Evaluate the potential impact of two contemporary issues to UK organisations, which are likely to affect Employment Relations over the next 2-3 years.

External Contemporary Issue 1A: Demographic

Economic Context: Ageing Workforce

One in five employees in the United Kingdom (UK) employment is over the age of 50 years, and in the next 2 to 3 years the employment relations in UK organisations will lose employees through retirement, and many of its most experienced ageing workers taking their attained skills and experiences with them (Podro , 2011). People are living longer and healthier lives as it is shown in figure 1 appendix 1, and for that reason, age structure of the labour market is unstable, and this trend drives the need for employment relations to reflect and apply systems that aid the organisation to adjust to new age retirement legislation in an effort to promote longer working lives for ageing workforce (McNair, et al., 2012).

A CIPD study projected that UK businesses have to fill an estimated 13.5 million jobs in the coming decade, but it is suggested that just 7 million young people will end school and college by that time as it is shown in appendix 2 below (Willmott, et al., 2012),. So, it is impossible for UK firms to fill the other 6.5 vacancies left, and with Brexit issues, it may prove to be difficult to recruit abroad (Matthews, 2016). The effects for employment relations and for UK businesses on this age shift is double. To begin with, it is certain that significant figures of UK workforce are reaching, or soon will get to the potential retirement age (Wilson, et al., 2014). Secondly, many employees are now getting to their middle ages and they are likely to have different needs and approaches to work (CIPD, 2011).

Other key issues facing the employment relations is the removal of Default Retirement Age (DRA), changes around pension entitlement, and changing of contracts agreement as to deliver suitable flexible hours to the ageing workforce who have caring accountabilities, improving access to professional development, and reducing pension inflexibility (Carr, 2010). As a result, it is impossible for UK organisations to succeed in managing issues regarding the performances between ageing employees and the consequences are expected to widespread as indicated in current debates (CIPD , 2009).

The rising figures of an ageing workforce presently in the workplace has become one of the most dynamic changes and (Parry & Harris, 2011), proposes that these changes would cause challenges for organisations, workforces, trade unions and government when developing working conditions and practices that progressing age diverse employees and employers agree upon for a job. Yet ( Sims, 2002), suggests that expectations and anticipations on the prospect of labour and employment relations are restrained with a complexity of unexpected events such as stakeholders choices, resulting in employment relations failing to adapt to continuous changes in the demographic workforce.

As a result, this has significantly implicated changes on work environment in which employers, employees and the trade unions were in the last ten years and would continue changing over the next decade (R gio, et al., 2016). The (CIPD Policy Report, 2015), stated that 9.4 million people in work at the age of 50 years and above which equals the 30% of the UK labour force are likely to reduce the number of young skilled employees in the near future and also prevent them from moving forward in the workplace.

Contemporary Issue

Technological Context: Social media and its impact on employers and trade unions

As (Holland, et al., 2016), suggested that social media such as Twitter and Facebook have developed into most formidable tools of networking both in and out of the workplace. The agreement between Human Resources (HR) experts and employment lawyers is to take action against workers when they put offensive comments on social media sites about the organisation or other working colleagues (Whincup, 2011). However, according to the studies carried out by (Field & Chelliah , 2012), suggest that there possible damaging and destructive concerns of social media at work and also mentioned that social media has not been given enough attention to tying the tools together in a positive manner to boost the human resource management (HR).

Another key issue, the breakdown of trust between employees and the employers is encouraging employees to post bad comments about the organisation on social media sites which result in firms viewed as unethical, bad, and also damages the brand image (Walker, 2012).

Secondly, (Smith, et al., 2011), indicated that social media is a catalyst for moral or immoral behaviour when it comes to the voices of employees, likewise, employees and employers can capitalise an optimum voice expression that can enable them both to use the right voice channels in the right way and at the right time. Employers can benefit when they allow their employees to have a professional networking about work. For instance, employees can promote the business s brand image or firm s products on social media which increases the firm s popularity or the performances (Weiss & Leigh, 2009).

The (CIPD, 2012) suggest that the voice of the workers is a reason which stimulates the broader drive of employee engagement incorporated by the firm s leadership vision, manager s awareness and integrity. While (Smith, et al., 2011), raised concerns that the use of social media by employees result in severe legislative and moral problems for the organisations and unions. At the same time improving methods of interaction with employees separately or together. However (Broughton, et al., 2009 ), pointed out that rules and implications are still developing and social media now pause an implication for trade unions because it can bring together and co-ordinate individuals as it is shown on statistics usage in appendix 3, and on appendix 4 on firms responses.

