Inform and consult your employees

Communicating with your employees is central to managing your workforce. Poor communication can result in misunderstandings and mistrust.

Benefits of good staff communication

Introducing proper procedures for informing and consulting with your employees can take time and money but you will benefit from improved products, productivity, and competitiveness.

Other benefits of effective consultation and information-sharing include:

• improved employee commitment and job satisfaction, particularly if employees understand what the business is trying to achieve and the effect of their contribution
• increased morale leading to lower turnover of employees and reduced recruitment and training costs
• better employee performance, if they understand targets and deadlines and receive proper feedback
• provision of accurate information or guidance, which helps avoid misunderstandings, eg on health and safety policies, business performance, staff changes, and job structures
• improved management decision-making, due in part to feedback from employees
• improved management/employee relations
• improved exchange of ideas
• consistent approach and strategy across the business

If employees are given inadequate or unclear instructions, they could act in breach of regulations without meaning to. Lack of basic information can also be a breach of workers' rights. See legal requirements for communicating with employees.