Employment Relations:
Negotiating individual employment agreements

You will negotiate some of the components for an employment agreement between Sean and Naturally Baking Ltd. This might include conditions such as pay and leave, for example. You may need to revise the information from this section.

You need to work within your forum teams to research the resources, answer the task questions, negotiate a consensus between the two groups, and then collate and present your agreement.

You need to organise your forum team. You can nominate yourself for positions or suggest other team members. Your forum team needs to:

• split into two groups: the ‘Dave, the employer’ group and the ‘Sean, the employee’ group
• choose a facilitator to direct discussion between the two groups
• choose a reporter to collate and write up the agreement the groups have made.

Each group needs to:

• decide how the members will work together to research the task questions and deliver feedback
• answer all the questions and present your claims to the other group
• negotiate with the other group to achieve an agreed outcome.

When researching the information you need to address these questions:

• What are the limits of your authority? How far can you commit without seeking the endorsement of someone with more authority? Do you have the authority to conduct this negotiation and carry it to its conclusion?
• What do you want? What issues do you need to deal with? How do you want to achieve it, and where are you prepared to alter your wants in order to get an agreement?
• What structure do you want? A logical structure is essential to negotiation. Think about how you would like to structure the meeting beforehand. Is there a particular sequence you would like the discussion to follow? Think about the order in which you want to make your key points, and how you will use these to reinforce one another.
• What questions do you want to ask? Do you think the information you are getting from the other side is different from the issues you have on your agenda? Ask questions to clarify, and do not be afraid to say things like ‘I’m beginning to wonder if we are talking about something a little different from our agenda. Maybe it would be useful to revisit this?’ Asking questions keeps you in a strong position. It keeps the flow of information going and it helps you get an idea of the value the other side is putting on some of the issues you need to resolve.
• How can you make everyone feel they have something to gain? A successful negotiation leaves everyone feeling they have gained something.

Present the agreement of the two sub-groups. Follow the your tutor’s instructions for the format and layout of the agreement.