Love them or loathe them: why businesses are wary of unions, and how to work better with them

On 30th October, a big package of trade union changes comes in under the Employment Rights Act 2025. I’ve covered what’s changing in my posts this week, so I’m not going to go through it all again here.

Instead, I want to talk about something that sits underneath all of it. How businesses actually feel about unions.

Because if I’m honest, the word “union” makes a lot of employers a bit uneasy. Some love them, some loathe them, and plenty have never really had to think about them at all. With the new rights coming in, that last group is about to have to.

Why are so many businesses wary of unions?

I think there are a few reasons, and most of them are understandable.

The first is the news. When unions make the headlines, it’s usually because of a strike. Cancelled trains, closed schools, picket lines. That’s the picture most people have, and it’s not a comfortable one if you run a business.

The second is control. Business owners and managers are used to making decisions and getting on with them. The idea of having to consult, negotiate or explain yourself to an outside organisation can feel like losing a bit of that.

The third is the fear of a “them and us” culture. Nobody wants a workplace where managers and staff feel like they’re on opposite sides.

And the fourth, if I’m being really honest, is simply not knowing what to expect. When something is unfamiliar, it’s easy to assume the worst.

What do unions actually do?

When you strip it back, a union’s main job is to support and represent its members. Day to day, that tends to look a lot less dramatic than the headlines.

Unions give members advice when they’re unsure of their rights at work. They can accompany someone to a disciplinary or grievance hearing, which workers already have a legal right to. Where a union is recognised, it can negotiate pay and terms on behalf of staff. And many unions train health and safety representatives, learning representatives and, from 30th October, equality representatives, who get a new right to time off for that role.

It’s also worth knowing that union membership isn’t as rare as some people think. The latest government figures show 22.4% of UK employees were union members in 2025. In the private sector it’s lower, at 12.1%, but that number actually went up last year, by around 76,000 people.

So even if you don’t recognise a union, there’s a fair chance some of your team are members already.

And from 30th October, unions will have a new right to request access to most workplaces with 21 or more workers, whether they’re recognised or not. So for a lot of businesses, this is about to stop being a theoretical question.

The bit that often gets missed

I think the biggest risk in most workplaces isn’t a union. It’s the problems nobody tells you about until it’s too late.

A union can actually act as an early warning system. If people are unhappy about workload, pay or how they’re being managed, a rep will often raise it well before it turns into resignations, sickness absence or a tribunal claim.

A good rep can also make difficult processes run more smoothly. Someone who understands how a disciplinary or grievance works can help an employee focus on the facts, rather than coming in upset and on the defensive. That’s better for everyone in the room.

Where the frustrations are real

I don’t want to pretend unions are always straightforward to work with, because that wouldn’t be fair either.

Negotiations can slow decisions down. Relationships can become adversarial, particularly if trust has broken down on either side. Time off for reps’ duties needs to be planned around. And during bigger changes, like a restructure or redundancies, having a union involved adds another layer of consultation to manage.

There’s also a cost in time. Consultation, meetings and paperwork all take up management hours, and in a smaller business those hours usually belong to the owner.

But I’d say most of those frustrations come from the relationship, not the union itself. When there’s no trust and no regular contact, every conversation starts from scratch and every change feels like a battle.

How can we work better with unions?

If I were advising a business that’s never had much to do with unions, this is where I’d start.

Don’t treat an approach as a threat. A union getting in touch isn’t a sign you’ve done something wrong. From 30th October it’s a legal right, and how you respond the first time will set the tone for everything after.

Get to know the people. If a union official or rep is going to be part of working life, have a proper conversation early on. It’s much easier to sort things out with someone you’ve already met.

Keep talking to your staff directly. A union doesn’t replace your own communication. Businesses that already listen to their people, and act on what they hear, tend to have far calmer relationships with unions.

Be consistent. Apply your policies fairly and keep good records. A lot of disputes start when people feel they’ve been treated differently or kept in the dark.

Involve people early on change. If you’re planning a restructure or changing how people work, talk about it sooner rather than later. Surprises are what damage trust.

Give your managers confidence. Managers are usually the first to hear about a union approach or a concern. A short briefing on what to do, and what not to say, goes a long way.

What good looks like

The businesses I think handle this best tend to have a few things in common. They see a union as one more way of hearing what their people think, rather than a threat. They share information openly, even when it’s difficult. And when they disagree, they do it respectfully and keep talking.

None of that is complicated. It just takes a bit of time and a willingness to listen, which is exactly what good people management looks like anyway.

Where I’ve landed

I don’t think businesses need to love unions. But I do think they need to stop fearing them.

Most of what makes a good relationship with a union is what makes a good employer anyway. Being fair, being honest, communicating well and dealing with problems early. If you’re already doing those things, a union knocking on the door is far less worrying.

For a lot of smaller businesses this is new territory, and that’s completely fine. Nobody expects you to become an industrial relations expert overnight. But a bit of thought now will make a real difference to how that first approach goes.

If you’d like to talk it through, whether that’s getting your paperwork ready, briefing your managers or planning how you’d handle an approach, I’m always happy to have an informal chat.

This blog is general guidance rather than legal advice. Check the latest guidance from Acas before making changes.