416635
LO4-Flexibility
- DRIVERS
- 'Would be' employees
- New technologies
- need to increase efficiency
- more women in the workforce
- employee pressure
- changing nature of work
- bus env less predictable,
need a greater capacity
for flexibility and to be
more agile; one way to
do this is to employ ppl
more flexibly
- govts encouraging flex working
- stat right to request
- can be refused
- can be refused
- reduce dependence on benefits &
encourage employers to create jobs
- stat right to request
- ageing population,
caring resp's - Asda
and B&Q
- growth of service
sector, decline in
manufacturing
- more young people in higher
education have fuelled demand
- 'Would be' employees
- Types of Flexibility
- Functional - multi skilled core staff
- Numerical - where headcount can fluctuate as and when req
- Temporal - f/t employees on perm contracts, hrs
of work fluctuate to work more when org is busy
and vice versa
- Financial - initiatives on
reward mgt - vary amounts &
types of remuneration
- Functional - multi skilled core staff
- THEORY
- Atkinson's Flexible Firm 1984
- Perm, core workers - functional flexibility
- peripheral groups who are numerically and functionally flexible
- outer ring are agency and sub contractors etc
- this is the theory on how to structure an org to be flexible
- this is the theory on how to structure an org to be flexible
- outer ring are agency and sub contractors etc
- peripheral groups who are numerically and functionally flexible
- Perm, core workers - functional flexibility
- Adv
- Opportunity to exploit 24-hour
economy
- Flexible employment suits more
flexible life-styles
- Flexibility makes the economy more attractive to
inward investment
- The economy can respond more flexibly to an
external economic shock – because wages and
employment are more flexible
- Flexible labour markets help to reduce costs for firms;
for example, workers can be employed when they are
needed
- Flexible labour markets help to reduce costs for firms;
for example, workers can be employed when they are
needed
- The economy can respond more flexibly to an
external economic shock – because wages and
employment are more flexible
- Flexibility makes the economy more attractive to
inward investment
- Flexible employment suits more
flexible life-styles
- Opportunity to exploit 24-hour
economy
- Disadvantage
- There are concerns about a lack of
training for workers on short term
contracts which has a long term
effect on their ability to regain
employment if they lose their jobs.
- Longer term social implications of
labour market flexibility – the “24
hours per day” work culture and the
possible effects on family life.
- Income uncertainties - as the
balance of risk in the workplace
shifts from the employer to the
employee
- horter term contracts might lead to job
insecurity – for some people, the
concept of “job security” is being
gradually replaced by the concept of
“employability”. Frequent job changes
for workers can be unsettling for them
and for their families.
- horter term contracts might lead to job
insecurity – for some people, the
concept of “job security” is being
gradually replaced by the concept of
“employability”. Frequent job changes
for workers can be unsettling for them
and for their families.
- Income uncertainties - as the
balance of risk in the workplace
shifts from the employer to the
employee
- Longer term social implications of
labour market flexibility – the “24
hours per day” work culture and the
possible effects on family life.
- There are concerns about a lack of
training for workers on short term
contracts which has a long term
effect on their ability to regain
employment if they lose their jobs.
- Atkinson's Flexible Firm 1984
- Types of flex working
- flexi-time, term time
- part time,
- multi skilling, agency and temps
- school hours, 9 day weeks
- outsourcing
- Zero hours
- never
know when
you are
working
- mgrs have too much power
in deciding who gets the
work
- mgrs have too much power
in deciding who gets the
work
- never
know when
you are
working
- Zero hours
- outsourcing
- school hours, 9 day weeks
- can be more costly for training
- are part time staff less committed?
- are part time staff less committed?
- multi skilling, agency and temps
- homeworking
- staff can feel isolated
- staff can feel isolated
- flexi - no need for o/t. Term time
means no one in at certain times
- part time,
- Benefits -
- pos org outcomes
- high job performance
- successful change - more responsive
- lower turnover, absenteeism,
grievances and stress
- higher commitment, motivation
and job sat
- greater efficiency
- greater efficiency
- higher commitment, motivation
and job sat
- lower turnover, absenteeism,
grievances and stress
- successful change - more responsive
- high job performance
- pos org outcomes
- Concerns
- work intensification
- trying to full weeks in less
hours
- easier for larger orgs to bring in than SME's
- why? - usually HR is available
and union presence
- why? - usually HR is available
and union presence
- work intensification
- flexi-time, term time
- GUEST 2004 - Flexibility has been
frequently identified as a key human
resource policy goal
- Agile Future Forum
- case studies of employers who are seeing and
using flexible working as a means to gain
competitive advantage
- case studies of employers who are seeing and
using flexible working as a means to gain
competitive advantage
- Legal issues/obligations
- part time workers regs
- fixed term contracts
- agency workers
- contracts
- TUPE
- part time workers regs
- HR Making the Case
- Increased efficiency
- improves work/life balance
- Inc productivity
- promotion of Equal Opps
- Improved flex of cover
- Improved
commitment,
performance,
attendance, H&S,
teamworking, & trust
- + psych contract
- + psych contract
- do ur homework; talk about
building org capability
- Be clear whats in it for both parties
- implications for the employer brand
- is there a need for a 9-5 structure
- is there a need for a 9-5 structure
- implications for the employer brand
- Be clear whats in it for both parties
- Increased efficiency
- THE CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE
- It creates insecurity = low committment
- it is incompatible with high commitment working
practices - i.e ppl who perceive themselves to be
peripheral to the operation will act accordingly -
it could avoid discretionary effort being given
- Flexibility intensifies work to an
extent which is damaging for
employees - do full time work on
less hours, feel the need to do
more and work harder when in
work
- It is divisive and can
benefit some groups
more than others e.g those with children
- damages long term economic performance
- Do most ppl really want full time and can't get it?
- backlash from colleagues who do not qualify
- it is socially undesirable - one strand
of employed ppl who are secure, on
strand who are peripheral and
insecure (flexible firm model)
- harder to get a mortgage and
secure good wages
- Can lead to unethical practice - mgrs could
be tempted to use development of a
peripheral workforce to exercise too great
a degree of power
- can intensify work
- can require ppl to work too long hours
- unfairness from differential treatment
- unfairness from differential treatment
- can require ppl to work too long hours
- can intensify work
- It creates insecurity = low committment
- Mutual and Intelligent approaches
- adopt approaches that
benefit both employer and
employee
- it is possible for orgs to become more
flexible and at the same time avoid any
insecurity or possible negative
outcomes
- Michael White 2004
- focus on existing core
employees, give them
opps to develop greater
adaptability
- effectively argue for a more
sophisticated form of funcional
flexibility
- bottom up as opposed to
top down,
- team oriented - invest in T&D
- create self managed multi skilled teams where
members take responsibility and solve probs together -
it develops greater adaptibility an 'no hoarding' of
skills/knowledge
- focus on existing core
employees, give them
opps to develop greater
adaptability
- Peter Reilly 2001
- partnership and negotiated
changes involving staff, taking on
board their concerns
- employers
should focus
on the types of
flex working
their
employees
appreciate
and do not
use those that
breed
insecurity
- employers
should focus
on the types of
flex working
their
employees
appreciate
and do not
use those that
breed
insecurity
- a genuine employer commitment to enhance ppl's prospects
(their employability) by developing them through the provision
of T&D and experience
- partnership and negotiated
changes involving staff, taking on
board their concerns
- adopt approaches that
benefit both employer and
employee
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