Election of Employee Representatives

Over the last 20 years there has been an increase in the regulatory requirements for UK employers to consult with employee representatives. Consequently more and more employers have to organise elections for their workforce to elect appropriate representatives. Examples of these elections and ballots include:

• Collective Redundancy Consultations
• Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE)/National Works Council (NWC)
• Pre-Existing Agreement (PEA) ballot
• Joint Consultative Committee (JCC)
• European Works Council (EWC) and Special Negotiating Body (SNB)
• Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE)
• Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations (PSC)
• Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations (HSCER)

Normally it is the employer's responsibility not only to organise the election but also to ensure that it is fairly and properly conducted and complies with all the relevant regulations. This is a difficult role for employers or their usual professional advisers to administer themselves. Typically they will lack experience of organising elections and they will not have access to the specialist print, internet or telephone facilities needed to run a secret ballot that is also secure (and preferably rapidly completed, so everyone can go back to their normal jobs as fast as possible). Employers and their close advisers may also be regarded by employees as interested parties in the ballot rather than impartial election managers and this can lead to disputes about the legitimacy of the whole electoral process.

The surest, simplest, smoothest and swiftest way to organise an employee representative election that all sides will respect, is to use Electoral Reform Services (ERS). We can conduct nominations and elections, no matter how large or small the workforce is. Our unique range of postal. internet, telephone and text voting methods allow us to offer a fast turnaround service that does not compromise voter accessibility. Most importantly of all, our project managers can take care of all the election administration. This minimises disruption to the employer's business whilst ensuring the election result, backed up by our Independent Scrutineer's Report, is universally accepted.

Employers, professional advisers and trade union officials can all ask ERS for a quote covering nomination and election of employee representatives, even if the need for a vote is not yet confirmed. We recognise that employee consultation can be a sensitive subject and all enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.