Changes in working practices

Question 1

describe what is meant by a more flexible workforce and how it has been useful to businesses

Answer 1

a workforce designed to provide labour in the quantities required at the time businesses need it since they have changing demand for labour

changes can be related to change in economy, seasonal or demand

Question 2

what are 8 different flexible working practices?

Answer 2

part-time staff

flexible hours

zero hours contract

home/remote working

hot-desking

temporary staff

job sharing

multi-skilling

Question 3

expand on part-time workers

Answer 3

they are defined as people who don’t work more than 30 hours a week

parents with young children and students find this helpful and businesses benefit from the flexibility

at quieter times the core full-time staff are sufficient and louder time part-time staff are employed to meet employers’ needs and clearly, this allows for cost-saving implications

Question 4

expand on flexible hours

Answer 4

a worker on flexible hours has an agreed number of working hours which are made up of core hours and the remaining contracted hours are worked on a flexible basis
call work well for parents and sometimes seen via flexitime which involves working a number of hours in a day/week but able to choose what hours to work and for how long in a day

Question 5

expand on zero hours contract

Answer 5

employee has to be available for work but isn’t guaranteed any providing total flexibility
depending on demand employees are given no hours or full-time hours
workers have no income security and these contracts are being increasingly criticised as they are exploiting workers

Question 6

expand on remote working

Answer 6

jobs of professional status can include remote working as part of their week
a good PC and broadband connection can mean many tasks can be done at home
it saves time and stress of commuting and businesses benefit from a reduction of overheads of less office space is required

Question 7

expand on hot desking

Answer 7

where employees share communal desks and computers instead of having a separate workstation

number of employees greater than desks

each workstation has a computer or workers have their notebook computer

some complain of the breakdown of workforce relationships and can feel disconnected from the organisation

Question 8

expand temporary staff

Answer 8

employment is for a specific period of time

some employment arranged through employment agencies providing workers to employers with a specific set of skills for a time

criticised by trade unions as it offers little security or career development

Question 9

expand job sharing

Answer 9

two people share the same job often on a 50/50 split

Let professional workers continue in employment otherwise they would have taken a career break

popular with new parents

can last a number of years

Question 10

expand multi-skilling

Answer 10

businesses training their workforce to work effectively across a whole range of tasks

offers greater degree of flexibility

workers likely to be better motivated and change is easily implemented due to higher flexibility

Question 11

give 7 benefits of flexible working to employers

Answer 11

multi-skilled workers can move around the department to cover sickness/holidays which reduces variable costs

employees work more productively due to better motivation if they choose a type of working pattern that suits them

can better meet employers needs and can meet fluctuations in demand by employing peripheral workers

do not need to set up office space so less equipment is needed if you are working from home which will save on employer’s fixed costs

fewer problems with absenteeism/arriving late if employees or on flexitime/working from home

businesses can respond more readily to changing circumstances

two sets of skills and experience if job sharing

Question 12

give 7 disadvantages of flexible working to employers

Answer 12

part-time working more difficult to organise training and communication

extra cost of training if part-time/job sharing

more staff to manage

when staff aren’t present it is difficult to communicate/coordinate

specific staff may not be available when needed delaying decision-making

team working is more difficult to achieve if they aren’t working the same hours as other team members

more difficult to assess, monitor and control staff

Question 13

what are 6 benefits of flexible working to employees?

Answer 13

allows employees to develop work patterns that suit their lifestyle

less stress juggling work and home

can work to personal preference eg morning or afternoon

some only want to work part-time

no need to travel if working from home so can work long distances from base

easier to arrange appointments and leads to less absenteeism

Question 14

what are 6 disadvantages of flexible working to employees?

Answer 14

lower pay but fewer hours

less promotion opportunities/obstacles to promotion

lower status to full-time staff

not feel the same sense of belonging/sense of isolation

if job sharing the may be difficult to establish an effective working relationship if partner has different approach to work

temporary contract provide less security

Question 15

what 4 reasons may businesses offer part-time work?

Answer 15

attract more people for recruitment

motivation/morale

work/life balance

variety of skills

Question 16

what are three ways that technology has impacted changes in working practices?

Answer 16

use of email as a form of communication with coworkers and employees

use of Microsoft Teams and similar apps to communicate with workers who are increasingly remote working and based in other countries/cities

use of instant messaging in the workplace

Question 17

evaluate one impact of changes in working practices to employers

Answer 17

organisations are under constant pressure to produce quality goods at the right price to meet customer demand so businesses need to focus on the optimal use of staff and other resources:

the cost and complexity of capital equipment may mean that organisations cannot afford to leave it standing idle so it may necessitate the intro. of shift work to allow 7 day work to maintain high capacity utilisation

customers expect to buy goods and services outside traditional working times

some organisations have seasonal peaks and troughs so fluctuation of demand for employees changes throughout the year

some aspects of a company’s work may require specialist skills for a temporary time

Question 18

evaluate a second impact of changes in working practices to employers

Answer 18

flexible patterns of work enable employers to address these pressures by:
maximising available labour
increase employee commitment, loyalty and morale
improve customer service
increase productivity
reduce absenteeism, sickness and stress
attract a wider range of better candidates eg part-time workers
retain valued employees
increase organisation’s ability to change through innovation and creativity

Question 19

evaluate one impact of changes in working practices to employees

Answer 19

employees may have reasons to preferring one working pattern over another for eg:

people with responsibility of children, the sick or the elderly may not want to work certain shifts, weekends or public/school holidays

people with other interests outside paid work may not be available during certain times

because of religious observances

some with particular disabilities may not want to work full-time

those retired may remain to work part-time or temporary

some may want to combine work with continued education