Contemporary Employment Relations

• The text employs a thematic approach, which provides a much broader coverage of employment relations than conventional texts.
• Adopts a critical approach to employment relations: rather than simply addressing the regulation of the employment relationship, this book looks at how the employment relationship is experienced and contested.
• A stimulating range of case studies are provided via 'Insight into Practice' boxes, enabling the reader to link theory with practice.

New to this edition

• This second edition contains 'International Perspective' boxes, which place employment relations in a 21st century global context.
• 'Legislation and Policy' boxes ensure students are up-to-date with the fast-changing and complex politico-legal framework.
• Migration is now covered in chapter 2; coverage of this has also been expanded in chapters 6 on representation and 7 on minimum wage, bringing the book completely up-to-date with current issues.
• Chapter 6 on representation has been revised to incorporate the new modes of union representation, including e-unionism.
• Covers the latest developments in legislation and policy including the 2009 Equality Bill.
• Diagrams have been introduced into the new edition together with increased numbers of tables, providing a lively visual presentation of facts and figures

Readership: An introductory textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate modules devoted to industrial and employment relations. These modules will be found on business and human resource management degrees. As a supplementary text, Williams and Adam-Smith will also be appropriate for Master's courses in personnel and human resource management.

Steve Williams, Principal Lecturer in Employment Relations, University of Portsmouth Business School, and Derek Adam-Smith, Head of Human Resource and Marketing Management Department, University of Portsmouth

"This book is clearly written, calls upon an impressive array of sources, successfully locates content within an historical context and draws connections between related concepts and debates " - Dr Vaughan Ellis, Edinburgh Napier University

"I am (as with the first edition) very impressed by the tack adopted by the authors, particularly their use of questions at key points during as well as at the outset of each chapter, and the use of 'listings' (in prose not bullet points) to summarise key explanations/issues." - Dr Margaret May, London Metropolitan University

"The chapters are focussed, direct and clear, covering a wide range of material in a logical and concise way. The references to the literature are well chosen and good use is made of seminal texts in the field. The case studies and illustrations in boxes are topical and well chosen. " - Richard Warren, Manchester Metropolitan University

PART 1: INTRODUCING EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
1: The Nature of Employment Relations
PART 2: CONTEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS IN CONTEXT
2: Employment Relations in the Contemporary Economy
3: The Politics of Employment Relations
4: Social Divisions and Employment Relations
PART 3: KEY ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
5: Managing Employment Relations
6: Representation at Work
7: Contemporary Developments in Pay and Working Time
8: Experiencing Employment Relations: Involvement, Insecurity, Intensification
9: Conflict and Employment Relations
PART 4: CONCLUSION
10: Conclusion: Employment Relations: Experiencing and Contesting the Employment Relationship