influences on HR Flashcards

1
Q

STAKEHOLDERS

list 6 examples??

A

employers, employees, employer associations, unions, government organisations, society

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2
Q

define stakeholders

A

any individual or group that has a common interest in or is affected by the actions of an organisation.

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3
Q

define employers

A

those who exercise control over employees, have responsibility for the payment of wages and/or salaries and have the power to dismiss employees.

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4
Q

define employees

A

Employees are workers under the control of an employer.

employer controls

  • workplace location
  • the way that the work is to be performed
  • the extent to which supervision will be exercised.
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5
Q

why is improving management training critical to HR management?

A
  • Employee responsibility have increased over time as new laws have encouraged the negotiation of enterprise agreements and resolving disputes at an individual workplace level
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6
Q

how has the structure of work changed over the last decade?

A
  • ## casualisation of the workforce has increased -> eliminating the need for part-time and full-time employees
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7
Q

define employer associations

A

organisations that represent and assist employer groups.

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8
Q

main role of employer associations?

A
  • to act on behalf of employers in collective bargaining and before industrial tribunals
  • provide advice, make submissions to safety net wage cases, negotiate agreements and lobby governments
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9
Q

define trade unions and 2 examples

A

Trade unions: organisations formed by employees in an industry, trade, or occupation to represent them in efforts to improve wages and the working conditions of their members

eg. NSW teacher federation and Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

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10
Q

reasons for decline in union membership

A
  • poor image of unions in media
  • legislative changes which reduces their power
  • collapse of centralised wage-fixing systeme
  • community attitudes favour individuals rather than collective approaches to problems
  • globalisation
  • privatisation of government
  • less manufacturing industries than service industries
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11
Q

economic changes and changes in workforce

A
  • decline in workplace size
  • decline in manufacturing employment due to technological and structural change
  • growth of service industry
  • growth of casual/part time sector and contractor (harder to unionise)
  • feminisation of workforce (women less likely to unionise)
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12
Q

aim of federal gov

A

Create national system that simplifies industrial relations and make arrangements to reduce business costs through creating certainty and efficiency in dealing with industrial matters

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13
Q

GOV- key role of legislator

A

pass laws in parliaments which provide the legal framework for industrial relations

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14
Q

gov- key role of employer

A

regarded as pacesetters in terms of industrial relation policies

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15
Q

gov- key role of ‘responsible economic manager’

A

governments operating at a macro level are keen to ensure non inflationary, stable economic growth and high living standards

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16
Q

gov- key role of Administrator of government policies on industrial relations.

A

governments are able to implement the legislation they enact through publishing information and guidelines providing advice to the government and the public and investigating breaches of legislation.

17
Q

define award

A

legally enforceable, formal agreements made collectively between employer and employees and their representatives at the industry level which include the work conditions, pay rates and standards that each employee must at least! get

18
Q
  • BOOT test
A

= better off overall test
Fair Work Aus will see if the business’ personalised certified agreement ( enterprise agreement: between employer and employee abt wage and terms of employement) is equivalent or better than the award. it checks if it is flexible asw

19
Q

what do fair work aus do

A
  • dispute settlement using conciliation and arbitration

- work with fed court to bring appeals so that breaches of employeement rights are attended to

20
Q

SOCIETY

how does it influence HR

A
  • widely accepted high standard workplace practises

- less tolerance to discrimination, harassment and unfair working conditions-> esp using social media

21
Q

LEGAL INFLUENCES

what do they control?

A
  • nature of employment contracts and agreements
  • methods of dispute settlements
  • awards
  • protection of human rights in employment
  • minimum wage rates
  • workplace health and safety
  • employer responsibilities for tax payments on behalf of employees
22
Q

example of how australia shifted their dispute system

A

No longer has a centralised industrial relations system here disputes are referred to as ‘industrial tribunals’

Instead it is a decentralised industrial relations system where employers and employees negotiate wages and working conditions in the individual workplace through ENTERPRISE BARGAINING

23
Q

define the employment contract and list key features

A

A legally binding, formal agreement between employer and employee (+ written> verbal bc less disputes and key responsibilities are clarified)

  • location, duties, salary n wages, superannuation, bonuses, hours and overtime
24
Q

list employer obligations (COMMON LAW - developed by courts and tribunals)

