Flexible Work Options - Research Proposal Example

Flexible Work Options Outline Abstract Introduction Methodology Analysis -Definition of flexible work options and the beneficiaries -Perspectives, government, employers and employees -Flexibility forms Recommendations ; Future of work Conclusion Abstract There are several factors that determine the workforce output in any working environment. Studies in the work place and labour market relationships have led to development of theoretical approaches when it comes to management of work relations. This paper adopts the pluralism theory and progressively develops support for the critics that have been put across by this approach. This paper has focused on the Flexible Work Options (FWO) in regard to a work place. The paper has looked into the perspectives that are attributed to FWO as well as the benefits that are as a result of the same. The paper has also predictably put forward recommendations for the support of pluralism as the most probable approach in management of work place relations. Introduction Experience has really indicated that practical policy on flexible work practices needs to be given total support by setting strategies that are strictly directed to the full achievement of work place objectives (Hayward et al. 2007). Pluralism proposes that underlying critical antagonism in the work place places a platform for conflicts between the employers and the employees. It calls for the realization of employers that flexibility is radical and they should not expect blind obedience from the employees. According to this approach, the management has a significant role to play in reconciling work place and labour market conflicts. In this regard, pluralism calls for policy implementations that support flexibility work options (Bourke 2005). Literature review Methodology This discussion has greatly considered Active Research methodology to gather relevant information and details that would go hand in hand with flexibility options and their projected advantages work places. Therefore, business journals and daily editorials played a very important role in accessing the required information significant especially in this area. This methodology has collective consolidated statistical data and generalized approach of pluralism as a theoretical approach towards work place management. The methodology has ultimately built on the paradigms that present themselves as a result of the relationship between work place management and labour output (Hayward et al. 2007). The major limitation that arises regarding this technical approach is that the precision of the statistical and critical arguments that have been presented cannot be tested. The methodology is substantially dependent on already existent information. The data from which the conclusions have been made from however are from researches that have been conducted in testing the hypothesis that test the importance of work place flexibility in regard to force output and work place productivity (Hayward et al. 2007). Analysis Pluralism and flexibility work options Flexible work options have been defined as those employment plans or environments which are directed at achieving the best possible match between the interests of the company and those of the individual employees. Flexibility in work arrangements or environments, thus, can improve both customer service as well as productivity. It also provides employees with optimum choices to strike a balance in meeting their work objectives and personal responsibilities (British Chambers of Commerce 2007). Therefore, the following benefits necessitate the value of the flexible options mentioned above in a working environment. Well, to begin with, there are several reasons that are valuable for establishing more flexible employment options in a working environment. For instance, the company administrators can sky rocket the output of workers through for example, addressing their needs in balancing both work and individual objectives (Camp 2004). This step by an administrator can make employees or workers loyal and committed to the company. Moreover, it enables the retention of workers make incredible savings on the operations cost in the company (Hayward et al. 2007). This is because workers also need or wish to have their interests combined with their busy work schedules. This would only be possible in a very flexible company or work environment (Bourke 2005). Demographic change which has now changed significantly requires the incorporation of better working conditions to allow for the populations to fit in working positions. For instance, in 1995, it was recorded that over 65 per cent of women in both parent families with depending children were enrolled in work force in Australia (Australian Institute of Family Studies 1997). In the same year, it was postulated that about 38 percent of women and 38 per cent of men in work force have dependent children. The Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1993 postulated that 29 per cent of employed mothers and fathers had difficulties in managing their families back at home. For this reasons, it becomes very necessary for employers to evaluate their flexibility work options so that they can boost the output of the work place. This includes inclusion of convenient working hours which will enable the parent to have time to attend to their children and to manage their families (Camp 2004). Changing society has also contributed to the necessity for evaluation of flexibility options in the work place. The increasing number of women workers for instance calls for leaves from work and appropriate working hours which will enable them manage conducting their responsibilities as primary care takers of their children (Camp 2004). The traditional in family’s norm whereby there was a primary homemaker and a primary breadwinner has changed. Such families are rarely to come about these days. Modern families nowadays are characterized by shared responsibilities in the sense that there is no primary breadwinner of primary homemaker (British Chambers of Commerce 2007). Rather each family member has collective responsibility of homemaking and bread winning. This makes each worker have family responsibilities to bear and for the work place to tap maximum productivity from the employee, the flexibility options should be enhanced to enable them meet their families responsibilities (Camp 2004). The community has also changed greatly where it call for the very best to snatch any opportunities available. In this regard, some people who feel threatened or they feel they are not challenging enough may need to augment work and study. The work place should take care of such needs in the work force. The best way to allow for this is to vary the flexibility options so as to create time for such employees to effectively manage their class work (Camp 2004). Perspectives: Government, employers and employees The government has a big role in