What is the difference between employee relations and human resources?

HR and ER are both essential functions of an organization that work together to manage employees effectively. While HR focuses on managing the employee life cycle, ER focuses on managing the employee-employer relationship. Both functions require different skills, and the nature of their relationship with employees is different.

When I joined my organisation as a HR manager in a steel plant as a fresh graduate from a management institute, I remember one of my seniors quoted that an HR manager is one who starts from the birth of an employee in an organisation till he leaves the organisation and may be even after. HR manager on the shopfloor needed to have the skills to think on his feet, know all the relevant policies, listen to the workers on the shopfloor, maintain all their records and see their promotion, growth and motivate them to work better for their as well as organisation growth. Employee relations is an important subset in the HR function which takes care of employees well being and growth in the organisation.

Employee relations and human resources are two distinct but related functions within an organization. Human resources (HR or people and culture) oversees issues related to the workforce, including compensation, workplace safety, recruitment, performance management, and labor relations. On the other hand, employee relations (ER) is a specific HR discipline focused on creating positive relationships and a constructive work environment that fosters engagement, productivity, and trust. In summary, HR is crucial in talent acquisition, development, and compliance with employment laws, while employee relations is essential for building positive interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

There are country nuances to the term ER. In some countries it is a specialist area focusing on employment law with strong focus on the employer-employee relationship and the Acts and Statutes that govern those relationships. In other countries, it seems to focus on employee engagement and employee sentiment/organizational climate. HR is more of an all -encompassing area covering the entire employee life-cycle from Talent Acquisition, onboarding, Performance contracting and the overall performance management cycle, training & development, Comp & Benefits, Employee Engagement , retention, Workplace and Occupational safety, etc The two are a team in essence with both needing each other to create a great place to work and thrive for employees.

Human resource management is the overall process of recruiting, hiring, training, developing, and managing employees. It encompasses all aspects of the employee life cycle, from onboarding to retirement. HR professionals are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including: Job analysis,Recruitment Training and development, Performance management Compensation and benefits Employee engagement, retention. Workplace safety & compliance Employee relations is a subset of HR that focuses on building and maintaining positive relationships between employees and employers. ER professionals work to create a workplace culture where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. They also play a key role in resolving employee disputes an grievances.

Both are approaches to managing employees in an organization and both critical components of success in any organization. Employee relations focuses more on improving morale and productivity, engagement and reducing resistance to authority by ensuring that employees are happier and as well as developing and nurturing trust; entails developing healthy employee relationships while human resources views employees as resources that contribute to the functioning of the organization and individual’s needs, entails governing all issues and concerns relating to organisation’s workforce and work environment.

HR is a broader function that encompasses various aspects of managing an organization's workforce. It includes activities like recruitment, selection, onboarding, compensation and benefits, training and development, performance management, and compliance with employment laws. HR professionals often focus on creating and implementing policies and procedures that align with an organization's goals and legal requirements.

HR can definitely be at the helm of Employee Relations by engaging leadership to provide consistent education and training in Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Safety, and Management/Leadership practices that acknowledge, support, and engage employees. It's vital that leadership demonstrate these skills and qualities and reinforce their importance often.

Happy to (try to contribute, hence let me start with a question: why this forum? Which issue or question triggered its creation? In my experience, "human resources management" includes employee relations management. The probable reason is that I always viewed ER as a policy and a process, next to comp & ben, learning, recruiting a.o. They all come together in HR management. The definition of ER in the left column though is much larger. In Europe, industrial relations management is often viewed as next to ER.

While HR is the function that takes care of everything (from onboarding and offboarding of talents) that has to do with the human aspect of the business - human capital, Employee Relations is one of the value chains in HR and it deals with managing the relationship and expectations of the workforce to keep them engaged, motivated and inspired to deliver their optimal performance. In a nutshell, Employee relations is a critical part of the entire HR value chain.

