Difference Between Employee Engagement,Employee Relations & Employee Welfare

Dear Seniors,

Please let me know how one will differentiate between:

a) Employee Engagement
b) Employee Relations
c) Employee Welfare

Although I understand that at the end of the day, it's about keeping the "employee" dedicated and involved towards the organization and goals of the organization, no matter whichever way it is done, but still, is there a clear distinction between these terms or can these terms be used interchangeably?

I myself am into HR and have seen enough people using these terms or activities carried out under these heads interchangeably. I did some search on various articles/blogs, etc., on the internet to get the answer but still not completely satisfied. So if someone can shed light on this, I would really appreciate that.

Also, if someone can clearly mention activities that are carried out under these 3 heads, that will be of good help.

I will wait for the response and thanks in advance.
Prashant

Hi Prashant,

A better way of posing the question is for you to state what you understand by these terms/concepts from the research you have done and ask for comments.

Have a nice day.

Simhan

Dear Simhan,

I will not put across my understanding yet on these topics because I am still trying to have a clarification on that but to share with what my findings were.

A few articles on the net state that Employee Engagement refers to making employees stick to the organization by giving them a clear Career Progression / Enhancing their Leadership Abilities so that they can deliver 100% vis-à-vis to some other articles which states an entire gamut of activities involving Compensation & Benefits / rewards & recognition / induction & orientation, etc., whereas some have expressed engagement as giving a job which is mentally stimulating / Image the employee carries of the Company / Fair Treatment / Empowerment, etc.

On the same note, articles also show employee engagement as celebrating birthday parties / organizing picnics / organizing games / family day / handling grievances / communication of policies & procedures of the Company, etc.

And then all these activities have been used interchangeably in articles as well as resumes under Employee Engagement / Welfare / Relations.

So could you please help me understand if there is a distinction among these heads or the activities can be used in any head & more or less all these terms mean the same.

Please read the document on Employee Relations at http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B...mprels1105.pdf Found at employee engagement, employee relations, employee welfare + differences - Google Search

Have a nice day.

Hi,

As far as I can understand, the distinction between the three can be drawn as follows:

Employee engagement refers to the activities we undertake to involve employees in things related to work or extracurricular activities, such as birthday celebrations and team-building activities. The goal is to keep employees engaged in various aspects to foster a positive sense of belonging and happiness within the organization.

Employee relations involve handling grievances and addressing employees' queries, which can range from interpersonal issues to personal matters affecting their work-life balance or hindering their performance.

Employee welfare pertains to activities that provide facilities or enhance the benefits enjoyed by employees. This includes proposing new policies, offering new facilities or perks to employees, and addressing both minor issues like repairing coffee vending machines and major initiatives like introducing flexible working hours, etc.

Please correct me where I may have made errors. I eagerly await the corrections or answers.

Thanks and regards,
Neha

Hi Neha,

Thanks for your inputs; you haven't gone wrong anywhere while putting across your inputs. But again, the whole idea is whether there is actually a distinction between them or if they are more or less the same with just different terms.

As a personal opinion, I don't see these three terms with much difference. I think Employee Engagement is a broader term that encompasses Employee Relations and employee welfare. Going by the general meaning of Employee Management, it expresses it as an act that keeps the employees fully dedicated and involved towards the organization and the achievement of its goals while delivering 100% as per their potential.

Now, if you look at the activities usually mentioned in Employee Relations and Welfare, all those help the employees in getting that comfort and helping them to achieve what is expected of them, be it making them realize their existence through celebrating their birthdays or organizing family days, or upgrading their knowledge and skills through training or handling their grievances, etc.

But again, that's my view, and a little confusion prevails when one can see using these terms interchangeably sometimes and sometimes with clearly defined activities.

So I am still looking for more members to put across their views or justification whether these terms are different or all the same.

Prashant

Hi,

As far as what I have understood:

1. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT - It essentially relates to holding the employee to his job in the best possible manner. You need to keep the job content exciting and challenging, enriching it always so that the employee doesn't feel bored and demotivated after a certain period because he gets so used to the task he carries out that it just becomes a routine.

2. EMPLOYEE RELATION - When we say relation, it is always referred to in the context of someone. So, the way an employee deals with all others in an organization is considered here, which might take the form of grievance handling.

