CIPD Candidate Assessment Activity
Title of unit/s
Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations
Unit No/s
5CER
Level
5
Credit value
6
Assessment method(s)
Written answers to questions
Learning outcomes:
1
2
3
4
Understand the nature and context of employment relations.
Know about employment relations legislation.
Understands contemporary developments in employee involvement and participation
Know about different forms of conflict behaviour and dispute resolution.
Assessment brief/activity
You are required to provide written responses to each of the following six questions.
Question 1
 Provide a brief analysis of the indeterminacy of employment relations and an
assessment of the factors which impact on employment relations. In your analysis,
briefly compare and contrast unitarist and pluralist approaches.
Question 2
 Briefly critique the key features of the contract of employment. Explain the principal
sources that can change laws with a brief summary of the main developments in
individual and employment law.
Assessment
Criteria
1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Question 3

Provide a brief summary on how you would advise employees on the purpose and
scope of statutory trade union recognition.
Question 4
 Clarify the key terms used in employee involvement and participation and go on to
explain the extent to which they will strengthen employee voice in a union and
non-union context. Conclude with a brief assessment of the link between
employee voice and organisation performance.
Question 5
 Briefly explain the differences between conflict and misbehaviour at work and
between official and unofficial industrial action. In your answer, give a brief review
of contemporary trends in the type of conflict and industrial sanctions.
2.4
3.1, 3.2, 3.3
4.1, 4.2
Question 6
 Explain the approaches and skills required to help manage both individual and
4.3, 4.4
collective conflict. You should also distinguish between third-party conciliation,
mediation and arbitration.
Evidence to be produced/required
Written answers to each of the six questions of approximately 3,000 words in total (divided appropriately
across the questions).
All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly and a bibliography provided where appropriate
(these should be excluded from the word count).
Version 1.0 (draft)
27.05.15
Version 1.0 (draft)
27.05.15
Guidance for Assessors for: – Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations LOs 1 – 4
This guidance is for assessors only and should not be handed out to candidates.
Candidates should provide written answers to each of the six questions of approximately 3,000 words in
total (divided appropriately across the questions). They should acknowledge data sources appropriately.
Question 1
AC 1.1,
AC 1.2
AC 1.3
Question 2
AC 2.1
AC 2.2
AC 2.3
Question 3
AC 2.4
Question 4
AC 3.1, 3.2
AC 3.3
Question 5
AC 4.1
AC 4.2
Question 6
AC 4.3, 4.4
Version 1.0 (draft)
27.05.15
Candidates may explain the indeterminate nature of employment relations by
distinguishing between ‘labour’ and ‘labour power’. They should explain that employers
purchase labour power i.e. the capacity to work but not the performance of work. e.
They should define and explain the differences between unitarism and pluralism and the
implications for employment relations. They should go on to give examples of other
factors affecting employment relations e.g. management style, management attitudes to
trade union recognition, employee relations climate and employee voice.
Candidates should define and distinguish between legal contracts (LC) and the
psychological contract (PC) and go on to explain how areas of tension as well as cooperation may arise. They should give an example of either the LC or PC can influence
outcomes such as trust, commitment or loyalty.
Candidates should give a couple of examples of the institutions that regulate labour
market activity e.g. ACAS, Employment Tribunals, European Commission, European
Court of Justice and two sources of employment law-making e.g. statute laws, statutory
instruments, legal precedents, employment tribunal decisions, European Directives.
They should go on to provide a brief review of developments in individual employment
law e.g. parental leave, statutory pay, managing sickness absence.
Candidates should explain the meaning and types of trade union recognition and the
consequences for organisations. They should explain the difference between voluntary
and statutory recognition and the meaning and relevance of collective bargaining. They
should conclude by explaining when statutory derecognition and/or derecognition of a
non-independent trade union may occur.
Candidates should define the terms used (involvement, participation, partnership) and
explain the variation between union and non-union contexts e.g. collective bargaining
may be used in a union context whereas employee representative forums are associated
with non-union contexts. They should conclude with reference to academic research
that has been conducted to assess the link between employee voice and organisation
performance.
Candidates should describe a range of conflict and misbehaviours e.g. they can give
examples of the former such as personality clashes, an individual with a grievance, a
problem between an employee and line manager and examples of the latter such as
violence, inappropriate e-mail and internet usage, substance abuse, dishonesty.
Candidates should differentiate between official and unofficial industrial action,
explaining that the former means that the trade union has authorised the action which is
not the case for the latter. They should give some examples of contemporary trends in
the UK and Europe e.g. increase in strikes, overtime bans during times of austerity.
Candidates should explain that line managers are often the main actors who deal with
workplace conflicts. They can base their advice on either grievances or dispute
resolution. Improvements to dispute handling typically include training and support in
investigation skills and communicating effectively. They should define and include an
evaluation of the usefulness of third-party conciliation, mediation and arbitration.
Version 1.0 (draft)
27.05.15