evident from the fact that a significant number of UK businesses support a strong trade union. Employee voice is more prominent in areas of the UK economy where unions have a stronger presence and where employees are more likely to receive additional benefits.

Unions possess the ability to negotiate complex agreements with employers, leading top management to sometimes yielding to their demands as a means of diverting attention away from more significant concerns (Farnham, David, and Lesley Giles., p.15). This indicates that decision making is primarily under the control of top management, evident in the absence of occupational pensions for non-professional workers aimed at safeguarding training investments and reducing turnover (Casey, Bernard., p.234). Correspondingly, individuals working part-time or lacking experience, along with female employees, often find themselves excluded from pension plans or sick pay due to assumptions suggesting lower commitment levels and disinterest in deferred benefits (Casey, Bernard., p.239). Such an approach towards managing employees highlights gender and ethnicity-based discrimination and a discord between employee preferences and managerial decision-making processes.

The issue of immigrant workers in the UK: Despite the UK's

reputation for its diverse population, racial and ethnic problems persist. The influx of immigrants from European Union countries is a new challenge to British cosmopolitanism. While academic research contradicts this, mainstream media continues to promote xenophobia among native people. Eastern European workers are unfairly portrayed and targeted by the media, with newspapers often focusing on their minor crimes. However, government statistics reveal that crime rates have actually decreased by 9% in England and Wales over the past year.

It is true that the former communist bloc countries of Eastern Europe have low literacy levels and that they come to Britain in search of low-paying manual work (Biney, 2008). However, the British media unfairly extends the low socio-economic profile of these ethnic groups to suggest criminal tendencies. Thus, the stereotypical portrayal of Eastern European workers as reliant on government welfare and taking away jobs from British citizens is not only false but also undermines their collective voice and bargaining power with employers (Biney, 2008). These situations demonstrate that the current forms of employee involvement do not delegate any real decision-making authority from managers, thus prompting the need to include employee voice in the decision-making process.

Some critics argue that major organizations like the BBC exhibit a biased preference for Christianity while being unfavorable towards Islam. These claims emerged in response to the dress code policy for newsreaders at the public broadcaster. Mark Thompson, the former Director General of the BBC, addressed this matter stating that the BBC allows newsreaders to wear small religious symbols, such as crosses, crescents, or Stars of David. However, wearing a veil over the face would not be considered appropriate by the BBC,

not due to religious preference but because it would detract from delivering the news effectively (Thompson, 2006).

Regarding allegations of ethno-religious bias against the BBC, it must be acknowledged that they are unfounded. However, it should be noted that these incidents are rare rather than common. Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that the BBC's management has failed to establish effective communication channels and influence for its employees due to the absence of trade unions and collective bargaining structures (Healey, Nigel M., p.292).

The decline in legal protections for collective employee representation:
The United Kingdom is unique among economically advanced nations in lacking a legal pathway for workers to join unions, which contrasts with its historical reliance on voluntarism in industrial relations. Union members did not actively pursue a solution to this issue.

According to Kessler (p.56), unions felt confident enough to bypass legal support and were concerned that legal intervention would lead to intervention in other areas. The Conservative government introduced various legislative reforms in the labor market since 1979 with the goal of strengthening the labor market for UK's economic improvement. However, these reforms resulted in a significant decline in union memberships, altering the power balance in industrial relations in favor of business owners and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, these reforms fostered a mentality of treating labor as a commodity, which may have negative consequences for UK's economic viability in the long term (Kessler, p.62). It is now becoming clear that this previous warning was accurate.

The power of corporations to influence governments and shape economic policies in their favor is demonstrated by the numerous statutes implemented since 1979 that limit trade union activity. This situation highlights the irony of victims

being seen as culprits, as these statutes curtail the ability of unions to organize strikes and enforce closed shops. As a result, employees today have less say in their company's affairs compared to three decades ago. This reveals that current forms of employee "participation" and "involvement" are merely symbolic gestures and do not transfer any substantial decision-making authority from managers.

Hence, there is a valid argument for improving employee voice within the organization through legal safeguards (Farnham, David, and Lesley Giles., p.13).