In contrast, (Llewellyn, 2009) raised cyber-bullying as a rising challenge for employment relations to manage as employees send abusive emails to their co-workers even if they are not serious thinking it is just a joke. For example, Joe Gordon was dismissed for posting comments complaining about his shift pattern. As a result, he called his manager an evil boss and a cheeky smegger because he was asked to work on a bank holiday and too mentioned the organisation as Bastardstone s (Gordon, 2004). According to several studies carried out, social media is not only used by employees to raise concerns associated with work but suggest that it is an untapped resource that firms could utilise to present the management with instant perceptive of what is happening in an organisation (Jeanquart & Mangold, 2014).

Managers will use the voice of employees to make firm decisions, and it demonstrates the partnership between an employer and employee and an expression collective bargaining (Walker, 2012).

Employment relations can use employee voices to plan ahead and impose strategies that are beneficial to the firm strategy (Wakeling, 2014). See other key points on Appendix 5: For Ageing workforce and Social Media Impacts.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Some Key Facts (Acas, 2011).

Appendix 2: Estimated and projected age structure of the UK population, mid-2010 and mid-2035 (McNair, et al., 2012).

Appendix 3: Adopted Social Media (CIPD, 2012).

Appendix 4: Table 4. Organisational Response to Each Generation of Web Development (Acas, 2011).

Appendix 5: Additional Key Points for an Ageing workforce and Social Media Impacts.

Other issues raised on ageing workers incorporate the requirements to:

Maintain the employability of older employees who wish to continue working,

the must to uphold the importance of ageing employees skills,

And the need to guarantee that flexibility levels are adequate for amendments to future changes in the location and arrangement of employments

(CIPD Policy Report, 2015).

However (Whyteleaf, 2010), argued that the experience, skills and knowledge possessed by ageing workers influence productivity levels and offers a basis for innovation and productivity improvements, at the same time commit to their present work passing the retirement age.

Some of social media comments posted by employees are regarded as whistleblowing and the organisation will have less power to take any action, as long the wrongdoing employee have disclosed an issue that catches the public s interest and protected by the law (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). As many authors argued that there should be certain social media laws in place to control what is tolerable and what is not intended to prevent workers from posting insulting comments on social media (Brimelow & Silkin, 2005). However, employers and employees have been advised to use the common sense approach when online and to research further how employees can explore the use of social media (TUC, 2007).

Nevertheless, employers should work on developing strong anti-bullying policies that are updated in the light of new kinds of technology, and need to bear in mind the fact that that cyber-bullying can occur outside the workplace to a much greater extent than conventional bullying, making it harder for employers to deal with easily (Broughton, et al., 2009 ).

References

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Acas, 2011. Social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

Barnes , H., Smeaton , D. & Taylor, R., 2009. An ageing workforce: the employer`s perspective, Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.

Brimelow, R. & Silkin, L., 2005. Blog Dismissal Should Prompt Policy on Usage. Personnel Today, 2 January .pp. 12-12.

Broughton, A., Higgins, T., Hicks, B. & Cox, A., 2009. Workplaces and Social Networking: The Implications for Employment Relations. The Institute for Employment Studies.

Carr, J., 2010. Submission to the Government s review of the Default Retirement Age, Employment Policy Directorate, London: Confederation of British Industry, London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

CIPD, 2009. The war on talent? Talent management under threat in uncertain times:, London: CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT (CIPD).

CIPD Policy Report, 2015. Avoiding the demographic crunch: Labour supply and the ageing workforce, s.l.: CIPD.

CIPD, 2011. Employee outlook: Focus on managing an ageing workforce, London: CIPD.

CIPD, 2012. A collection of thought pieces: harnessing social media for organisational effectiveness. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, May .

Cote, M., 2007. Getting dooced: Employee blogs and employer blogging policies under the National Labor Relations Act. WASHINGTON LAW REVIEW, February, 82(1), pp. 121-148.

Dibben, P., Klerk, G. & Wood , G., 2011. Employment relations : a critical and international approach. 1 ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Dickens, P., Kelly, P. & Williams, J. R., 2013. What are the significant trends shaping technologies relevant to manufacturing?, London: Government Office of Science.

Field, J. & Chelliah , J., 2012. Social-media misuse a ticking timebomb for employers: Robust policies and procedures needed to reduce the risks. Human Resource Management International Digest Volume, 20(7), pp. 1758-7166.

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Holland, P., Cooper, B. K. & Hecker, R., 2016. Use of social media at work: a new form of employee voice?. International Journal of Human Resource Management, December, 27(21), pp. 2621-2634.

Hotopp, D. U., 2007. The ageing workforce: A health issue?. Economic & Labour Market Review, February .1(2).

