The IPA publishes research reports, guides and case studies on a range of employment relations issues. Browse the links below or use the search function to look for a specific publication.
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I think the report is extremely well written, the findings are very positive on the whole, and the areas for improvement are clearly articulated. Thanks very much and well done IPA. Department of Health
This paper by IPA on behalf of FES lays out the current state of the UK debate around working time reductions and the campaign for a four-day week. With the Labour Party considering a four-day week as official policy and considerable media interest in trials of a four-day week, this report looks at the evidence for such a policy, as well as the barriers it faces. Read more
Building on previous research, this latest policy report by IPA and Acas looks at the likely winners and losers from the new wave of technology and automation affecting the world of work. Read more
This report looks in detail at how well UK police forces have managed change and innovation over recent years. It explores how engagement levels have fared during times of austerity, how forces can achieve a culture of innovation from the ground-up and what lessons there are for the change management process. Read more
This report by Professor Stephen Wood outlines a new approach to management termed high-involvement design, putting employee involvement back at the heart of HRM where it belongs. Combining involvement at both the task or role level with involvement at the organisational or strategic level creates a better workplace environment for all, improving employee well-being, organisational productivity and fostering a sense of shared understanding and learning. Read more
This report seeks to address the question ‘what makes for good self-employment’? Building on the wider debate about good work – sparked by the publication of the 2017 Taylor Review of Modern Employment Practices – we set out to uncover what exactly makes for good work for the UK’s 4.8 million self-employed. Read more
To coincide with the government's response to the Taylor Review, the IPA have produced a report which draws together 16 expert perspectives on what Good Work means in modern Britain, why it is important and how to bring it about. Read more
In response to the challenge of how the UK's productivity gap might be addressed across major sectors of the economy, the Productivity Leadership Group asked IPA director, Nita Clarke OBE, to look specifically at how productivity in the manufacturing sector might be improved. This a report of her findings. Read more
This report by IPA and REC examines how to provide engagement and voice for agency workers, through two case studies of best practice in the industry. Read more
This report examines the relationship between the introduction of new technology into the workplace and employee wellbeing, autonomy, voice and engagement. IPA for Acas, 2017. Read more
Over the past decade the UK workforce has already undergone rapid changes and evidence points to an accelerating pace of change in the coming years. Between Brexit, the growth of new workplace technologies and the accompanying rise of atypical working and the 'gig economy' it is clear that traditional assumptions about labour relations are rapidly becoming obsolete. Read more
Since the economic crisis of 2008, the UK has experienced a lengthy and worrying stall in productivity. There has been no sign of a return to pre-crisis levels of productivity growth, with the latest figures showing productivity in 2014 was just a fraction higher than the levels reached in 2007. Read more
Following on from the 2015 IPA Diverse Voices report, this report defines what what unconscious bias is and explore the various types of biases that are known to have great impact on organisational culture and processes. We look at the Implicit Association Test and examine the ways in which unconscious bias training programmes can be tailored to be more effective. This includes needing to make sure organisations have the right structures and policies in place beforehand. Read more
This IPA and Acas have published their new research - Going Digital? Harnessing Social Media for Employee Voice - which examines the extent to which employers are making use of social media to promote and access employee voice. Read more
It's ten years since the introduction of the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations. When first introduced in the UK, they were seen by some as an excellent opportunity to promote employee voice. The UK comes second bottom of the European Participation Index - a multi-dimensional measure of worker participation developed by the ETUI - beaten into last place by Lithuania. Read more
The national Social Partnership Forum (SPF) exists to engage stakeholders in the NHS, and to give them a chance to discuss, debate and influence policy where there are workforce implications. Read more
Diverse Voices is a pioneering project that examines the links between employee engagement and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. While both agendas are increasingly seen as important by employers, few have examined the link between them. Diverse Voices examines these links in detail, and calls on employers to look at engagement and diversity and inclusion as 'two sides of the same coin.' Read more
This research from the IPA, commissioned by Association of Colleges examines employee engagement in the Further Education sector in the midst of austerity and organisational change. Read more
Those who argue in favour of the EU-membership in the UK tend to focus on the importance of access to the single market for jobs, investment and growth, rather than engaging specifically with the role the EU plays in influencing social policy. This publication aims to address this by examining the fundamental role the EU has played in shaping rights at work in the UK. Read more
This research conducted by the IPA for Acas, is based on analysis of the most recent Workplace Employee Relations Study, the largest survey of its kind in Great Britain. It found that, despite the challenges of the recession and the turmoil in the labour market, employee engagement has actually increased in recent years. It also shows that engagement is strongly linked to organisational success and identifies factors that can support it. Read more
Evidence shows that employee engagement in the NHS is linked to staff wellbeing, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes such as mortality. Put simply, engaged staff deliver better, safer care. Engagement in the NHS has increased over the last two years but there remains significant scope for improvement. Read more
This report is structured around three case studies highlighting best practice in how unions can negotiate with employers in a way that optimises the use of existing and newly acquired skills as well as maintaining their role in supporting the workforce to acquire and update skills. Read more
Having a voice at work is crucial, for organisations as much as for the individual employees. Feeling listened to is consistently cited as the most important factor in determining how much employees value their organisation. Voice is a key enabler for employee engagement and engaging with the workforce will be the best way out of the current economic difficulties. From producing goods and services quicker, to anticipating shifts in customer demands, ultimately, for the organisation, listening to Read more
Employee voice is increasingly important in the modern workplace. Having a voice is crucial, for the organisation as much as for the employee. But employee voice remains both little understood as a concept and under-utilised in the world of work. Read more
A partnership may initially be conceived as a relationship between the trade union or employee forum and the employer, but in order to be sustainable and to deliver the benefits described in this guide, it needs to be more than this. It needs to have as much impact on the way line managers engage with employees and representatives as senior manager and trade union officials. Read more