C1/H4 - Human Resources Flashcards
Human Resources Department
Human Resources departments are responsible for all aspects of managing people who work in a business.
Whilst the precise HR objectives will vary from business to business and industry to industry.
The following are commonly seen as important HR objectives:
> Ensure HR are employed cost-effectively
> Pay rates should be competitive but not excessive
> Achieve acceptable staff utilisation
> Minimise staff turnover
> Measure returns on investment in training
> Make effective use of workforce potential
> Ensure jobs have suitable, achievable workloads
> Avoid too many under utilised or over stretched staff
> Make best use of employees’ skills
Main activities of the HR department include:
> Recruitment and selection
> Review pay/rewards and working conditions for
employees.
> Organise employee training and appraisal
> Manage communication with staff
> Ensure business complies with employment-related
legislation
> Recruitment and selection
Function of HR department to hire employees as required by the business and to ensure that the appropriate members of staff are selected.
> Review pay/rewards and working conditions for
employees.
This means ensuring that pay is competitive without being too high.
Working conditions and rewards will impact on employees motivation which has an effect on employee motivation, productivity and labour turnover.
> Organise employee training and appraisal
Training is important to ensure the workforce have the appropriate skills to make the business competitive.
The appraisal system is closely linked to motivation and to identifying training needs.
> Manage communication with staff
Ensure that all staff are aware of what is happening within the business.
The methods of communication in may businesses have changed with advances in technology.
> Ensure business complies with employment-related
legislation
All employers must be aware of and abide by employment legislation.
For example, in 2015 the government changed the rules about workplace pensions.
This will impact even on small businesses.
Changes in Working Practise
Working practises have been changing rapidly over the last 30 years.
We have moved towards a pattern of employment and contractual arrangements that has led to a greater degree of flexibility in employment practises.
A more flexible workforce is one designed to provide labour in the quantities required at the time that businesses need it.
Every business has changing demands for labour. This can be related to changes in the economy, seasonal changes or even as demand fluctuates from day to day .
The flexible workforce is designed to meet these changing demand patterns and provide labour specifically when it is required.
Legislation in the UK allows certain workers the right to request flexible working arrangements.
Flexible working arrangements can be beneficial to both employers and employees. Employees can change work patterns to fit in with production and demand and employees can work more convenient hours.
Different types of working practises
- Part time staff
- Flexible hours
- Zero hours contract
- Homeworking/Teleworking
- Hot-desking
- Temporary staff
- Job sharing
- Multi-skilling
- Part time staff
Part time workers are defined in Labour Market Trends published by the Office of National Statistics as ‘people who normally work for not more than 30 hours a week’.
Parents with young children and students find that it particularly suits their requirements, and businesses benefit from the flexibility it offers.
During busy periods, part time workers are employed to meet the needs of the employer. Clearly has cost-saving benefits rather than employing all staff full-time
- Flexible hours
A worker on flexible hours has an agreed number of working hours.
These are made up of core hours which must be worked – the remainder of the contracted hours can be worked on a flexible basis.
For example, a worker has a contract for 35 hours with core hours of 10am–3pm over five days. The remaining 10 hours can be worked in non-core time (say between 8–10am, and 3–6pm over the 5 days).
- Zero hours contract
This type of contract means that an employee is not guaranteed any work.
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.
However, if demand for labour falls, workers may find themselves sent home.
Workers on these contracts have virtually no income security at all.
These contracts are being increasingly criticised as they are deemed to be exploiting workers.
- Homeworking/Teleworking
Many jobs of professional status (e.g. design, accountancy, It programming), can include homeworking time as part of each working week.
Good PC and broadband connection can mean that many tasks can be fulfilled by working from home.
Those who do these sorts of jobs from home benefit from time saved and the stress of commuting.
Businesses benefit by a reduction in overheads if less office space is required.
- Hot-desking
Hot-desking, is where employees share communal computers and desks instead of being individually allocated a workstation. The number of employees is greater than the number of desks.
Some companies like: British Airways, Virgin and Manchester Digital(MD Pods) have all implemented hot-desking. Some workers who are forced to hot-desk complain of the breakdown of workplace relationships, and can feel disconnected from the organisation.
