The Future of Workplace Relations

Workplaces are facing significant challenges over the forthcoming decade. An ageing workforce, workplace fragmentation, the changing role of trade unions, new forms of organisation such as mutuals, the long term impact of the economic crisis, and the growing power of social media are all contributing to significant changes. These will mean that employers, employees and their representatives will have to adapt the way in which they engage with each other in the years to come.

Acas, as an organisation that provides advice, support and guidance on employment relations will also need to adapt and we are have researched, written and commissioned papers on the future of workplace relations to build up an evidence base. We believe that these will be useful not only to our own organisation but to employers, representatives, policy makers, academics, students and social commentators. You can download papers and articles below.

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Future of Workplace Relations discussion paper series

Outsourcing and the fragmentation of employment relations: the challenges ahead [814kb] (August 2012)
The future of health and wellbeing in the workplace [267kb] (April 2012)
Voice and Participation in the Modern Workplace: challenges and prospects [236kb] (March 2012)
Mutual Advantage? The future implications of mutualism for employment relations [296kb] (February 2012)
The future implications of migrant labour for employment relations [118kb] (January 2012)
The employment relations challenges of an ageing workforce [92kb] (November 2011)
What role for trade unions in future workplace relations? [98kb] (September 2011)
A new era of public service employment relations? The challenges ahead [135kb] (August 2011)
The future of workplace relations - An Acas view [1Mb] (January 2011)

We are keen to stimulate a debate on this area and we welcome your comments. They can be sent to the paper editors Gill Dix and Sarah Podro at policypublications@acas.org.uk.