Employment relations
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| employment contract/emˈplɔɪmənt ˈkɒntrækt/ | 雇佣合同 | gù yōng hé tóng |
| trade union/treɪd ˈjuːnɪən/ | 工会 | gōng huì |
| collective bargaining/kəˈlektɪv ˈbɑːɡɪnɪŋ/ | 集体谈判 | jí tǐ tán pàn |
| health and safety/helθ ænd ˈseɪfti/ | 健康与安全 | jiàn kāng yǔ ān quán |
Employment is an agreement
- An employment contract 雇佣合同 sets out what an employee and employer agree: job duties, pay, hours, leave, and notice.
- Clear terms prevent avoidable disputes. They also make it easier for a manager to judge whether work meets the agreed standard.
- A contract does not replace respectful communication; it gives communication a shared starting point.
A contract is a poor substitute for conversation, but excellent at remembering dates.
Which detail normally belongs in an employment contract?
Hours are part of the agreed employment terms.
Different voices at work
- A trade union 工会 represents members' interests at work. It may support staff in discussions about pay, conditions, or safety.
- Collective bargaining 集体谈判 is negotiation between an employer and workers' representatives about shared terms.
- Employers need productive staff; employees need fair, safe, and predictable work. Those interests can differ without either side being unreasonable.
A trade union’s role is to represent workers’ interests.
Representation can involve negotiation or cooperation as well as disagreement.
Fairness protects the business too
- Health and safety 健康与安全 means reducing avoidable risks at work through training, equipment, procedures, and review.
- Poor safety can harm people, interrupt production, damage trust, and create legal costs.
- A fair complaint process listens to evidence, records the decision, and protects the employee from retaliation for raising a genuine concern.
Match the practice to its purpose.
Both practices protect people and support a reliable workplace.
A restaurant changes its closing time from 9 pm to 11 pm. Staff may gain extra pay but lose predictable evening time. The manager should consult affected staff, check contracts, assess transport and safety, and agree a workable rota.
“Tell everyone to work later” ignores both the employment relationship and the practical risk.
Before changing restaurant closing hours, which checks are sensible? Choose all that apply.
The change affects both agreed terms and practical safety.
Write one English sentence giving one benefit and one cost of later closing hours.
Example: “Later hours may increase sales, but they can raise wage costs and make staff travel home less safely.”
Explain both the employee and employer effect. Longer opening hours can increase sales, but they can also increase fatigue, wage costs, and staff turnover.
Do not describe a union as simply “against management”. Its role is representation; cooperation and disagreement are both possible outcomes.