Workplaces remain co-operative despite economic challenges

Contrary to the rhetoric from some unions, companies are working together with their staff to overcome challenging economic conditions, a survey by the CBI and recruitment specialists Harvey Nash has revealed.

The survey found that two-thirds (67%) of firms say that employee relations in their workplace are either co-operative or very co-operative, with staff remaining resilient despite the economic climate, and two-fifths (40%) of firms describing morale as high or very high.

Highlights of the survey findings include:

• Just one-in-twenty businesses (5%) describe the employee relations climate as adversarial or very adversarial, while 67% say it is co-operative or very co-operative  - giving a balance of +62% of firms reporting a co-operative employee relations climate.
• Most companies (85%) are confident their employees recognise the need to contain costs and adapt patterns of work in response to market pressures, while only 15% are not – giving a balance of +70% of firms where this is understood.
• Looking ahead, the top workforce priorities for businesses in the next 12 months are securing high levels of employee engagement (60%), containing labour costs (48%) and recruiting to key vacancies (38%).