The Voice Research Group

What is ‘voice’?

‘Voice’ refers to the ways and means through which employees and workers express dissatisfaction or complaint over workplace issues that affect them, as well as offer discretionary ideas targeted at benefiting the organisation. All workers should have a voice, not just those strictly classified as ’employees’. With the rise in non-standard workers, i.e. fixed-term/temporary workers, agency workers, zero hours contract workers, freelancers/eLancers etc., organisations need to consider what the composition of their workforce means for how they enable all workers to have a say in the workplace.

The business case for enabling voice in the workplace is widely documented. Voice:

• Increases business profitability, productivity, creativity, innovation, efficiency
• Increases employee motivation, satisfaction, commitment, engagement, performance
• Reduces staff turnover / improves staff retention (cost saving)
• Reduces staff absenteeism (cost saving)
• Improves communication and buy-in (receptiveness to change)
• Elicits feedback (two-way communication)
• Protects organisation from potential scandals (whistleblowing)
• Enables quick resolution of issues (no escalation to possible industrial action)

But there is also a moral case for enabling voice at work:

• Providing employees and workers with the ability to shape their working lives is a key dimension of good work
• Valuing people is a core behaviour of the new Profession Map published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the U.K. which highlights the importance of taking a people-centred approach to professional practice, ensuring employees and workers have meaningful voice on work-related matters
• It is the right thing to do

Resources