Consultancy
Information and consultation
The Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations that came into force on 6 April 2005 establish a general framework setting out the minimum right for employees to information and consultation about the business they work for, including the prospects for employment, and substantial changes in work organisation or contractual relations.
The Regulations apply to most employers with 150 or more staff. The IPA has a range of services specially developed for organisations facing the challenge of the new Regulations:
Consultancy
The IPA can help you comply with the new Regulations
The IPA is uniquely well-placed to provide support to organisations developing new information and consultation procedures, or evaluating and updating existing processes to meet the regulations:
Briefing for your management team
The IPA can work with your senior management team to review the implications of the legislation for your organisation. The briefings can cover:
- What will the regulations mean for your organisation?
- Fitting new arrangements into existing cultures
- What is the impact on employee relations?
The information and consultation audit
The IPA can take an in-depth look at your existing information and consultation processes, including:
- Are they right for the organisation and its employees?
- Are they compliant with the regulations?
- What is the impact on trade union relations?
We employ one to one interviews, focus groups and questionnaire or online staff surveys during this process.
A full report provides the answers, and recommendations for next steps.
Developing a new staff forum
If you decide to develop a new employee consultation forum, the IPA can guide your organization through each stage of the process, including:
- Developing the role and remit of the forum
- Agreeing the role and remit of employee representatives:
- Training the new forum members and managers involved in the process
The IPA works with both managers and employee representatives in focus groups and working parties to ensure that the forum meets the needs of the business, and the aspirations of employees.
Strengthen existing consultation arrangements
If you already have a consultation process in place, such as a staff forum, the IPA can assist you to:
- Review what you have in place to meet the regulations
- Ensure that the process is robust and can deliever business benefits
The IPA will work both with managers and employee representatives to deliver an effective forum that meets your needs.
Balloting to elect staff representatives and to endorse information and consultation procedures
The IPA is recognized by the Secretary of State as a Qualified Independent Person (QIP), named in Statutory Instrument SI 2002 No. 2268, able to undertake and scrutinize statutory ballots.
The IPA provides a full balloting service, including:
- Advice about constituencies
- Provision of all documentation
- Advice on communication strategy
- Management of the nomination and balloting process
- Secure storage of completed ballots
- Counting and returning certified results and scrutineer's report
We offer online, email, postal and workplace ballots.
Training and mentoring
The IPA can design training packages for you to ensure the quick and effective implementation of new or enhanced consultation processes. We offer a range of practical, workshop-style training programmes and one-to-one mentoring for managers and employee representatives, including:
- Developing the right agenda for your staff forum
- Meeting skills, including the role of the representatives and the chair
- Communicating and providing feedback
- Understanding what consultation is and what it means for your business
In addition to enhancing the skills required for effective consultation, training is designed to gain employees's and mangers' commitment to the process, and deliver active ambassadors for consultation in the organisation.
On-going support
The IPA can provide continued support to your staff forum, including:
- Coaching for employee representatives and managers
- Provision of a handbook for representatives (click here for more information)
- Information through the IPA Network
- Online information and telephone helpline services
- One-to-one mentoring
Want more information? Call Derek Luckhurst on 020 7354 8040
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