It is integral that employers in the 21st century and particularly across the broad spectrum of industries, care for and look after their employees. Despite the requirement for companies to continue to make more revenue from their employees and to treat them accordingly, in many cases, the only way employees will remain loyal and most significantly, highly productive, is through better employee and employer interactions. This paper will effectively analyze the employee and employer relationship and focus on how this can potentially impact the employee’s productivity at any company. For this paper, employee relations at a fast food restaurant will be analyzed in detail in order to support this argument and to also propose that employee relations is one of the largest concerns for corporations in the 21st century. In supporting this further, three main points will be discussed in this paper including the following: 1) Employee relations provide more benefits, 2) Reassurance is key to an employee’s levels of productivity and 3) There are more career prospects provided to employees when companies improve their employee relations overall.

With respect to the service industry and the role of a worker in a fast food restaurant such as McDonalds, employee relations serve a very important purpose when considering that heavy supervision is required and the majority of staff are teenagers or individuals still attending high school. When there are better employee relationships in fast food restaurants, there are better benefits provided to employees. It allows supervisors and managers to better understand the respective requirements of their employees and to also analyze just how frequently they work and whether they need extra benefits such as bonuses on a frequent basis and more leave. There are situations across the service industry where employee relations are not maintained, benefits are not provided to employees and their levels of productivity quickly lower. Productivity will inevitably increase in a restaurant if the employees feel as though they are cared for and supervised at all times, whilst still having the autonomy to grow within themselves and also their own careers. Additionally, the provision of more benefits in the service industry strengthens relationships and encourages employees to become more loyal and hard working. The provision of benefits can provide a basis for future development and improvement particularly if the fast food restaurant heavily relies on high rates of employee productivity overall.

Secondly, employee relations increase employee productivity because they allow employees to have a comprehensive support system within the general workplace. When an employer, supervisor or manager is willing to provide career or personal based advice and training on the job, there is a higher likelihood that the employee or group of employees will perform better and have higher levels of productivity. Furthermore, these employees will work for someone and at a higher rate if they know that their manager or supervisor will defend their stance in the workplace and provide further training and opportunities for growth. Reassurance provides employees with some incentive to be more productive particularly in the service industry. It also allows employees to have a future and to ensure that their future careers are assured or are at least being considered in the short term. As a result of the constant influx of young adolescents across the fast food industry in the United States and worldwide, it is key that fast food restaurants provide their employees, irrespective of their age, class or background, with some foundation for a future. A foundation for a future at any corporation will always sustain high levels of productivity regardless of the nature of the particular job.

The third issue focuses on the fact that more career prospects are provided to employees who are better cared for and where employee relations are significantly improved. Through improved employee relations, employees are able to express their desires, intentions, interests and also motivations. This allows managers and supervisors to place their employees in particular positions that are more advantageous to their overall career prospects. It also alerts managers and supervisors to particular talent that must be retained. In many instances across the fast food industry, talent is overlooked and people are only regarded as numbers to the industry who can generate more revenue and provide better customer service to a larger population and more customers and clients overall. One on one interviews and interactions can also be achieved through better employee relations and this can result in suitable and highly appropriate opportunities that would of never been provided if employee relations were at a lower level or worse off overall. The opportunity for employers to sit down with their employees and discuss issues that affect both the fast food business and the employee will ensure that the industry becomes more productive. This also prevents employees from becoming bored or uninspired in their roles especially when they have little contact with their manager or supervisor or are under the impression that they are not being cared for. For example, McDonalds within the last 2 years has focused more on providing their employees with suitable career paths. This has resulted in the average age of McDonald employees being raised significantly and encouraging well -qualified individuals to join this enterprise.

In conclusion, it has been exemplified in this paper through fast food experiences, that better employee relations will result in a more productive workplace. The provision of suitable careers and an extensive support network will ensure that employees remain inspired to be more productive and beneficial to an overall corporation.