Working with employee representatives

Representation of individual employees

The law permits workers to be accompanied at disciplinary and grievance hearings by a trade union official or a fellow worker.

Some businesses extend the right to be accompanied to fuller representation, by agreement with workers or their union. Some also permit workers to be accompanied by spouses, partners, friends or legal practitioners.

It is now a legal requirement that you give your employees a written statement of your dismissal, disciplinary and grievance procedures. These procedures must reflect new minimum statutory requirements. Failure to provide these documents to your employees will result in an employee being awarded an extra four weeks' pay if they succeed against you in an employment tribunal. 

Employees making a request for flexible working under the Flexible Working Regulations may also be accompanied by a colleague during discussions with the employer. The person accompanying is entitled to paid time off.

Read a report on flexible working at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development website.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• The role of employee representatives
• Employee representatives and the law
• Redundancies and transfers
• Health and safety, pensions
• Information and consultation, works councils, working hours
• Representation of individual employees
• Working effectively with employee representatives

 

 Print This Page

Source - Business Link; Crown Copyright.