Changes in working practise Flashcards
Define flexible working
An employee on flexible
hours has an agreed number of working hours. These are made up of core hours that must be worked – the remainder of the contracted hours can be worked on a flexible basis.
Define job sharing
The splitting of an existing job to enable two people to share it.
Possible benefits of job sharing
☑ Able to retain employees who otherwise may leave if unable to go part time – maybe an experienced and valued member of staff.
☑ Meets employee request, keeps them happy and well motivated – performance may suffer if they had to stay full time.
☑ Somebody in place for at least part of the time if that staff member is on leave or ill – an element of continuity.
☑ The business may gain from ideas of two people though in this case may be limited scope for this kind of input
Possible disadvantages of job sharing
☒ Administration costs for training another employee.
☒ Communication between the two employee who are job sharing may breakdown on occasions – leads to less continuity and possible inefficiency.
☒ The business will have to communicate same information to two people – scope for errors.
☒ One of those job sharing may not be available to attend important meetings – information will have to be passed on.
☒ Will the person chosen for the job share be acceptable to the business owners and will they even agree to such an arrangement?
Define multi-skilling
This involves businesses
training their workforce to be able to work effectively across a wide range of tasks.
Advantages of multi-skilling
☑ This offers a greater degree of
flexibility. No longer do manufacturing businesses have to wait for a specific tradesperson to come and fix a fault – it can be done by the production staff who have been trained to spot and resolve problems with machinery.
☑ Multi-skilled employees are likely to be better motivated and change will be far easier to implement with a flexible workforce.
Define part-time employment
During busy periods, part-time employees are employed to meet the needs of the employer. At quieter times the core full-time staff are sufficient. Clearly this has cost-saving implications.
Define zero-hour contracts
This type of contract means that an employee has to be available for work but is not guaranteed any work.
Evaluate zero-hour contracts
☑ This provides employers with total flexibility. If the employer is busy, those on zero-hours contracts may find that they are on nearly full-time hours
☒ If demand for labour falls, employees may find themselves sent home.
☒ Employees on these contracts have virtually no income security at all.
Define temporary employment
Employment for a specific period of time, for example six months to cover maternity leave.
Some temporary work is arranged through employment agencies, which provide employees to employers who are seeking employees with specific skills for a set period of time.
Define hot-desking
Hot-desking means that an employee has no fixed workspace within an office environment.
Evaluate hot-desking
☑ Hot-desking cuts down the need for office space – if a business has a sales team that spends little time in the office, supplying permanent desks for
the team is a waste of resources.
☑ It is supposed to allow greater innovation and encourages new networks to be established in the
workplace.
☒ Some employees who are forced to hot-desk complain of the breakdown of workplace relationships and can feel disconnected from the organisation.
Benefits for employees home-working in UK businesses
☑ Greater flexibility in combining work with domestic responsibilities such as childcare or taking children to school. Work life balance improved.
☑ The stress of travelling is reduced.
☑ Cost savings on travelling, work clothes, food, etc.
Drawbacks for employees home-working in UK businesses
☒ May miss out on social interaction with colleagues/feeling isolated.
☒ More difficult to impress management if ambitious.
☒ May miss out on experience of learning from others.
Benefits for employers home-working in UK businesses
☑ Costs reduced as less equipment and space is needed.
☑ Absenteeism as a result of bad weather is eliminated.
☑ Lateness is no longer an issue.
☑ Staff may be more motivated if the benefits of home-working suit their lifestyle.
Drawbacks for employers home-working in UK businesses
☒ May be more difficult to monitor and control staff.
☒ Communication problems may occur especially if staff are working online.
☒ Cross fertilisation of ideas may be reduced if staff do not communicate with each other so frequently
Advantages of changing working patters for employers
☑ If multi-skilled can be moved around the department/turn hand to other jobs, e.g. cover sickness and holidays.
☑ Employees work more effectively/more productively/better motivated if they choose type of working pattern that suits them/better morale.
☑ Can better meet employers needs, e.g. need for more employees at some times of the year than others. Businesses can more easily meet fluctuations in demand.
☑ If working from home do not need to set up office space/less
equipment needed – saves on employers’ costs.
☑ Fewer problems with absenteeism/arriving late if employees are on flexi-time or working from home.
☑ Businesses can respond more readily to changing circumstances.
☑ Two sets of skills/experience if job sharing.
☑ Reduce costs – part time working, e.g. accountant.
☑ Employers can have cover for busy periods of the day.
☑ Can cover busy times of the year.
☑ Less late arrivals because of rush hour traffic.
☑ Simplifies accommodating changing circumstances, e.g. maternity cover.
☑ Wider pool of skills/experience
Disadvantages of changing working patters for employers
☒ If part-time working more difficult to organise training.
☒ Extra cost of training if part-time/job sharing.
☒ More staff to manage if part-time/job sharing.
☒ More difficult to administer/co-ordinate/communicate when staff
are not always present.
☒ Specific staff may not be available when needed.
☒ Team working more difficult to achieve if not working the same hours as other team members. More difficult to assess, monitor and control staff.
☒ Can involve them with having to employ more staff.
☒ Difficult to communicate /organise things like training.
☒ Home working can cost more in the provision of equipment.
☒ Staff turnover can be high if using temporary staff.
☒ Some workers may take advantage and choose to work in quiet times.
☒ Less loyalty from peripheral employees.
☒ Reduction in quality of work/less qualified employees.
Advantages of changing working patters for employees
☑ Feel good factor because in control of working day - allows employees to develop work patterns that suit their own lifestyles, e.g. part-time work whilst bringing up children.
☑ Less stress juggling work and home.
☑ Can work to personal preference, e.g. morning versus afternoon versus evening.
☑ Some employees only want to work part-time, e.g. people who have reached retirement age.
☑ Easier to arrange appointments, e.g. to dentist, bank, less absenteeism, etc.
☑ No need to travel if homeworking so can work long distances from base.
☑ Temporary work allows short term effort for special things like holidays or Christmas.
☑ Becoming multi-skilled enhances job prospects.
☑ Home working reduces transport costs/stress.
☑ Increases self-esteem of the individual
Disadvantages of changing working patters for employees
☒ Wages can decrease – lower pay but fewer hours if part-time/job sharing.
☒ May be less promotion opportunities/may be a real/perceived obstacle to promotion.
☒ May have lower status than full-time staff.
☒ May not feel the same sense of belonging/sense of isolation e.g. if job share/part-time working.
☒ If job sharing may be difficult to develop an effective working relationship if job share partner has different approach to work.
☒ Can feel isolated from other workers.
☒ Greater insecurity – temporary contracts provide less security.
☒ Have to be more adaptable and retrain.
☒ Messages can be misconstrued without the non-verbal signals.
☒ Extra time needed for hand-overs.
☒ Don’t feel ownership of the task.
☒ Some miss the structure of a timetable
Factors that lead to changes in working patterns
- the decline in trade union power
- the end of demarcation (a process that separated different types of work and assigned them to members of different trade unions)
- the loss of employment in heavy industry
- the increasing number of women in the workforce.
Flexible working patterns include
flexi-time
shift work
home working
part-time working
job sharing
temporary working
multi-skilling
2 meanings of flexible working
- An acceptance by staff and management that rigid demarcation can lead to inefficiency and that labour flexibility can be better for long term success – leads to multi-skilling.
- The use of staffing patterns that are not dependent on full-time, permanent jobs. In this sense flexible working practices include part-time, flexi-time, job
sharing, teleworking.
