Employee Representative Training

Lesson 1 • Legal and Regulatory Framework

Surveys the regulatory obligations that govern representation rights and duties. Provides the compliance baseline every representative must understand.

Lesson 2 • Workplace Governance Structures

Maps how representative bodies fit within organisational hierarchies and decision-making processes. Clarifies reporting lines and formal channels.

Lesson 3 • What Employee Representatives Do

Defines the representative role, its boundaries, and its distinction from management. Anchors all subsequent chapters in a clear role identity.

Lesson 1 • Pay, Leave, and Working Time

Details entitlements related to compensation, rest periods, and leave categories. Equips representatives to identify and challenge non-compliance.

Lesson 2 • Core Individual Employment Rights

Covers fundamental rights including fair treatment, safe conditions, and non-discrimination. Forms the knowledge base for advising employees on personal matters.

Lesson 3 • Recognising Rights Violations

Teaches systematic identification of breaches, from subtle policy gaps to overt misconduct. Prepares representatives to act before issues escalate.

Lesson 1 • Active Listening and Empathy

Trains representatives to gather accurate information through structured listening. Empathy skills build trust with constituents and improve issue clarity.

Lesson 2 • Managing Difficult Conversations

Provides frameworks for handling emotionally charged or confrontational interactions. Builds resilience and de-escalation skills used throughout the representative role.

Lesson 3 • Written Communication Skills

Focuses on drafting formal correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes accurately. Written records are critical evidence in grievance and negotiation processes.

Lesson 1 • Informal Resolution Approaches

Explores early intervention, mediation referrals, and informal settlement options. Resolving issues informally preserves relationships and reduces formal caseload.

Lesson 2 • Grievance Hearings and Outcomes

Prepares representatives to participate effectively in formal hearings and respond to outcomes. Covers appeals and post-hearing obligations.

Lesson 3 • Intake and Initial Assessment

Teaches how to receive, assess, and categorise a complaint before formal action. Accurate intake prevents procedural errors and sets the right expectations.

Lesson 4 • Grievance Procedures and Policies

Explains the stages, timelines, and documentation requirements of formal grievance procedures. Provides the procedural map representatives must follow consistently.

Lesson 1 • Preparing for Disciplinary Hearings

Teaches case preparation, mitigation arguments, and hearing strategy. Thorough preparation is the primary factor in achieving fair disciplinary outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Supporting Employees Under Investigation

Covers the representative's role during investigations, including advising on responses. Early support prevents procedural errors that harm the employee's case.

Lesson 3 • Disciplinary Framework Overview

Outlines the stages, principles, and proportionality requirements of disciplinary procedures. Establishes the procedural knowledge base for supporting employees.

Lesson 1 • Preparing for Consultation Meetings

Covers mandate gathering, objective setting, and pre-meeting research. Preparation quality directly determines negotiation effectiveness.

Lesson 2 • Collective Bargaining Fundamentals

Applies negotiation skills to collective bargaining contexts, including pay and policy negotiations. Connects individual negotiation skills to representative-level outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Effective Negotiation

Introduces interest-based negotiation, BATNA analysis, and positional vs. principled approaches. Provides the conceptual foundation for all negotiation practice.

Lesson 4 • Evaluating and Reporting Outcomes

Covers post-negotiation review, constituent reporting, and implementation monitoring. Closes the negotiation cycle and builds accountability to employees.

Lesson 1 • Retrenchment Consultation Requirements

Details the legal consultation obligations, timelines, and representative rights during retrenchment. Ensures representatives can enforce due process for affected employees.

Lesson 2 • Types of Organisational Change

Categorises change scenarios from restructuring to outsourcing and their representative implications. Provides context for the specific processes covered in subsequent sections.

Lesson 3 • Business Transfer Protections

Explains employee protections during business transfers, including continuity of terms and conditions. Equips representatives to scrutinise transfer proposals.

Lesson 1 • Developing a Representative Agenda

Teaches how to identify priority issues, set a representative agenda, and align it with employee needs. Moves representatives from reactive to proactive advocacy.

Lesson 2 • Sustaining Employee Voice Long-Term

Addresses succession planning, representative development, and maintaining engagement over time. Ensures the representative function remains effective beyond individual tenure.

Lesson 3 • Influencing Policy and Procedure

Covers techniques for proposing, reviewing, and shaping workplace policies through formal channels. Enables representatives to create systemic improvements.