The Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations were introduced on 6 April 2005 and apply to businesses with 50 or more employees. They give you the right to be:

• informed about the business's economic situation
• informed and consulted about employment prospects

informed and consulted about decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation or contractual relations, including redundancies and transfers

They provide you with a means by which you can require your employer to inform and consult you about the business's economic situation, future employment prospects and likely redundancies at the earliest possible stage. If your employer does not have such arrangements in place, 10% of the workforce, subject to a minimum of 15 employees, may be able to trigger negotiations to get them instituted.

Under the ICE Regulations, you would have the right to be informed and consulted about any future changes to the business affecting economic prospects, redundancies and work organisation. You have a separate right to be given:

• written statements, which specify your main terms and conditions of employment, including pay, hours of work, holidays and disciplinary rules
• itemised pay statements, showing gross pay, any fixed deductions and net pay
• health and safety information, so safety representatives or employees can carry out their functions.

You should also be provided with information about:

• the job: such as any operating and technical instructions, training and development opportunities and social facilities
• the organisation: covering everything from objectives and policies to sales and turnover.

Your employer must consult with you or employee representatives on everyday issues such as health and safety and occupational pensions. You should be given as much warning as possible about dramatic changes affecting your working life such as redundancies or business transfers. The ICE regulations aim to give you increased forewarning of these issues.

The Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations were introduced on 6 April 2005 and apply to businesses with 50 or more employees. They give employees the right to be:

• informed about the business's economic situation
• informed and consulted about employment prospects
• informed and consulted about decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation or contractual relations, including redundancies and transfers

The Regulations may mean you have to establish new arrangements for informing and consulting your employees. These new procedures are triggered by a formal request from employees or by you deciding to start the process yourself. The Regulations also allow you to use pre-existing agreements which have workforce support.

You already have legal obligations to inform and consult your employees regarding certain matters. The ICE regulations go further, being designed to keep employees informed and consulted about the business's economic situation, future employment prospects and likely redundancies at the earliest possible stage. The new regulations give you the flexibility to tailor information and consultation arrangements to suit your own circumstances. The new regulations may mean:

• reviewing your existing systems, or
• introducing employee consultation arrangements for the first time.

You need to talk to trade union representatives or employee representatives (or both) about reviewing your existing systems or think about setting up new procedures for informing and consulting staff. The yardstick is one representative for every fifty members of staff but the crucial thing is that the main groups of employees are represented.

If you do nothing then 10% of the workforce, subject to a minimum of 15 employees, may be able to trigger negotiations to get arrangements for information and consultation put in place.

You should inform and consult your employees because it can improve: 

• organisational performance: time spent communicating at the outset of a new project or development can minimise subsequent rumour and misunderstanding
• management performance and decision making: allowing employees to express their views can help managers and supervisors arrive at sound decisions that are more readily accepted by employees
• employees' performance and commitment: employees will perform better if they are given regular, accurate information such as updated technical instructions, targets, deadlines and feedback
• levels of trust: discussing issues of common interest can engender better management/employee relations
• job satisfaction: employees are more likely to be motivated if they have a good understanding of their job and how it fits into the organisation as a whole
• work-life balance: you can talk to all your staff about developing flexible working policies and practices

The ICE regulations give employees the right to be informed and consulted about any future changes in your business affecting economic prospects, redundancies and work organisation. You are required by law to give employees:

• written statements, which specify the main terms and conditions of employment – including pay, hours of work, holidays and disciplinary rules
• itemised pay statements, showing gross pay, any fixed deductions and the net pay
• health and safety information, so safety representatives or employees can carry out their functions

Our advice is that you also need to provide employees with information about:

• the job, such as any operating and technical instructions, training and development opportunities and social facilities
• the organisation, covering everything from objectives and policies to sales and turnover

You may inform employees about some of these issues automatically. However, other issues – like equal opportunities or reporting procedures – can slip through the net so it is best to have a communications and consultation policy.

You are legally obliged to consult with employees or employee representatives on everyday issues such as health and safety and occupational pensions. Employees should be given as much warning as possible about dramatic changes affecting their working lives such as redundancies or business transfers.

The ICE regulations aim to give employees increased forewarning of these issues. It is also worth keeping your trade unions or employee representatives informed and consulted about new ways of working, output and quality, training, staffing levels and welfare.