Jeanquart, S. M. & Mangold, G. W., 2014. Employee voice: Untapped resource or social media time bomb?. Business Horizons, May, 57(3), p. 401 411.

Kaplan, A. M. & Haenlein, M., 2010. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 1 February, Volume 53, pp. 59-68.

Liberman, B., Seidman, . G., McKenna, . K. Y. & Buffardi, L. E., 2011. Employee job attitudes and organizational characteristics as of Cyberloafing. Computers in Human Behaviour, 14 July, 27(6), pp. 2192-2199.

Llewellyn, C., 2009. Legal Q&A: Cyber-bullying in the workplace. Personnel Today, 15 September .p. 4.

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Marjorie, A.-S., 2008. Organisational practices and the post-retirement employment experience of older workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 1 January, 18(1), pp. 36-53.

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Podro, S., 2011. The future of workplace relations-An Acas view, London: Policy Publications Acas.

R gio, d. A. et al., 2016. FORECASTING THE DISRUPTIVE SKILLSET ALIGNMENT INDUCED BY THE FORTHCOMING INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. Romanian Review Precision Mechanics, Optics & Mecatronics, 2 January , Issue 49, pp. 24-29.

Rose, E., 2008. Employment Relations. 3 ed. Essex: Harlow: Pearson Education.

Silverman, M., Bakhshalian, E. & Hillman, L., 2013. Social media and employee voice: the current landscape, s.l.: CIPD.

Smith, S., Holmes, W. & Harwood, P., 2011. Employment relations comment: social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

Smith, S., Holmes, W. & Harwood, P., 2011. Social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

TUC, 2007. TUC Briefing on online social networking and Human Resources, s.l.: TUC.

UKCES, 2014. Research and analysis: UK labour market projections: 2012 to 2022, s.l.: UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

Wakeling, A., 2014. Does social media strengthen or dilute employee voice?. Employment Relations Comment, August.

Walker, S., 2012. Employee engagement and communication research: measurement strategy and action. London: Kogan Page Ltd.

Weiss, J. & Leigh, S., 2009. The Business Impact of Social Computing: Real-World Results in Life Insurance, s.l.: s.n.

Whincup, D., 2011. Weekly dilemma: Tweeting employees. Personnel Today. 4 February.

Whyteleafe, P., 2010. EMPLOYERS NEED TO COME TO TERMS WITH AN AGEING WORKFORCE. Professional Manager. May 2010, Vol. 19 Issue 3, p14-14., 1 May, 19(3), pp. 14-14.

Willmott, B., Worman, D., Flynn, M. & Stephen, M., 2012. Managing a Healthy Ageing Workforce: A Guide for Employers, London: CIPD.

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Young, B. W., Mathiassen, L. & Davidson, E., 2016. Inconsistent and Incongruent Frames During ITenabled Change: An Action Research Study of Sales Process Innovation. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 2016, 1 July , 17(7), pp. 495-520.

Bibliography

Sims, R. R., 2002. Changing the Way We Manage Change. London: Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Acas, 2011. Social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

Barnes, H., Smeaton, D. & Taylor, R., 2009. An ageing workforce: the employer`s perspective, Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.

Brimelow, R. & Silkin, L., 2005. Blog Dismissal Should Prompt Policy on Usage. Personnel Today, 2 January .pp. 12-12.

Broughton, A., Higgins, T., Hicks, B. & Cox, A., 2009. Workplaces and Social Networking: The Implications for Employment Relations. The Institute for Employment Studies.

Carr, J., 2010. Submission to the Government s review of the Default Retirement Age, Employment Policy Directorate, London: Confederation of British Industry, London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

CIPD , 2009. The war on talent? Talent management under threat in uncertain times:, London: CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT (CIPD).

CIPD Policy Report, 2015. Avoiding the demographic crunch: Labour supply and the ageing workforce, s.l.: CIPD.

CIPD, 2011. Employee outlook: Focus on managing an ageing workforce, London: CIPD.

CIPD, 2012. A collection of thought pieces: harnessing social media for organisational effectiveness. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, May .

Cote, M., 2007. Getting dooced: Employee blogs and employer blogging policies under the National Labor Relations Act. WASHINGTON LAW REVIEW, February, 82(1), pp. 121-148.

Dibben, P., Klerk, G. & Wood , G., 2011. Employment relations : a critical and international approach. 1 ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Dickens, P., Kelly, P. & Williams, J. R., 2013. What are the significant trends shaping technologies relavant to manufacturing?, London: Government Office of Science.

Field, J. & Chelliah , J., 2012. Social-media misuse a ticking timebomb for employers: Robust policies and procedures needed to reduce the risks. Human Resource Management International Digest Volume, 20(7), pp. 1758-7166.

