Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Stuck in the 20th century?
Employment Relations Quality
Assurance is about ending the Cold
War at work.
It’s about extending the benefits of
quality assurance from production to
employment relations.
It’s about employers and employees
acting together as guarantors of job
quality, productivity and performance.
www.erqa.org
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
There is a positive relationship between the quality of the
employment relationship and productivity and performance.
NZ Department of Labour 2009
…you can’t build a company that’s fit for the future unless you build
a company that’s fit for human beings.
Gary Hamel, whom Wall Street Journal called “the world’s leading expert on
business strategy”, ranking him #1 among the Top 20 most influential business
thinkers.
If you want people motivated to do a good job, give them
a good job to do.
Management guru Friedrich Herzberg 1963
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Employers need employees to produce a quality product in an efficient manner,
at the right cost, to make a profit. In order to deliver upon this, employees need
quality employment relations.
The extent to which we help each other with these goals cannot be set in stone.
It cannot be determined by either party alone. It cannot be hard-coded in
regulations or legislation. It cannot be produced in motivational workshops or
negotiated into existence through collective agreements. It is beyond 20 th
century employment relations.
Like quality in production and services, quality in employment relations must
be created by the participants themselves, in their own workplaces.
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Step One: Seek a joint mandate
Our first step is to seek a joint mandate from both employers and employees.
Shall we set up an ERQA Forum together?
At the end of this presentation we will ask for this mandate from you.
If you agree, we will then make a separate presentation to your employees.
After this, we will conduct a simple, secret ballot.
If there is clear assent from both sides, we will proceed to...
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Step Two: Build participation
The ERQA Forum is made up of representatives from each group identified in
the workplace. The parties themselves decide who these groups are. However,
we strongly suggest the CEO is involved, along with at least one union member
(if there is a union on site).
An independent ERQA Moderator will also be provided. This person will have
problem-solving skills and relevant industry knowledge.
After representation is decided the ERQA Moderator will…
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Step Three: Establish a benchmark
The ERQA Survey identifies issues, feelings, strengths and obstacles in the
workplace.
More importantly, it helps launch the ERQA Forum by guiding representatives
towards a shared, objective assessment of the current situation.
From that moment onwards, Forum discussions are subject to the Chatham
House Rule. “Participants are free to use any information received, but neither
the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other
participant, may be revealed”. This ensures focus is placed on the issues of
concern rather than the particpants.
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Step Four: Establish a benchmark
The ERQA Moderator then works with the Forum to implement the ERQA
process. This involves jointly
Identifying the current environment;
Identifying a preferred environment;
Identifying measurable steps to close the gaps;
Identifying concrete, achievable steps to begin.
It is the role of the ERQA Moderator to ensure this process produces
continuous improvement.
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
ERQA and third parties
The Forum Moderator is charged with maintaining the Forum’s shared
commitment to problem-solving.
There may be times when employers and employees choose to take a
more positional approach.
In order to keep lobbying and advocacy outside of the Forum, the ERQA
Moderator may seek to work co-operatively with unions and workplace
consultants. However, at all times his/her independence will be preserved.
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Costs
Annual ERQA survey
$250 + $3 per employee +GST
(to a maximum of $750)
ERQA Moderator
From $95 per hour + costs +GST
End of year report
From $750 + GST
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Benefits
Improved workplace culture
Increased employee engagement
Increased productivity and/or service outcomes
Increased job satisfaction
Decreased absenteeism and presenteeism
Reduced staff turnover
A more sustainable future for all those involved in the organisation.
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
Returning to Step One
The best map in the world will not get you anywhere.
Only going will get you there.
Anonymous
You now have some idea of what Employment Relations Quality Assurance
involves. We would like to develop a customised proposal for you and then
move to the next step. Now it’s time to hear from you.
Shall we set up an ERQA Forum together?
Employment Relations Quality Assurance®
Employment Relations
Quality Assurance®
erqa.org