How to hold an election for employee representatives

By Jo Plumstead

Running fair and compliant elections for employee representatives is essential for organisations committed to strong employee relations and transparent workplace governance. Whether elections are required for information and consultation purposes or to support wider workforce engagement, HR teams must ensure processes are well‑planned, accessible and fully aligned with legal expectations. This includes preparing appropriate election arrangements, understanding who can stand for election, and ensuring all employees have a fair opportunity to vote.

Employee representatives play a critical role in giving staff a voice and supporting meaningful consultation, so it is vital that employers understand their responsibilities — from setting up nomination procedures and deciding on voting systems to ensuring candidates are protected from unfair treatment. Clear, structured election processes help build trust, strengthen communication and support a positive organisational culture.

Our guide offers practical HR‑focused advice to help you plan, manage and run employee representative elections with confidence, ensuring fairness, compliance and strong employee engagement at every stage.

In this guide, learn about:

• Planning
• Protection for candidates and representatives
• Rights for representatives
• Facilities
• The election process
  • How many candidates?
  • Who may be a candidate?
  • Who can vote?
  • The term of office
• Running the election
  • The voting system
  • Nominations
• The vote
• After the election

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