A
  • Provide work
    • Pay income and expenses
    • Provide Safe working env as per WHS Act 2011
    • Provide staff with WHS training
25
Q

list employer rights

A
  • Carry out their work according to their award including accountability for money
    • Receiving formal advice of a worker’s intention to leave the business
      Duty of care which employers bound under the WHS act 2011
26
Q

list employee obligations

A
  • Carry out work beneficial to business
    • Take reasonable care and act safely
    • Be honest fair and work with integrity
    • Give appropraite notice of termination
  • Account for money that comes into the business
  • disclose relevant info
27
Q

list employee rights

A
  • Being paid in full for time they work
    • Receive the minimum set in the award
    • Receive extra pay such as loading
    • Receive allowances for tools and uniforms
      Have access to paid and unpaid leave
      -
28
Q

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

define

A

Equitable policies and practices in recruitment, selection, training and promotion

29
Q

explain EEO

A
  • involves taking ‘Affirmative action’: measures to eliminate direct and indirect discrimination and for implementing positive steps to overcome current and historical causes of lack of EEO
  • places with over 100 employers must develop affirmative action program and provide a progress report to Workplace Gender Equality Agency eg. provide equal pay n facilitate access to all jobs
30
Q

ECONOMIC

what is the economic cycle

A
  • The fluctuations in consumer and business spending. Boom period and recessionary periods
  • Level of economic activity -> determined by the level of consumer and business spending within a given period of time and is a significant influence on size of the Australian workforce
31
Q

characteristics of a boom

A

Consumer demand increased
→ businesses need labour to expand production

Unemployment falls
→ Labour more expensive –> incomes will rise

Businesses have to work harder to attract and keep workers
→ Eg. enforce better working conditions

Unions/employees have significant bargaining power to demand wage increases

32
Q

characteristics of a recession

A

Decreased consumer spending
→ Businesses demand less labour/employees

Increased unemployment (more redundancies etc) from decreased consumer demand and decreased revenue levels in businesses

Employees are more desperate to find and hold onto scarce jobs
→ Employers have more power to execute their interests in HR management

33
Q

impact of inflation on HR

A

When prices are rising sharply, workers are more likely to demand higher wages so that their wages do not fall relative to inflation.

Higher wages inevitably increase the costs of production of any business.

This could result in a business reducing the size of its workforce, with the remaining staff carrying an additional workload.

34
Q

GLOBALISATION

define

A

• Refers to the integration of the world’s economies into a single market where goods and services can be traded with ease

35
Q

impact of globalisation on HR

A
  • faced increased competition from foreign businesses.
  • more global supply of labour

• Workers are retrenched when their services are no longer needed because the business they work for has downsized, closed a division or outsourced a function and therefore requires fewer workers.

  • aus workforce is more multicultural from immigration
    - > recognition of foreign qualifications -> beneficial as more skills-> more innovation
            -> need for development of workplaces that promote cultural tolerance and are free of discrimination and harassment are key issues that employment relations managers must deal with.
36
Q

TECHNOLOGY

positive impacts

A

○ allows the business to develop more efficient production techniques
○ employees can be upskilled in the use of new workplace technologies
○ encourages the employee to deliver the product/service in new and improved ways
○ fosters a process of continued learning within an organisation
○ reduces the repetitive nature of labour intensive work
○ fosters teamwork whereby staff become mentors to colleagues through the process of learning the new technologies.

37
Q

TECHNOLOGY

negative impacts

A

○ loss of employment as technology itself becomes the main tool of production.
○ employee resistance to change as the workforce becomes reluctant to learning the use of new technologies
○ reduced employee morale as the workforce feels their positions are less valued due to the growing importance of technology
○ lower levels of employee empowerment and decision making as technology becomes a key driver in production methods.
Recent statistics show that the employment in the manufacturing industry is in decline. The growth of technology across these industries has no doubt facilitated the downwards trend.

38
Q

SOCIAL

list changing work patterns

A
  • women have increased participation in the workforce

- longer hours/ changes to retail shopping hours

39
Q

SOCIAL

living standards

A
  • Education is undeniably a key factor influencing an individual’s occupation.
    • Less educated people, who lack skills and qualifications, may often be employed in industries with wage rates that are considered to be low. -> causes disparities in community