Why Do We Need Equality Legislation in the Labour Market - Assignment Example

"Why do we need equality legislation in the labour market" Introduction Every organization has an aim to reach its heights. For the organization to achieve its aims it will have to work in such a way that the quality of the production is unexplainable. But the question is how to achieve that success. For any organization its workforce are the main assets. To make those assets productive we need to treat them with fairness and justice. In order to implement such fairness the government makes Equality Legislations for the organizations to follow in order to make the employees motivated and remain attracted to your company. We know that Equality Legislation plays a vital role for the success of any organization. We need equality in the labour market due to the advantages it provides to the employee as well as the organization on the whole. We would look at few of the General Equality Legislation that exists in Scotland and see as to how it benefits the organizations. Sample Legislation 1: Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) Regulations 2002 As from 6th April 2003, subject to regulations, parents and others (such as guardians) who are responsible for looking after children aged under 6 (or under 18 if the child is disabled) have the legal right to ensure that requests they make for flexible working arrangements (such as part-time work or work at home) are taken seriously by their employers. The request must be to enable the employee to care for the child and an important condition is that the employee must have been employed in his job for at least 6 months to be eligible. (See source 2 for the knowing the source of this legislation.) Advantages It can help organizations extend their opening hours. Therefore providing more of a tailored service for customers. Traveling can be cheaper and easier for travel outside the peak times. Other commitments can be arranged and fitted around the working day. If you stay later during busy periods, time can be taken off during quieter times. Makes it easier to accommodate personal needs, which can lead, to a reduction in one-day absenteeism. Employers can make a reduction in overtime being worked. Can work more efficiently if you work in the office at the quiet ends of the day, when the telephone isn't ringing or less interruptions. Sample Legislation 2: Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favorable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (Amendment) Regulations 2002 These regulations introduced new rights for part-time workers. Two amendments came into force on 1st October 2002. These cover Comparators (Regulation 2) and Access to Occupational Pension Schemes (Regulation 8(8). The part-time workers regulations ensure that Britain's part-timers are not treated less favorably than comparable full-timers in their terms and conditions, unless it is specifically justified. This means that part-timers are entitled, for example, to: The same hourly rate of pay The same access to company pension schemes The same entitlements to annual leave and maternity / parental leave on a pro rata basis, The same entitlement to contractual sick pay, and No less favorable treatment in access to training (See source 2 for knowing the source of this legislation) Advantages of partime workers Effective labour tool for managing costs In the last decade the industry has expanded to offer employees for office, industrial, technical, medical, and engineering fields. There is no need for extra fringe benefits as in January of 1985 Federal civil service regulations were changed to permit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to hire temporary workers for up to 4 years without providing fringe benefits. Part-time employees can be an excellent staffing option for small or young businesses, due to the potential for flexibility and the relatively low cost. Part-time workers necessarily work fewer hours, so will cost less in wages. In addition, part-time employees typically do not qualify for company-sponsored benefits. Sample Equality Legislation 3: Equal Treatment Directive All member states had to implement the Equal Treatment Directive by 2005. The Directive sets out new definitions of direct and indirect sex discrimination, and a freestanding definition of sexual harassment and sex-based harassment. In the UK it meant amending the sex discrimination legislation. The wording used by the Directive means that the definition of indirect sex discrimination which came into force on 12th October 2001 in accordance with the Sex Discrimination (Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof) Regulations once again changed. However, as a result there will is a consistency in the definition of indirect discrimination as between sex, race, and the new strands covered by the Framework Directive. (See source 2 for knowing the source of this legislation) Advantages Motivation to the employees. Leads to unity amongst workers. Efficient output. Helps in the success of an organization. Sample Equality Legislation 4: Fair Employment Act 1975 Applies only to Northern Ireland and makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of religious belief or religious affiliation. (See source 2 for knowing the source of this legislation) Advantages If a Christian employee cannot come to office during the Christmas Eve, a Muslim employee on the other hand can take over the charge if the organization needs to carry on with its work during any kind of urgent deals. There are a variety of ideas. Employees if properly taken care of without religious discrimination can improve a company's efficiency. Sample Equality Legislation 5: Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations, 2002 The regulations came into force on 1st October 2002. They were prompted by the need to ensure that British law complies with the EC Fixed Term Work Directive 1999. The basic idea is that it becomes unlawful to treat a fixed-term employee less favourably than a comparable permanent employee