3. EMPLOYEE WELFARE - All those activities which provide some benefits other than the remuneration part are called welfare, such as insurance, education subsidies, etc.

Thank you.

I agree with you, Prashant. The terms are very close as the objective of all is one only. But to count in officially, rough lines are drawn like this.

Dear All,

Here are some different activities we do at our organization:

- Employee Engagement: Sports activities, library access, training programs, birthday celebrations, health awareness programs, family get-togethers, Sumilian (annual program), etc.

- Employee Relations: A good example of employee relations is the HR4US Service Portal. Within this portal, employees can submit their requests, and HR personnel resolve them within one day. This includes any HR issues such as salary, insurance, confirmation, loans, gratuity, etc.

- Employee Welfare: Improvements to the employee handbook, marriage gifts, performance management system (PMS) policy, transfer policy, etc.

Thank you.

Friends,

Don't get confused. In a nutshell, employee engagement is about making the employee intellectually and emotionally attached to the organization. Employee relations involve maintaining positive and creative relationships within the organization among employees, employees and employers, and employers amongst themselves. Employee welfare explicitly focuses on helping employees maintain and achieve a work-life balance during employment.

I hope this concept is clear. Please refer to my article in the "Management Research Journal," Vol. 42, Issue No. 3 of 2008.

Gopan

Dear Prashant,

All the terms are explained very well. People use them interchangeably because many times they themselves are not clear, or they are trying to explain to people in other professions. However, for HR professionals, the terms as explained by Neha, Gopan, or J. Gurjar are all correct. You need to understand the differences and use the terms accordingly. If you don't know any specific activity which should be treated under engagement, relations, or welfare, then you can be an HR Generalist. With more experience, you will be able to differentiate the concepts.

Thanks,
Geeta

Hi all!

I think Gopan has spelled out very correctly and in better English about employee engagement, employee relations, and employee welfare. Now, there need not be any confusion or differences of opinions. Thanks, Gopan. We need your comments and help in other issues too.

Shirish Joshi

Hi! I don't know much, but as per my knowledge, there is a difference between three:

Employee Engagement Activities - These are activities that act as stress relievers for employees so that they don't feel overloaded with work and feel good at work. It fosters a sense of belonging towards the organization.

Employee Relations - This should include training sessions on soft skills, etiquettes, a sense of belonging towards the organization and its people, working as a team, and so on. Working on all these improves relations among associates, making them friendly. At any time, if there will be any problem between them, they will forget it and work towards achieving the goals of the organization, irrespective of their egos and all.

Employee Welfare - When the organization starts taking care of the needs of not only their associates but also provides benefits to their families, the bond between employees and the organization becomes stronger. Now they don't work only for money; they also love working there and want their company to reach new heights of success. They always speak positively about their company and encourage others.

That's all! I don't know how much it will be of help to you; if you don't find it good, let me know where I'm wrong based on my knowledge.

Thanks!

Hi friends,

I am into marine services with a fleet of barges and AHT's operating worldwide. Our management consists of four board members; one member is in operations, and the other is in commercial.

The dilemma is that as an operations person, we do not want the commercial head to interfere in operations or with the operations team. Can I get some feedback on a policy defining board member guidelines, or please suggest a better solution.

Regards,
Rohit

The discussion was really nice, and the insights about the difference will definitely help to plan the process better. Thank you.

Regards,
Ritika Sinha

Hi Gopan,

Very crisp answer indeed. All three terms are interlinked and play the role of sound mind, body, and soul in the organization. Employee engagement is for employees to feel related and attached to the organization, employee relations are for healthy bonding between the employees and also with the management, whereas employee welfare are the benefits the personnel enjoys apart from salary.

Good Day!
Nazneen

Thank you for your help, Gopan, and your concise and valuable comments. Please continue to share your insights.

In one of the interviews, they asked me about Employee Engagement and informed me that Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, and Employee Grievances are three distinct terms. They wanted to demonstrate their correctness. Honestly, people interpret terminologies based on their understanding. I believe EE, ER, and EG should collectively represent Employee Engagement since we deal with all these aspects. To provide more clarity, we could categorize them under Employee Engagement, with ER and EG as subcategories.

I may be mistaken. Your thoughts?

Gopan,

Provide a clear and concise statement about Employee engagement, Employee relations, and Employee welfare. Please avoid any confusion and follow the same.

Thank you.