Changes in working practices Flashcards
describe what is meant by a more flexible workforce and how it has been useful to businesses
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
what are 8 different flexible working practices?
part-time staff
flexible hours
zero hours contract
home/remote working
hot-desking
temporary staff
job sharing
multi-skilling
expand on part-time workers
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
expand on flexible hours
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
expand on zero hours contract
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
expand on remote working
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
expand on hot desking
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
expand temporary staff
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
expand job sharing
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
expand multi-skilling
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
give 7 benefits of flexible working to employers
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
give 7 disadvantages of flexible working to employers
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
what are 6 benefits of flexible working to employees?
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
what are 6 disadvantages of flexible working to employees?
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
what 4 reasons may businesses offer part-time work?
attract more people for recruitment
motivation/morale
work/life balance
variety of skills
what are three ways that technology has impacted changes in working practices?
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
evaluate one impact of changes in working practices to employers
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
evaluate a second impact of changes in working practices to employers
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
evaluate one impact of changes in working practices to employees
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
