Employee relations focuses on both individual and collective relationships in the workplace. A positive climate of employee relations - with high levels of employee involvement, commitment and engagement - can improve business outcomes and contribute to employees' wellbeing.

This factsheet considers current factors affecting the employment relationship and the continuing value of positive employee relations for trade unions, employers, people professionals and managers.

This factsheet was last updated by Lisa Ayling and Rachel Suff.

Lisa Ayling: solicitor and employment law specialist

Lisa is a lawyer with many years’ experience of contentious and non‐contentious employment law. As well as writing and editing employment law content for the CIPD, Lisa lectures extensively on employment law, including years as a senior lecturer and leader of the employment team at BPP University and on the LLM programme at Kingston University. 

Rachel Suff: Senior Employee Relations Adviser, CIPD

Rachel informs CIPD policy thinking on health and wellbeing as well as employment relations. She has over 25 years’ experience in the employment and HR arena.

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