Fusch, G. E., 1997. Organizational Change from Scientific Management to the Learning Organization__Implications for New Work Systems. p. 22.

Goodfellow, J. D., 2016. The Telegraph: Education. [Online]
Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/07/01/brexit-what-will-it-mean-for-universities-students-and-academics/
[Accessed 1 November 2016].

Gordon, J., 2004. Bad things recently Woolamaloo Gazette.

Holland, P., Cooper, B. K. & Hecker, R., 2016. Use of social media at work: a new form of employee voice?. International Journal of Human Resource Management, December, 27(21), pp. 2621-2634.

Hotopp, D. U., 2007. The ageing workforce: A health issue?. Economic & Labour Market Review, February .1(2).

Jeanquart, S. M. & Mangold, G. W., 2014. Employee voice: Untapped resource or social media time bomb?. Business Horizons, May, 57(3), p. 401 411.

Kaplan, A. M. & Haenlein, M., 2010. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 1 February, Volume 53, pp. 59-68.

Liberman, B., Seidman, G., McKenna, K. Y. & Buffardi, L. E., 2011. Employee job attitudes and organisational characteristics as of Cyberloafing. Computers in Human Behaviour, 14 July, 27(6), pp. 2192-2199.

Llewellyn, C., 2009. Legal Q&A: Cyber-bullying in the workplace. Personnel Today, 15 September .p. 4.

Macleod, D. A. et al., 2010. Managing an ageing workforce: How employers are adapting to an older labour market, London: Chartered Institute of personnel and Development (CIPD) and Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Marjorie, A.-S., 2008. Organisational practices and the post-retirement employment experience of older workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 1 January, 18(1), pp. 36-53.

Matthews, D., 2016. Brexit: growing numbers of UK academics face EU funding worries. [Online]
Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/brexit-growing-numbers-uk-academics-face-eu-funding-worries
[Accessed 2 November 2016].

McNair, S., Flynn, M., Worman, D. & Willmott, B., 2012. Managing a Healthy Ageing Workforce: A National Business Imperative, London: CIPD.

Parry, E. & Harris, L., 2011. The Employment Relations: Challenges of an Ageing Workforce, s.l.: s.n.

Pedro, S., 2011. The future of workplace relations An Acas view, s.l.: As Policy Discussion Papers.

Pedro, S., 2011. The future of workplace relations-An Acas view, London: Policy Publications Acas.

R gio, d. A. et al., 2016. FORECASTING THE DISRUPTIVE SKILLSET ALIGNMENT INDUCED BY THE FORTHCOMING INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. Romanian Review Precision Mechanics, Optics & Mechatronics, 2 January , Issue 49, pp. 24-29.

Rose, E., 2008. Employment Relations. 3 ed. Essex: Harlow: Pearson Education.

Silverman, M., Bakhshalian, E. & Hillman, L., 2013. Social media and employee voice: the current landscape, s.l.: CIPD.

Smith, S., Holmes, W. & Harwood, P., 2011. Employment relations comment: social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

Smith, S., Holmes, W. & Harwood, P., 2011. Social media and its impact on employers and trade unions. Employment Relations Comment, September, pp. 1-15.

TUC, 2007. TUC Briefing on online social networking and Human Resources, s.l.: TUC.

UKCES, 2014. Research and analysis: UK labour market projections: 2012 to 2022, s.l.: UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

Wakeling, A., 2014. Does social media strengthen or dilute employee voice?. Employment Relations Comment, August.

Walker, S., 2012. Employee engagement and communication research: measurement strategy and action. London: Kogan Page Ltd.

Weiss, J. & Leigh, S., 2009. The Business Impact of Social Computing: Real-World Results in Life Insurance, s.l.: s.n.

Whincup, D., 2011. Weekly dilemma: Tweeting employees. Personnel Today. 4 February.

Whyteleafe, P., 2010. EMPLOYERS NEED TO COME TO TERMS WITH AN AGEING WORKFORCE. Professional Manager. May 2010, Vol. 19 Issue 3, p14-14., 1 May, 19(3), pp. 14-14.

Willmott, B., Worman, D., Flynn, M. & Stephen, M., 2012. Managing a Healthy Ageing Workforce: A Guide for Employers, London: CIPD.

Winterbotham, M. et al., 2014. The UK Commissioner`s Employer Skills Survey 2013: UK Results, s.l.: UKCES.

Young, B. W., Mathiassen, L. & Davidson, E., 2016. Inconsistent and Incongruent Frames During ITenabled Change: An Action Research Study of Sales Process Innovation. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 2016, 1 July , 17(7), pp. 495-520.