Should an Employer have a duty to keep Employees informed about changes?

Sampong

Example - a company has plans to centralize some of it's operations which will result in regional job losses.

Companies will withold information about these plans for obvious reasons until such time that they need to make changes to staff.

Since these plans directly affect individuals, I believe that companies should have a duty to keep employees informed. For instance, an employee who his generally happy in their job may miss chances of other job offers which they may otherwise have taken had they been aware of strategic changes within their company.

As far as I am aware there is no protection against this for employees.

Opinions?

ska_lover

I totally agree. I have been through this myself and am currently watching other members of the company I currently work for, go through it.

Its disgusting really, they are messing with peoples lives.

hcb42

i think you are grossly over simplifying this, and not sure what you think should happen.

I know I have a lot of the times, kept negative news from employees for precisely the opposite reasons, to protect them whilst the issues are worked through to keep jobs.

There is no benefit in staff worrying over what could be might be etc...and speaking as someone whose hubby was made redundant last week, I am glad I didnt have weeks and months to fret over it.

Indeed ska's post sums it up, we all have to get a grip when the chips are down, and move on, even at difficult times.

Sapong, there is protection for employees under the rules for redundancy, consultation, redundancy pay, unfair dismissal.....etc...etc. Yes it is not all perfect, but then we cannot all be wrapped up in cotton wool either, when the chips are down, difficult decisions have been made.

Finally, I have been made redundant twice in my life, and the first time was certainly life changing in a positive way, the second was a relief...terrible company, and I have never looked back, indeed the same advice a lot of people are currently giving hubby, so a week later we are optimistic on the future.

Googlewhacker

ska_lover wrote: »

I totally agree. I have been through this myself and am currently watching other members of the company I currently work for, go through it.

Its disgusting really, they are messing with peoples lives.

Should it go the other way then as well? Should all employees have to tell their employers when they are looking for other jobs?

cord123

I can see what you are saying but when would it start and stop? What would happen if they said they were looking to relocate 200 miles away... people then left and went elsewhere and then the company didnt move - these people would then moan at that....

pjcox2005

I'd say it wouldn't be sensible for an employer to tell employees everything nor would it be feasible.

Strategy changes and evolves regularly over time. If employers had to tell employees everything then the time commitment to communicating these, answering peoples questions etc when it could change the next day would mean the business would suffer.

As mentioned above, if plans fell through they may lose staff in that period they would have preferred to keep. Other issues may be benefical for competitors to hear which would be more likely if you had to tell all employees and would impact the business.

abaxas

Do you have a duty of car to tell your employer about changes to your life?

No.

Employment is a two way contract.