Customer Service

Unit 1: Understanding the organisation

Session 4: Support for customer service employees
Session 4 - Learning topics
Different sources of information and advice on employment rights and
responsibilities
The different types of representative body
The different roles and responsibilities of these representative bodies
Where you can find information about equality, health and safety and career
progression.

Sources of information
Pages:

You can find lots of useful, high-quality information about employment rights and
responsibilities in relation to a customer service role in numerous different places! By
taking time to explore this information, you should be able to find out what you need to
know in relation to your customer service role.

External sources

External sources of information can be found outside an organisation.

External sources of information may include:

Libraries
Citizens Advice Bureau
Chambers of Commerce
 Legal professionals
Educational establishments / courses
Trade unions regional and / or head office
Employer / industry organisations
ACAS
Business Link
Government
Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Internal sources

Internal sources are sources of information that can be found within an organisation.

Internal sources of information may include:

Line managers
Personnel specialists
Books and documents held within the organisation
Informed colleagues
Staff association representatives
Trade union representatives.

Time to think
Where can you go to for information about rights and responsibilities in your own
workplace, or one you know well? Think about it and note it down.

Key point
For question 1 in section 4 of your Assessment you mustidentify sources of information
and advice on employment rights and responsibilities (4.1). It might be an idea to have a
look at the some of the links provided on this page now, to familiarise yourself with
some of common sources of information.
 Representative bodies
Pages:

One of the key ways employees can receive help and support in the workplace is
through representative bodies.

Help, advice and representation

A representative body can be classified as a person, group or organisation that
represents others. Others can again be an individual, group or organisation.
Representation is important as it can ensure that workers rights in areas such as health
and safety, pensions, etc are maintained. They essentially provide
independent help, advice and representation.

Many industries have their own representative bodies. You can see some examples
listed on the right of this page.

Examples of representative bodies include:

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
The Construction Industry Council (CIC)
The United Road Transport Union (URTU)
The Union of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers (USDAW).

Now, lets look at a few of these bodies in more detail. As you will see from the three
examples below, although there are many different industries, many bodies
are campaigning for the same thing, to protect the rights of their workers and to
improve working conditions.
The United Road Transport Union (URTU)

The United Road Transport Union (URTU) is the UKs only union dedicated to serving
the interests of workers in road haulage, distribution and logistics. They are an active
union constantly campaigning, negotiating and lobbying to ensure that members are
properly rewarded for the skilled work they do. This involves reviewing health and
safety procedures, working conditions, pension schemes and basic salary.

The Union of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers

(USDAW)

Unlike URTU, USDAW is not industry specific and its members work in a variety of
occupations and industries, including: Shop workers, factory and warehouse workers,
clerical workers, catering, laundries, chemical processing, home shopping and
pharmaceutical workers. The aim is to recruit, organise and represent workers in the
retail, distributive, manufacturing and service sectors for the purpose of securing the
best possible terms and conditions and providing support and protection at work.
The Institute of Customer Service (ICS)

This is the independent, professional membership body for customer service. They are
the first port of call for every aspect of customer service. Members are organisations
from across the commercial, public and third sectors and individuals. The aim is to
help members learn from each other and offer wide-ranging support so they can
continue to improve their customer service.

Non-trade union representation

Although the best known examples of representative bodies are trade unions, like
USDAW, non-trade union representation may also be found in certain organisations.

According to ACAS, there are 50% trade union and 50% non-trade union
representatives in the UK.

So as you can see, there is not just one kind of representation. However it is important
to consider the features of the two different kinds of representation, as well as their
rights, in order to understand which one is more relevant to the section of industry you
work in, or are interested in working in.
 Key point
For question 2 in section 4 of your Assessment you will be asked to identify types of
representative body related to the industry (4.2). It is very important that you use
relevant examples and can demonstrate how they relate to your chosen
organisation/industry so make sure you re-read this page with your chosen
organisation in mind.

More about representation

Pages:

What are the responsibilities?

As discussed on the previous page, the two different types of representative bodies
are trade unions and non-trade union representatives (for example staff
associations or trade associations).