The main focus in ER is that it primarily concentrates on managing and improving the relationships between employees and their employers, as well as relationships among employees. Whereas HR is a broader function that encompasses the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to compensation, benefits, training, and compliance with employment laws.

Recursos Humanos (RH) e Relações Humanas no ambiente de trabalho são distintos em suas abordagens. RH foca em políticas, processos e gestão estratégica de pessoal, assegurando que a organização tenha os colaboradores certos. Por outro lado, Relações Humanas concentram-se nas interações interpessoais, comunicação e motivação, visando criar um ambiente de trabalho positivo e colaborativo. Enquanto RH trata do aspecto organizacional, as Relações Humanas buscam fortalecer as relações entre os membros da equipe para promover um clima de trabalho saudável. Ambos desempenham papéis cruciais para o sucesso, conexão e a harmonia no ambiente profissional.

The answer is based on practice, Human Resource Management refers to the strategic and operational management of the overall relationship between the employer and the employee (including ER) and on the other side, Employee Relations refer to a structure and effort dedicated to specifically dealing with the management of the conduct between employee and the employer.

Embora se relacionem as áreas de relações do trabalho e de recursos humanos possuem objetivos distintos. Enquanto o objeto das relações trabalhistas seja mais voltado aos aspectos legais existentes entre empregados e empregadores, tais como contratos de trabalho, questões sindicais, etc, a área de recursos humanos tem como objeto maior o bem estar e desenvolvimento do trabalhador, bem como, a gestão do funcionário nos quadros da organização empregados, tais como treinamentos, remuneração e gestão de funcionários dentro de uma organização, maximizando o desempenho e o bem-estar dos funcionários.

Below are the differences between ER and HR: 1. HR is wider functions that focus its operation on various function, such as organization management & workforce management. Otherwise, ER is one of HR functions. 2. To have a career in HR, employee must be assigned in various function, whereas to have a career in ER, employee must focus on understanding HR policies & regulations and its implementation & improving the relationship between employers & employees. 3. HR is generalist function, whereas ER is specialist function. There were good career choices for employees, but it depends on employees' capabilities & interest.

There is a significant overlap between employee relations and human resources because ER is a subset of HR. Both ER and HR play a role in resolving workplace conflicts and disputes. HR may initially address issues, but ER specialists often get involved when conflicts escalate or require specialized mediation. Both ER and HR aim to facilitate effective communication between employees and management. HR professionals may establish communication channels, while ER specialists ensure that communication is open and constructive.

While ER and HR were blended now more and more companies are establishing them as individual functions. It is sometimes hard for the employees to understand the difference and get confused. End goal of both ER and HR is definitely to see the employees thriving however with separate ER function the organisation messaging is loud and clear in terms of investments done towards providing a safe, conducive non partial work environment. You need to always enter with no baggage/clean slate approach and be ready to listen each time you walk into a conversation.

The word "human" is the biggest overlap. In HR, whatever function we are responsible for, we should never forget that anything that we do can possibly affect someone.

Because of this overlap, it can be challenging to understand who handles what and when. We found that generating a triage matrix to identify when an issue should sit with HR vs escalate to ER has been extremely helpful. Many times general conflict or performance-based issues sit with HR while more egregious concerns such as harassment or discrimination tend to escalate.

Efectivamente,comunicación,ética y colaboración son totalmente necesarias para desempeñar un trabajo profesional e íntegro pero, como he mencionado en el punto 1, también ciertos aspectos que tienen que ver con tu personalidad son claves a la hora de dedicarte o no a los HR.

I believe that your education doesn't lock you into a specific career path. Whether you studied engineering or law, you can still excel in HR. Also, I don't differentiate between employee relations and HR; they go hand in hand. Knowing how to handle relationships at work matters more than your degree; it's about having the right skills and experience. The key is being adaptable and understanding how people work together, leveraging strengths, and coaching employees. Nowadays, companies are shifting focus, placing a higher value on people's skills. This opens doors for individuals from diverse educational backgrounds to thrive in HR roles, emphasizing the importance of practical know-how and a people-centric approach over education.

