4.2 Compare the types of employee bodies, union and non-union forms of employee representation

Employee representation comes in two forms, either individual or group representation. Union or non-union organisations both offer representation providing both formal and informal interactions between the two sides of the industry. While both have their similarities and distinctions, they both strive to provide employees with a forum in which they can air their concerns, express their ideas, and provide feedback on potential organisational changes that probably affects them. One similarity between union and non-union employee representation is that an employee has the legal ability to choose any between the two as their representative when voicing issues at meetings (Trade Union & Industrial Action Q&As| CIPD, n.d). Another similarity is that group issues can use both non-union and union representations. One significant difference between the two employee representations is that the non-union representation is often preferred for employees’ needs and wants that are ‘small matters.’ However, union representations are preferred when the issues are more legally binding such as redundancy. Another difference is that issues dealt with union representations often require the involvement of staff management, while non-union representations may or may not require management involvement.