As Human Resources Manager, Care Concerns Pty Ltd (CC), explain the implications of the level of supply and demand in the labour market in the recruitment and retention of;
Registered Nurses
Human resource management (HRM) demands from the manager to keep a keen eye on the demand and supply of its niche market. The equation is very clear regarding GPs and RNs. The demand exceeds the supply for GPs in the 15 facilities of CC, while the opposite is true for RNs. For professional, stable and satisfactory recruitment it is recommended to not just react to the supply and demand dynamics of both the GPs and RNs but predict and forecast. GAP analysis can be used for this forecast, where Demand forecast is compared with supply projections, this will highlight gaps and surpluses in the staff (Bhattacharyya, 2009). To fill up the demand of GPs CC needs to look in depth into the reasons why there is low supply of GPs in the first place. The Centre for Workforce Intelligence forecasts by looking into the reasons that affect the supply (Crawshaw, Budhwar and Davis, 2014). Is CC offering enough incentive to attract the GPs to the 15 facilities? This can be compared directly with the situation of RNs, where the supply is greater than the demand. It could mean that perhaps CC can offer better incentives to the GPs to recruit more and retain them. Shortage of labour does not always mean more recruitment; more work can be done by the same number of people (Banfield and Kay, 2012). CC could use overtime working and contractual revisions to the serving GPs. Deeper evaluation is due here as simply firing shots in the dark will not have the desired result. Questions such as, are there enough GPs coming out of medical schools in New South Wales and Queensland? If there are not enough GPs to recruit then promotional efforts can be directed elsewhere to attract young GPs that might not be hesitant in relocating to one of the 15 centres of CC. The other implication could be that if there are enough available GPs but CC somehow is unable to recruit or retain them, then perhaps more monetary incentives or non-financial perks are required that would make CC a better investment of their skills than elsewhere. The simple implication of the RN situation is that CC is the perfect place for RNs to work. The facilities do not run 24/7 and the weekend work is limited to 9am – 4pm. The HR department needs to retain these nurses and keep the policies that are already working in check. I other word, CC enjoys the performance and availability of its RNs, they are happy to fill the demand and perform job duties that are not extremely challenging.
You are a GP who is considering taking up a position in one of CC’s medical centres. What are the likely consequences of the level of supply and demand for you as a prospective employee of RC.
Assuming that I am a GP that is looking for a potential work contract with CC, I would already have some idea about the job market. In this context I am the seller of my services. If there is high demand of GPs across the country, it means that I can expect a handsome salary. If the CC tries to sell me short, I would know that I hold the cards as they are the ones who are in desperate need for GPs. In job interview negotiations I can get my demands met. Probably the company will even sacrifice a little to get a qualified GP to add to their workforce. A direct consequence is that it might be just the right time to get a high paid job at CC. If CC cannot compromise more on the pay scale I might get flexible work hours or other non-monitory perks that would make my life easier. I can also look for more autonomy and access to all the company resources that would not only help me in my professional life but would add on to my resume. Therefore, I am not only serving as GP at a well reputed facility such as CC but I am also furthering my career. This will come in handy if I have to quit this job and find a better opportunity.
You are a union official for the union that has coverage of the majority of WorkFix Pty Ltd’s (WF) employees. Explain the key arguments that support regulatory intervention in the setting of wages and other terms and conditions of employment for WF’s employees
Unions promote and protect the interests of all its employees (Phillip and Gully, 2013). Union workplaces are characterized by formal governance, collective bargaining and explicit contracts (Wachter and Estlund, 2012). As the union official for WF’s employees, in the regulatory intervention of setting wages and other matters of employment, the main argument I could raise is to abide by the contract. The terms and conditions signed by both the parties (CC and the Union) are applicable by law. This also includes qualification and skills. The cleaning staff should have minimum qualification that enables them to read and write, plus they must have good cleaning skills. In the presence of a union the decisions of HR are more constrained (Bernardin, 2007). It is the job of the union to ensure that the HR does not deviate from the contract. It implies that the terms of wages and vacations mentioned in the contract should be followed. Some workers might even have temporary contracts with CC. Temporary contracts vary according to age and gender (Mayrhofer, Brewster and Morley, 2007). In any case, if a worker complains that the company is paying him less, then as the union official I will need to remind the employer of the contract. Unions are notorious for boycotting work, arranging strikes and pushing the matters from bad to worse where the company has to seek arbitration. As a result of strikes or labour unrest productivity or quality suffers (Bennett and Kaufman, 2011). But when the contracts are straightforward and without complications (dubious fine prints that manipulate words and phrases to exploit the workers) then such matters can be avoided. The collective agreement between CC and the Union (employees) would generally hold matters such as wages, union security, management rights, work hours, health and safety, arbitration, suspension and dismissals, work hours and duration. Also, there is the matter of seniority of the worker. The more time a worker spends at CC the better his career opportunities should be. Based on the seniority of the workers they should have better access to promotions and layoffs. These perks should be given to the employees based on their seniority. Pay raise is also an issue that can bring conflict between HRM and the union. This is extremely beneficial for low paid workers. However, in a centralised-wage system unions are usually scared to voice their wage raise claims (Wachsen and Blind, 2016). Employment standards and health and safety issues are also understood without explicitly mentioning in the contract. If FWA did not exist the workers will have a difficult to time in getting their demands met.
References
Banfield, P. and Kay, R., 2012. Introduction to human resource management. Oxford University Press.
Bennett, J.T. and Kaufman, B.E. eds., 2011. What do unions do?: a twenty-year perspective. Transaction Publishers.
Bernardin. 2007. Human resource management. McGraw Hill Education.
Bhattacharyya, D.K., 2009. Human resource planning. Excel Books India.
Crawshaw, J., Budhwar, P. and Davis, A. eds., 2014. Human resource management: strategic and international perspectives. Sage.
Mayrhofer, W., Brewster, C. and Morley, M. eds., 2007. HRM in Europe. Routledge.
Phillips, J. M. and Gully, S. M. 2013. Human resource management. Cengage Learning.
Wachsen, E. and Blind, K., 2016. More labour market flexibility for more innovation? Evidence from employer–employee linked micro data. Research Policy, 45(5), pp.941-950.
Wachter, M.L. and Estlund, C.L. eds., 2012. Research handbook on the economics of labor and employment law. Edward Elgar Publishing.