the formulation of the laws that enhance the growth or creation of policies that facilitate the working environment that motivate workers to achieve both personal and the company’s objectives. The government intervention through the formulation of trade unions that protect both employers and employees has greatly influenced work flexibility (Camp 2004). These kinds of governments have advanced economically. However, these rules and regulations should be clearly legislated so that all forms of work are covered equally to avoid negative discrimination. This would also ensure all workers involved in steering the economy to greater heights are enjoying their rights through monitoring their needs being addressed accordingly. Nevertheless, individual rights are sometimes violated in cases whereby workers stay at work places working beyond the accepted hours in the name of over-time which is at times not rewarded satisfactorily. This may lead to increased resentments or complaints among the workers or employers. In this case then, clear framework of principles governing the role of workers and monitor the time limits should be set to avoid a collision course between the employers and workers. It is of great significance for the administrators to allow workers to enjoy the request rights .this would encourage employees to positively approach the flexible options offered by the company. Although, sometimes, these company directors may be inhibited by the set goals and objectives to an extent that they fail to focus their precious attention on working that is hardly rigid. In such cases, pieces of advice have been given to company administrators to embrace schedules that are aimed at informing or training the employees and being assessed routinely. It has been argued that in most cases, small scale administrators have the ability in the provision of options that are flexible to the workers. However, employees for these small scale businesses have higher chances of accessing better work plans (Mayhew 2006). Developed countries have moved miles in economic terms attributed to the set organizations that are centers for ergonomic pieces of advice. Notably, a state that has positively been involved in campaigning arbitration of both work and family for instance, trade unions or organizations, associations, setting of specific and achievable targets. The government can also be involved in promoting team work internally or in domestic terms and offering clear guideline to direct or inform people appropriately (Hayward et al. 2007). In addition, the state can create facilities that take care or look after the welfare of workers. This is a piece of advice then to the administrators to be more flexible to an extent of understanding flexibility itself. Flexibility forms Flexibility work options takes different forms all of which are aimed at enhancing the working conditions of the employees and boosting the work output from them. The different flexibility forms can be categorized into locational, financial, numerical, temporal or functional. Flextime for instance can be said to be a functional flexibility option (Hayward et al. 2007). Flextime in work place is important at the beginning of work, at the middle and at the end of work. Such could include breaks and such times can be used by the employees to share ideologies or to convene meetings with the supervisors or other administrators (Chartered Management Institute 2006). Flexplace or what is sometimes referred to as telecommuting is a locational flexibility work option. This flexibility option enhances work performance by allowing certain job tasks to be conducted outside the regular work place. This flexibility option allows work with defined tasks to be performed by workers outside the workplace (Hayward et al. 2007). This is usually applicable in tasks that the worker does not necessarily need to be at the regular workplace for the task to be performed. However, this flexibility option is less popular due to the need for supervision, lack of necessary technology required and the necessity of an office environment. Also, some individuals require being in the work place as they enjoy the company of their colleagues (Chartered Management Institute 2006). Flexplace however can be arranged in such a manner that workers can report to the regular work place for a particular time in a week and work away again for a prescribed portion of the working time during every week. The other form of flexibility option is compressed work schedules. This is also a functional flexibility work option. Essentially, it involves the compression of working hours so that the worker attends work less than five days in every week. This option is usually applicable especially to the hourly paid employees (Chartered Management Institute 2006). Other employers have adopted the part-time working arrangements as a flexibility option. This is a functional flexibility option that allows workers who may not be available in a full time basis the opportunity to offer their work force on a part time basis (Hayward et al. 2007). This option is critical to workers who are enrolled in any training programmes which limits their availability in the work place. This flexibility offers cover for accrues that may arise as a result of maternity leaves, sick leaves or holiday times off which the workers are entitled to. The importance of this work flexibility option therefore cannot be over emphasized (Chartered Management Institute 2006). Numerical flexibility work option may take different forms. Job sharing demonstrates a modest epitome for this flexibility option. This option allows two workers to share the job responsibilities of one worker. The two workers perform the job responsibilities in a part-time form but at the end of it all they manage to meet the responsibilities of a full time position. This is of course with prorated salaries, holiday and sick accruals. However, this flexibility is temporal and is practiced when there is a vacancy in the work force. Recommendations Future of work Flexibility in work has been attributed to success in work places and employee satisfaction. It has significantly enhanced good employer-employee relations and has eased the intervention of the government in issues regarding employee oppression or exploitation by the employers. According to Hayward et al. 2007 businesses research organizations have reported positive impacts on flexibility working. Most organizations have found the result of flexible working and family schedules workable as in, companies are benefiting greatly. It is argued that most of these organizations that embrace these options enhance or facilitate good working conditions that are conducive for workers and therefore would project productivity to not only sky rocket but also be consistent (Hayward et al. 2007). This is important in a company that is interested in making maximum production and minimizing costs in terms of training and encouraging