Employment relationship management
Employee voice, conflict and the lawful handling of discipline and grievance — the unit where getting the law wrong is expensive.
Level 5 People Management · 10 assessment criteria
Learning outcome 1
Understand employee voice and practices to support better working lives.
- AC1.1differentiate
Differentiate between employee involvement and employee participation and how they build relationships.
What that asks for: Show what makes two things different, and why the difference matters. Defining both and stopping is the usual miss.
- AC1.2compare
Compare forms of union and non-union employee representation.
What that asks for: Set two or more things side by side. Similarities and differences, not one then the other.
- AC1.3evaluate
Evaluate the relationship between employee voice and organisational performance.
What that asks for: Weigh it up and reach a judgement. Both sides, then a position — an answer with no verdict does not meet this.
- AC1.4explain
Explain the concept of better working lives and how this can be designed.
What that asks for: Make it clear how or why something works. Description is enough here — you are not being asked to judge it.
Learning outcome 2
Understand different forms of conflict behaviour and dispute resolution.
- AC2.1distinguish
Distinguish between organisational conflict and misbehaviour.
What that asks for: Draw the line between them clearly enough that a reader could sort a new example into the right one.
- AC2.2assess
Assess emerging trends in the types of conflict and industrial sanctions.
What that asks for: Judge the significance or extent of something. Close to evaluate, but the emphasis is on how much it matters.
- AC2.3distinguish
Distinguish between third-party conciliation, mediation and arbitration.
What that asks for: Draw the line between them clearly enough that a reader could sort a new example into the right one.
Learning outcome 3
Understand how to manage performance, disciplinary and grievance matters lawfully.
- AC3.1explain
Explain the principles of legislation relating to unfair dismissal in respect of capability and misconduct issues.
What that asks for: Make it clear how or why something works. Description is enough here — you are not being asked to judge it.
- AC3.2analyse
Analyse key causes of employee grievances.
What that asks for: Break it into parts and show how they connect. Listing the parts is not analysing them.
- AC3.3advise
Advise on the importance of handling grievances effectively.
What that asks for: Write as if to someone who has to act. A recommendation and its reasons, not a description of the topic.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria are quoted from the CIPD CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management qualification specification, version 2.6 (February 2026), © CIPD. MarkReady is not a CIPD approved centre and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the CIPD.
- 5CO01Organisational performance and culture in practice
- 5CO02Evidence-based practice
- 5CO03Professional behaviours and valuing people
- 5HR02Talent management and workforce planning
- 5HR03Reward for performance and contribution
- 5OS01Specialist employment law
- 5OS02Advances in digital learning and development
- 5OS03Learning and development essentials
- 5OS04People management in an international context
- 5OS05Equality, diversity and inclusion
- 5OS06Leadership and management development
- 5OS07Wellbeing at work
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