Employee voice refers to the participation of employees in influencing corporate decision making. Employees are given a voice through informal and formal means to minimise conflict, improve communication and encourage staff retention through motivation and fair treatment (Stone, 2005). Employee participation is a form of empowerment and motivation that leads to increased productivity and retention[1]
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Employee voice is attained through both informal and formal mechanisms. Informal employee voice mechanisms include general conversation between employees and employers, email communication, employee feedback, social functions and meetings at the workplace. Employees can also influence corporate decision making through their actions, such as turnover and absenteeism[2]
Formal mechanisms include communication tools implemented by an organisations human resource department, such as employee surveys and suggestion boxes. Some organisations promote employee voice through financial participation, such as share ownership and profit-sharing opportunities. Employee consultative committees and representation through trade unions are also formal ways of ensuring employees are informed and are given a voice in decisions that affect their employment[2]
In an international context, the role of employee voice varies immensely. The European model is fundamentally based on employee communication and consultation between employees and corporate management. European Works Councils were introduced through the European Directive 1994 to accommodate these goals and provided employees with an opportunity to gain access to senior levels of their employers. The European model has required amendments to improve its effectiveness in managing employee voice and legal compliance[3]