workers to be relevantly informed. At the same time, this relation remains strong as the employers-employees relationship improves. However, a few challenges would fail to crop into this strategy. For instance, it would be a bit difficult but not impossible to establish or determine if non-inflexible working is really a reason or result of super-corporate performance. It has been established in research that flexible working options do not result in dismal output for most of the companies (Whitehouse et al. 2007). Profits may increase from the basic directions, costs being cut down, great output of those who are working for a specific company. This is really admirable since most of the managers would have made several steps ahead in economic production of a state. This in return would increase the living standards of the people or workers. This is a major reduction of costs in this capital output. This is because when costs, both indirect and direct are involved, then the costs of hiring new employees would also have been reduced. According to British Chambers of Commerce 2007, the reason for recognizing the fact that this principle of costs being directly emphasized by the managerial associations in the recent consultant on request rights, a great number of managers argue that the establishment of work that stresses flexibility has a significant result on the foundation of the company. However, managing the discouraging responses from workers is thought to be the most challenging to the managers of the company. This is especially when the targeted program does not yield the expected results (Hayward et al. 2007). Perhaps, this must be the great reason why it has been argued by most people that the provision of request rights through flexible work policies rather than focusing on the objectives of the company would only be preferred to accessing the basic non-flexible working programs in the company of course along the customary structures. If request right is both introduced and expanded, then there will be expected shoot up of performance of workers in their organizations. Employers would also increase this by proper trainings of the workers and ensuring that the set principles are observed in the working environment (Whitehouse et al. 2007). Therefore, all employers should and must reduce the attitude of unawareness of the laws stipulated by the country specifically in relation to working environment. It is also suggested that apart from in expanding these flexible work options, there could also be a relevant spill over of working flexibility. This should however be done in employee absorption and availability terms which must not be equal (Whitehouse et al. 2007). For instance, public sections are expected to give employees more flexible work options as compared to private sections workers. It is also argued that in an organization whereby the employers are male dominated, then it is unlikely to expect flexibility options. The opposite is exactly true in organization whereby the employers are women. This is not likely to be unique in some states since it is obvious. However, there is a clear evidence of a narrow rift between the public and private sections (Whitehouse et al. 2007). Another work life balance found out that administrators in the public section were greatly more effective to the workers needs in the life of working than the private section directors (Hayward et al. 2007). There also exist notable sector dissimilarities. According to Ellison et al. 2009, research conducted in the late year of 2008 indicated that those that were interviewed had not accessed flexible work options. This, however, is a true reflection of unequal dissemination of flexible options in some companies. Evidently, there is great exhibition of increased availability of flexible options at work places. This has tremendously improved the working patterns in these companies. It is also said that employers would respond to these work options more understandably and that they should accept requests often made by the workers. It is in addition, argued that one of reasons why there exists hardship in accessing flexible options is that most workers lack significant information relevant on options and policies. Holmes et al, 2007 postulates that it is argued that only less than three of ten workers access information relevant in work options available for them. Conclusion Flexibility in work places is an important consideration that both the employers and employees should work together to appropriately design a scheme for this. Apart from enabling the workers to have time for their other sectors in their lives, it boosts the work force output enabling the realization of great achievements in terms of objectives at the work place. The benefits of flexibility work options are far reaching and it should be encouraged and practiced in every work place. The government and workers union should see to it that every work place is governed by rules which incorporate and enforce the practicing of work place flexibility to the employers. References Australian Institute of Family Studies 1997, ed D de Vaust, I Wolcott Australian Family Profiles. Bourke, J. 2005, Care giver discrimination in Australia in law and litigation, Presentation at Working time, discrimination and the law: the family responsive workplace in Europe and the United States Conference, American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC. British Chambers of Commerce 2007, Work and life: How business is striking the right Balance, British Chambers of Commerce, London. Camp, C 2004, Right to request flexible working: Review of impact in first year of legislation. Report prepared by Working Families for the Department of Trade and Industry, March, Working Families, London. Chartered Management Institute (CMI) 2006, Introducing flexible working in your Organization: Checklist; viewed on May 6, 2012 http://www.business.barclays.co.uk/BBB/A/Content/Files/CHK-026.pdf Ellison, G., Barker, A. and Kulasuriya, T. 2009, Work and care: a study of modern parents, Equality and Human Rights Commission Research Report, EHRC, Manchester. Holmes, K., Ivins, C., Yaxley, D., Hansom, J. and Smeaton, D. 2007, The future of w individuals and workplace transformation, Equal Opportunities Commission Working, Manchester. Hayward, B., Fong, B. and Thornton, A. 2007, The Third Work-Life Balance Employee Survey: Main Findings, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Employment Relations Research Series, BERR, London. Mayhew, E. 2006, The parental Employment Context. In Bradshaw, J. and Hatland, A. (eds.), Social policy, employment and family change in comparative perspective, Edward Elgar Publishers, Cheltenham Whitehouse, G., Haynes, M., Macdonald, F. and Arts, D. 2007, Reassessing the ‘family-friendly workplace’: Trends and influences in Britain, 1998 – 2004, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Employment Relations Research, BERR, London. Read More