There are some key differences between these two types of representative body you
can see a summary of these differences below.
 Trade unions

These are large organisations that represent the interests of their membership
Their members may share an occupation or a common industry
They will also have regional and national expertise that they can use
They can offer assistance through work based representatives, for instances such as
redundancies etc.

Non-trade unions

Non-trade union representation may also be found in organisations.

Their role is much more restricted than that of their union counterparts, being limited
mainly to consultation
In the commercial sector, union representatives and non-union representatives from the
same firm may share a consultative forum.

Key differences
Trade union and non-trade union representatives have a right to paid time to help
employees in a range of different areas.

It is important to know the differences between union and non-union representation

so that you know which representative body it is best to consult for particular issues.
For example, there are two areas where union representatives do have a right to paid
time to help employees, but non-union representatives do not. These are shown below.

Union learning

If your employer recognises the trade union you are a member of, you have the right to
take a reasonable amount of time off for trade union activities, such as union learning.
This could be to receive training relevant to the duties you carry out at work. It is
definitely worth researching the possibility of union learning as it can improve your
skills and experience in the workplace.

Collective bargaining

This involves negotiation between an employer and a trade union. Collective bargaining
usually entails a trade union negotiating with employers about matters that affect their
members and other employees.

Further examples
Now we have looked at the differences between union and non-trade union bodies,
lets look at some general examples of more representative bodies or job roles and their
individual roles and responsibilities.
Find out more.

Staff representatives
Staff representatives can be an employee of a union or non union body that helps
local officers represent workers. The main roles and responsibilities of staff
representatives are to work with local representatives to give them more of a voice
and listen to their views or concerns. The idea is to essentially be a contact for local
or smaller parts of an organisation to get in touch with. This is naturally relevant to
many industries and especially so if the organisation has a large amount of staff.

Staff associations
Staff associations are typically local groupings of staff who organise seminars and
social events. Some associations are based in a single subject discipline; others are
more general. Staff associations are typically independent and distinct from their
host institution and active unions. However, they often play an active role in feeding
back staff concerns to these bodies.

Additional roles and responsibilities they have include providing social and moral
support to members if necessary. The relevance of the role of staff associations is to
provide industry bodies with feedback from staff members, thereby encouraging
improvements which aim to make their staff happier.

Trade associations
Their main role is to connect individual businesses and business groups to work
together for common goals. The main responsibilities of trade associations are to
provide a forum for brainstorming, political action, and industry standardisation. They
can provide their members with industry news, tips of best practise, help organise
possible campaigns and members updated about any actions or events in the
industry. Therefore, they are relevant to many industries as they are the link between
staff members and different segments of an industry; ensuring communication
between all parties is effective.

In summary
Trade union and non-trade union representation are the two types of representative
bodies available to employees. Trade unions have regional and national expertise and
members usually share an occupation or a common industry. They are large
organisations that can offer assistance to their members through representatives, union
learning and collective bargaining. Non-trade union bodies on the other hand, are
mainly restricted to consultation, although in the commercial sector union
representatives and non-union representatives in the same organisation may share a
consultative forum to offer advice.
 Key point
For your Assessment you must be able to detail the main roles and responsibilities of
each representative body and their relevance to the industry (4.3). It is very important
that you use relevant examples and can demonstrate how they relate to your chosen
organisation/industry so make sure you re-read this page and the previous page with
your chosen organisation in mind.

Other issues
There may be issues in the workplace that you want or need to find out more about. It is
very important that you know which sources of support are available to you to do this.

Who can you talk to?

There are three key issues which you may need to find out more about. These
are equality, health and safety and career progression.

Health and safety

Health and safety is covered by lots of different types of legislation. The type of
legislation you are covered by could depend on the sector of industry that you work in.
Listed below are possible key sources of support in the workplace regarding health
and safety:

The organisation's handbook

The Human Resources department
Line managers
Health and Safety managers
Health and safety policy
Specific legislation.
Remember that different organisations will have different health and safety procedures.
For example, larger organisations with thousands of members of staff, such as councils
and universities, will have specific health and safety advisors who are trained to cover
the necessary health and safety requirements. However, smaller organisations may only
have a trained fire warden and two staff who are first aid trained. Some businesses or
 organisations in certain sectors, such as manual handling, may offer health and safety
training to each of their staff.