engaged in similar work, but subject to a defence of objective justification. An employer can objectively justify individual terms which are less favorable if a fixed-term employee's contract taken as a whole is as favourable to him as contracts of permanent employees are to them. (See source 2 for knowing the source of this legislation) Advantages With a fixed term employee even if the employer is unhappy he can easily fire him or wait for his contract to get over. Different employees coming over after the end of each contract may bring great ideas to the organization. The company is safe from paying most of the benefits that permanent employees are usually given. Having different blood at different occasions is healthy for the organization. Sample Equality Legislation 5: Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 This places a duty on employers to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. There are criminal sanctions for failure to comply with this duty and enforcement is by the Health and safety Executive and local authorities. (See source 2 for knowing the source of this legislation) Advantages Employees are more motivated as they know that the organization is paying for their health issues. Employees would be more willing to go for their regular check ups as no money is being spent from their own pockets. Having healthy employees is essential and beneficial for the company. Employees are more relaxed of their future health issues if occur. Helps to form healthy and efficient workforce. Reasons for Equality Legislation We need Equality Legislation as it helps in improving the elements within the organization. Some of them are discussed below: Company culture Culture is about attracting and hiring those people who would be most successful in that specific organization. It is about bring out the behavior that is essential for the success of an organization. If the organization tries to be fair in recruiting those employees who have the required skills then it can actually enhance the organization's culture. Customer service We know that customer service means taking care of your customers and therefore customer service is being integrated in to the organizations through training and other business processes. Our staff would take care of our customers with more care only if we take care of or staff. Attitude This is a fact that for successful businesses the one of the priorities is to hire people and retain the excellent workers and getting rid of the unsuitable workers. This again brings in equality, fairness and merit when recruiting the employees. Business strategy Business Strategies and policies are the head of a business and without it the business is nothing. A sound strategy should include a financial plan, marketing differentiators, and product strategy as well as a plan for employee retention. Employee retention is part of equality legislation. Discipline How we execute those strategies is part of our discipline section. How to make those strategies possible. The changes in market are not the reasons for changes in strategies. We have to manage ourselves in such a way that we can compete with the changes that have been formed. But then again we should not forget that to achieve our goals and strategies which are useless unless our employees are happy. We can only achieve our desired strategies if we treat our employees with equality. Risk The companies are meant to manage and respond to changes. Those companies who succeed in responding to change only they can face the competitors. Financial roadmap Finance is one of the major departments within an organization. A financial plan reminds owners where and how to spend money, and it provides ways to measure progress or shortfalls. A sound financial plan is the cornerstone of a great business plan. Business processes Business processes try to increase productivity and reduce costs while generating the same (or better) outcomes. Businesses should understand the need to continuously improve their business processes: to become more efficient and productive, and to respond to market changes faster while providing better service to customers. Information technology Today the information technology has become the backbone of any business and we know how important is technology; it doesn't have to be complex or costly to be effective. Effective technology is probably the most important enabler for change that a company can introduce. This can only be done through effective labour force. This again prove how much importance equality legislation plays. Marketing Marketing and Promotion is another important department to look at. How effective marketing efforts perform different functions around unique selling environments. For example, business-to-consumer enterprises have completely different marketing needs than business-to-business companies. Conclusion: Recollecting all the Equality Legislations and the advantages they provide we get a clear idea as to how such legislations would create motivation for the employees. Implementing such legislations may prove to be keys in the success of the organization as they revolve around the labour force, and we have already stated earlier that employees are an asset to the organization. Only if we keep them happy then would they keep us happy. Bibliography 1) New Legislation concerning equal pay, maternity leave, sex discrimination, flexible working (2005). New Legislation. Retrieved April 17th 2006, from http://www.equality-online.org.uk/employment_legislation/new_legislation.html 2) General Equalities Legislation Guidance. Direct Task Force, General Equalities legislation. Retrieved April 17th 2006 from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/DiversityTaskForce/GeneralLegislation 3) Racial Discrimination, The Mitsubishi Japan Case (2005). Japanese Interview. Retrieved April 17th 2006, http://www.kamalsinha.com/mitsubishi/ 4) FindLaw Inc (2006). Staffing: Full and Part-time Employees. Retrieved April 17th 2006, from http://www.inc.com/articles/2000/02/16994.html Read More