Career paths in employee relations and human resources can vary, but there is a general outline of potential career progressions in both fields. Some HR roles : HR Assistant/Coordinator, HR Generalist, HR Specialist, HR Manager, HR Director and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), etc. Roles in ER : ER Specialist/Coordinator, ER Advisor/Analyst, ER Manager, ER Director, VP/Director of Employee Relations, etc.

I wouldn't say that in order to develop a career in HR or ER you "NEED" a bachelor's degree in HR. Work/life experience can certainly provide enough substantive experience as well as specialized certifications. Also, it has become common to see additional roles like People Operations Specialist/Manager, People Partner, People Analytics and Employee Experience pop up in the HR space, creating additional specialties and opportunities in the field.

At our company, a career plan is like a treasure map. You start at 'X,' and with learning and dedication, you explore paths to opportunity chests. An exciting journey that turns work into an adventure

La trayectoria profesional erroneamente es solo redactar el CV, en este proceso se incluyen muchas mas temas que solo la trayectoria, es importante hacer notar nuestras habilidades, fortalezas y las debilidades que nos enseñan un camino de oportunidad de crecer y hacerse notar.

Collaboration between HR and employee relations ensures accurate and up-to-date employee data, policy adherence, streamlined processes, and effective communication. It facilitates training and system integration while enabling swift issue resolution. This cooperative approach enhances accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and employee satisfaction, ultimately contributing to smooth operations and a positive work environment.

Muchas personas se contratan precisamente al conocer el grado de beneficios que las empresas otorgan y no necesariamente en el tema económico hay beneficios que logran la integracion incluso hasta de las mascotas en el centro de trabajo, que derivado de la pandemia se abrieron este tipo de beneficios que logran hacer un mejor ambiente laboral combinado la vida personal, como con las mascotas, en los lugaresde trabajo.

A career centered on employee relations brings the fulfillment of fostering positive work environments. By promoting employee satisfaction, this journey provides not only professional growth but also the personal fulfillment of contributing to well-being in the workplace

A carreira em Recursos Humanos é gratificante, pois envolve a gestão de pessoas nas empresas, abrangendo os processos de recrutamento e seleção, treinamento e desenvolvimento, cargos e salários, clima organizacional, comunicação interna, desempenho e rotinas trabalhistas. Apesar dos desafios, proporciona muitas oportunidades de aprendizado e crescimento. Para quem valoriza a dinâmica das relações humanas e quer contribuir para o desenvolvimento organizacional, essa carreira é ideal!

Key Differences : Timeframe: Employee relations deals with immediate, day-to-day interactions, while HR has a broader, long-term focus on aligning human capital strategies with the organization’s strategic objectives. In today’s scenario, the synergy between effective employee relations and strategic HR practices is crucial for building a resilient and thriving workforce.

No more HR😁 The very basic understanding of this coroprate support field/department must change! Why? …bc… First and foremost people are NOT RESOURCES!! 2nd There is no organization without people. (no value chain, no production, no productivity, no revenue without people) 3rd There are no people without the organization. (no growth, no development, no learning, no salaries without the organization) …for more insight pls read my comments below… or kindly reach out to me😊

It's vital for the business to spend effort and money on something that they will benefit from. Adding excessive functions popular among competitors may drain the resources while creating less complex environments may secure stability and profits. It is advisable to establish the HR function before focusing on employee relations, because HR ensures legal compliance, manages recruitment and onboarding, develops policies, and facilitates employee training and development. When these areas were covered, employee relations should also be prioritized to foster positive relationships, corporate culture and a harmonious work environment.

What I try to implement in employee relations is the management of indicators to reduce labor risks and interpersonal conflicts. To this end, I offer leadership training and develop management tools.