One universal rule is that all workplaces need to provide access to health and safety
statements.

Equality

There is a huge amount of difference (diversity) in a workplace. In all organisations,

people doing the same job equally well should be rewarded equally. There is also a
moral and legal obligation to treat people on their merits and ability to do the job. Listed
below are the key sources of support in the workplace regarding equality:

The organisation's handbook

The Human Resources department
Line managers
Specific legislation.
Again, like equality, it is important to know what sources to turn to regarding career
progression. You could ask your line manager for advice on how to possibly achieve a
promotion or you could discuss with them or human resources why someone else was
given a promotion and you werent. This way you could use the feedback given to
improve and gain promotion at another opportunity. The organisation handbook will
detail company policy regarding progression. Additionally, some websites can be useful
for giving advice on how to plot a successful career path and what things you can do to
gain promotion etc.

Career progression

Employees who get better at their job and produce improved results are more likely to
be given opportunities to advance in an organisation. They are more likely to receive
training and promotion opportunities, which can in turn have a positive impact on a
 person's long-term career prospects. Listed below are the key sources of support in
the workplace regarding career progression:

The organisation's handbook

The Human Resources department
Line managers
Specific websites.
Using these sources of support should show you that equality is practised in your
workplace. It is also worth noting that these same sources should be used if you feel
equality is not being practised regarding yourself or others.

For instance, speaking to human resources and a line manager should allow you to
express your concerns privately whilst taking the matter further. Legislation and the
organisation handbook should detail what will happen in such situations.

On the web
Check out the following useful sources of information on employment rights and
responsibilities:

www.acas.org.uk
www.equalityhumanrights.com
www.gov.uk

Time to think
Where do you turn to in your organisation (or one you know well) for information
about equality, health and safety and career progression? Make some notes in the box
below.

In summary
In this Session you have learned about how customer service employees are
supported. You should now be able to:

Identify sources of information and advice on employment rights and responsibilities

Identify types of representative body related to the industry
Detail the main roles and responsibilities of each representative body and their relevance
to the industry
Outline sources of support for their role within the organisation to include issues relating to
equality, health and safety and career progression.

Support for customer service employees

Back to Session
Take a look at the following learning points to see a summary of what youve covered in
this Session:

Sources of information
 External sources
- Libraries
- Citizens Advice Bureau
- Chambers of Commerce
- Legal professions
- Educational establishments
- Trade unions
- ACAS
- Government
- Equality and Human Rights Commission
Internal sources
- Line managers
- Personnel specialists
- Books and documents
- Informed colleagues
- Staff association representatives
- Trade union representatives

Representative bodies
Help, advice and representation
- United Road Transport Union (URTU)
- Union of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers (USDAW)
- Institute of Customer Service (ICS)
- Non-trade union representation
Trade unions
- Large organisations
- Members share an occupation or industry
- Regional and national expertise
- Assistance through work-based reps
Non-trade unions
- More restricted
- May share forum with union reps

Who to talk to
Health and safety
- Organisations handbook
- HR department
- Line managers
- Health and safety managers
- Health and safety policy
- Specific legislation
Equality
- Organisations handbook
- HR department
- Line managers
- Specific legislation
Career progression
- Organisations handbook
- HR department
 - Line managers
- Specific websites

Quick quiz
Question 1
When looking to find out high-quality information about employment rights and
responsibilities, where should you go first?

Books and documents held within the organisation

Line managers

Trade union representatives

Correct. Well done!

Question 2
Are the following statements True or False?

A. Employees can receive help and support in the workplace through representative
bodies
B. A representative body is a person, group or organisation that represents others

A is True, but B is False

A and B are both False

A is False, but B is True

A and B are both True

Correct. Well done!

Question 3
What is the percentage ratio of trade union and non-trade union representation in the
UK?

40:60

70:30

50:50
The correct answer is: 50:50
Question 4
Which two of the following are ways that equality can be enhanced?

A. Be aware of the judgements you make of others

B. Be willing to learn about people who are different
C. Adhere to Health & Safety guidelines

A and B

A and C

B and C
The correct answer is: A and B

Question 5
You are a member of the Institute of Customer Service. What sector of industry do you
work in?

Commercial

Public

Third

Any of the above

Correct. Well done!