changes in working practices. Flashcards
why do working practices change overtime?
-social trends
-technology
-business objectives
-increased competition
-employees expectations
-legislation
what is flexible hours?
gives flexibility to the employer who does not offer employees a fixed number of hours per week but has the option to vary these to match demand.
e.g. working 10-3
what is homeworking?
the ability to work from home rather than travelling into the workplace.
made easier by advances in technology.
how are employees benefited?
-save money on travel
-cut down the commute
-closer to home
-better work life balance
-better morale/motivation/mental health
drawbacks for employees?
-might impact productivity
-own environment=distracted
-social interaction is minimised with face to face contact less.
benefits for owners?
-motivated workers
-pushes up that productivity
-profit
-reduced costs
-reduction in office equipment
drawbacks for owners?
-harder to measure productivity
-communication is harder
-impacted by distance
benefits for customers?
-customer service might be better
-may prefer online interaction
-better tech enables customers to have an instant access to employees
drawbacks for customers?
-cost and cutbacks businesses have had from WFH
-removal of tangible items.
benefits for the govenment?
-reduced pollution
-impact on CO2 emissions
-less people travelling to work
-less traffic/congestion
-higher employment.d
drawbacks for the government?
-tax reduction
-property tax
-unemployment rate impacted
-productivity of workers
what is part-time employment?
contracted less hours than full time (3 days etc)
offer greater flexibility to a business and more affordable option
benefits of part time employment and temporary staff?
-flexible workforce
-better able to match supply to demand
-not tied into paying workers when they aren’t being used to their full potential
drawbacks of temporary or part time staff?
-may be more transient
-may lack commitment
-recruitment and training costs may be high and not seen as value for money when employees are only with the business for a short period
what are temporary employees?
a person who is contracted to work for a business for a specifies period of time e.g. over Christmas
can be on full-time or part-time to help meet the short term needs of a business.
what is job sharing?
one position that would normally be filled by one person on a full time basis is shared between two people who each work part time.
benefits of jo sharing
-flexibility
-better work life balance
-equal between the 2 people
-more skills between them both
drawbacks of job sharing?
-must be managed effectively
-conflict between them if not organised properly
-if one leaves, the other is left to do both roles until another person is found
what is a zero hour contract?
employees are not given any fixed or guaranteed hours, they are called in, and paid, only as and when needed.
Mcdonalds.
what is hot desking?
desks or workspaces are not allocated to individuals on a permanent basis but just allocated as and when needed.
define workforce planning?
the process of assessing current and future staffing needs.
allowing management to be proactive and plan for any changed in the future size or nature of the workforce.
what are some strategies of workforce planning?
-training
-redeployment
-internal promotion
-external recruitment
-relocation
-restructuring.
