{"id":21939,"date":"2026-09-08T22:30:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T22:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&p=21939"},"modified":"2026-09-08T22:31:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T22:31:05","slug":"employee-forums-what-are-their-benefits-and-will-they-be-affected-by-the-era-trade-union-reforms","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/employee-forums-what-are-their-benefits-and-will-they-be-affected-by-the-era-trade-union-reforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee forums – what are their benefits and will they be affected by the ERA trade union reforms?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Shelagh Prosser<\/strong>, Independent Consultant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee forums provide a structured mechanism for the employer to engage directly with employee representatives. Forums usually occur in organisations where there is no union presence. However, there are instances where even in highly unionised organisations – for example retail – employee forums exist and are seen as adding value rather than competing with unions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Employment Rights Act 2025<\/a>\u00a0introduces major changes for employers, not least in respect of the presence and influence of trade unions. From 30 October 2026, unions will have a statutory right of physical and digital access to workplaces with more than 20 staff, and employers will have a duty to issue workers with a written statement of their right to join a union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For organisations where unions have not traditionally played a major role, these changes raise important questions about how increased union involvement will interact with existing arrangements for employee engagement and voice, in particular, employee forums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article considers the role employee forums play as a vehicle for amplifying employee voice and challenge. While not a substitute for unions, can these non-unionised arrangements sit alongside trade unions, and does such coexistence pose any challenges to employers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are employee forums?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Employee forums provide a structured mechanism for the employer to engage directly with employee representatives. Forums usually occur in organisations where there is no union presence. However, there are instances where even in highly unionised organisations – for example retail – employee forums exist and are seen as adding value rather than competing with unions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees opt to join a forum, and while there are usually elections for a defined number of representative places, membership is not contractual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, management and employee representatives will meet to inform, discuss, consult, share ideas, and collaborate on proposed organisational changes, developments and other strategic issues. The aim is to provide a direct communication channel with senior leadership and promote two-way conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee forums can provide an early temperature check on how employees may respond to organisational developments such as restructuring, the introduction of new technology, and wellbeing initiatives, thereby helping organisations plan and tailor communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forums differ from staff networks and employee resource groups (ERGs) in that they represent all employees and provide them with a collective voice. Staff networks and ERGs offer a safe space for employees who share a particular characteristic to come together for peer support and to discuss the specific workplace challenges they face. By focusing on lived experience, these support an organisation’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging. As one interviewee said, “Employee forums and staff networks are complementary but serve different purposes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How forums are structured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is variation in how employee forums are structured and operate, but the general view is that to be effective, they need clear terms of reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants emphasised that the terms of reference should clearly define the purpose of the employee forum to avoid misunderstandings and manage expectations. They should also set out the forum’s remit to ensure discussions remain focused. Typically, this would include organisational change initiatives, people policies and procedures, health, safety and wellbeing, the workplace environment, employee engagement, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matters such as pay and conditions, individual grievances and disciplinary cases would normally fall outside the forum’s remit, particularly where a recognised trade union exists. As changes introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025 take effect and trade union access expands, it will become increasingly important to clearly distinguish the respective roles of employee forums and trade unions, with explicit boundaries set out in the terms of reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An employee forum is usually a consultative rather than a decision-making body and does not have a negotiating remit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Membership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The terms of reference should cover how membership is decided and the recruitment process for members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributors to this article stressed the importance of getting a broad range of representatives in respect of directorates, functions, length of service and locations where an organisation operates across multiple sites. Individuals need to be able to represent their areas authentically and communicate the local situation. They need to be well-informed and objective. As one interviewee said, “It [the membership] can’t be a few opinionated individuals.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, representation should reflect the diversity of the organisation. In one organisation, two representatives from each of the staff diversity networks were members of the forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of members is usually proportionate to the size of the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One interviewee said that when determining membership, they had used personality profiling with the aim of achieving a balance of introverts and extroverts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another consideration is to ensure a mix of seniority among the members, although it is important that within the forum all representatives are equal. For this reason, having line managers and their direct reports as members should be avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HR’s involvement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The organisations interviewed for this article described different models of HR involvement in employee forums, ranging from chairing to not being formal members but having a standing invitation to attend. All stressed that it was important that HR was not seen as leading the forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This underlines that if forums are to be genuinely regarded as a vehicle for hearing employee voice and enabling two-way conversations, then the membership should reflect the whole organisation rather than one function. Regardless of its level of involvement in the forum, HR often provided administrative and secretariat support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chair<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All of the organisations consulted emphasised that having a credible and effective chair was essential to the success of the forum. As one participant said: “A key thing where I’ve seen them work well is having a chair who can bring people along with them.”  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chair plays a crucial role in setting the tone, ensuring meetings are constructive and run smoothly. An effective chair also makes sure that all members have their contact details, arranges pre-meetings where appropriate, follows up on agreed actions, and maintains momentum by keeping the dialogue going between formal meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In respect of who serves as chair, this can range from the CEO, a senior executive, an HR person or any other member. An election was considered to be a fairer approach to avoid members being intimidated by hierarchy. Genuine two-way dialogue and collaboration presuppose people feeling free to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the chair, it is recommended that employee forums have a deputy chair to ensure that meetings are accurately minuted and agreed actions are recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other areas the terms of reference should cover<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The terms of reference should also include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n