Work-Life Balance and Health Issues
According to Cooke and Jiang (2017), the major types of non-standard work that can be identified are temporary jobs, casual and seasonal employment, part-time work and fixed-term work. There has been a rise in agency work as well, which involves the companies going in a contract with another for the supply of labor. Stirpe, Bonache and Revilla (2014) had stated that the factor of employing oneself is also considered to be non-standard in nature and it has been expanding on a global manner and more in the UK. The country is mainly dominated by the larger firms that are present in the economy of the European Union. It can be seen that the public sector accounts for a higher amount of temporary work, as most of them work under contracts and casual manner.
Kalleberg (2015) was of the opinion that there has to be balance in the work and life of the employees so that the workers can be retained within the industry, which will provide the employers an advantage of staying within the firm. The elderly population does not have the capacity to work for long hours and is dependent on the flexible hours so that they can work for a stipulated period. Brown (2016) stated that the employees that are least skilled also have a poor health due to their ailing age, which makes them to retire at an early age. The age of the employees is a big factor, as most of the skilled workers are retained within the company for a longer period due to the fact that they can work in an efficient manner for the years of experience that they have. This allows the employers to hold on to their old employees so that it can help them in increasing the level of output within the organization. According to Gallie et al. (2017), the reduction in the hours of work among the older workers is an important factor for the fact that the employers are switching to a model that is flexible in nature. This has helped the organization in managing the labor force in an effective manner, which has helped in increased productivity as well.
Murphy and Turner (2014) are of the opinion that the employers are flexible towards the health issues that the employees have along with their age. They try to allocate the work to the healthy population of employees that are available to them by shifting the opportunities towards these employees. This helps them in maintaining the culture within the organization, which has led to the increased output within the firm. According to Koch and Fritz (2013), the employers also enjoy the lateral movements that are taking place among the employees so that it can help them in being motivated within the work place. This has led to the increase in the opportunities among the employees so that they can find better alternatives within the organization to perform their work in an effective manner.
Flexibility in Workspace
Knox (2015) stated that the survey, which was conducted in the United Kingdom, showed that the employees are shifting more towards the work that is non-standardized in format. The employment that is peripheral in nature was seen to be growing but at a slower rate. The strategies that had been adopted by the employers were based on reflection on the factors that are short-term in nature. The relationship between the work that is non-standard and the work that has to be done by a team requires different levels of flexibility. The survey that was conducted in 2002 showed that the flexibility in an external manner was commonly used more than the employment that is non-standard. This was due to the out-sourcing where the tasks of one company were carried out by the employees of another company.
Kersley et al. (2013) stated that there are various themes that have led to the non-standard form of employment in the UK economy and some of the factors are the level of stagnation that is present in the market, which is also concerned with the recession on a global manner. The prolonged period of recession has made the companies ineffective in the factor of competition in the global market. The other factor is the loss of job, which has happened in most of the firms that are present in the UK. This has resulted in the reduction of level of employment that will be difficult in establishing the relationship with the employees. Johnstone and Ackers (2015) was of the opinion that the factor of uncertainty is also high in the UK market and has been growing at a rate of three percent on an annual basis. Most of the firm nowadays in the present market have become cautious and is having a sustained rate of growth, which has led them to invest in a smaller amount in the employment factor. According to Brewster et al. (2016), the change in the technologies is yet another factor, which has reduced the cost of employing people. The use of the machines has helped the employers in carrying out the work through the process of automation so that it can help in reducing cost and time. The reduction in the time of working has led the employers in restructuring their time of working in an unconventional manner.
This has resulted in finding more flexible ways of manning the employees so that it can take in to account the realities that are present in the labor market. The employers have to put a premium on the amount so that it can help in getting quick response from the work force, which may lead in getting the contracts on an easier manner (Drache, LeMesurier and Noiseux 2015). The work force that will be employed has to match the specifications of the job so that it can help in carrying out the task in a simple way and can be finished within the allocated time. This has led to the employers in selecting more flexible approaches so that it can attract the employees towards the organizations.
Types of Flexibility
Lucidi (2012) was of the opinion that there are mainly three type of flexibility that can be taken up by the employers namely functional, financial and numerical. The flexibility that is functional in nature help in deploying the employees in a quick manner between the task and the activities. The deployment of the skilled employees has to be done on the jobs that are electrical and mechanical in nature. It may also involve the transfer of the workers from a direct to an indirect production job or vice versa. Apart from these, Stone (2012) stated that it can also lead to the complete transformation of the career of the employees. The change in the production or the products is through functional flexibility, as the labor force changes on a short or in a medium term basis. Financial flexibility is taken up for two reasons firstly, to deal with the mode of payment, which can be reflected through the demand and the supply that is present in the labor market in an external manner. Rees and Edwards (2016) stated that it is a fact that the employers are look forward to hire the employees at a cheaper cost so that it can help them in maximizing their output and profit. There is a greater amount of significance in the differences between the workers and the groups that pushes in reducing the prices of the wages rather than the push that comes from the upper management. According to Keune (2013), this shift increases the level of bargaining between the unskilled and the skilled workers. Secondly, more importance is given on the longer term that helps in providing a shift in the remuneration system, which will be based on the functional or the numerical type of flexibility. Numerical flexibility on the other hand helps in decreasing or increasing the changes that are short term with respect to the labor that is being demanded by the organizations. The policies related to hiring and firing can be implemented in an easy manner, which may lead to better relationship between the workers and the managers by strengthening the contract.
Chen (2012) was of the opinion that the flexibility that is adopted by the employers within the organization has to be managed in a proper manner so that it can help in the deployment of the resources, which will result in getting the maximum output. Claydon and Thompson (2010) stated that the various conditions have to be examined by the employers so that the flexible model can be adopted and used in a strategical manner within the organization. The employers need to possess a good knowledge regarding the changes that will be bought within the organization so that it can allow them in adopting the nature of flexibility that they seem to be fit within their work force. Wright (2013) observed that the cross-sectional data that is available to the employers will help them in adopting the flexibility within the work place and identify the changes that are necessary among the population of labor that has been employed within the organization. The flexibility in the labor force will help the employers in making the process of production flexible through different organizational structures. These links will help the employer in understanding the relation between them. The flexibility within the organization affects the employees in a positive manner, which helps them in being committed towards their work place and increases their performance. Heery and Simms (2011) had stated that the non-standard employment issue that is present in the UK market can be controlled by the employers in selecting the best methods that will help their labor force to be flexible in nature. The effects can be seen on the workers, as it helps them in releasing their stress and are satisfied through their work, which helps in increasing the loyalty within them with respect to the organization.
Valenzuela (2011) was of the opinion that most of the organizations in the recent period in the UK market are adopting one or all the three forms of flexibility so that it can help in attracting the labor force towards their firm. It helps the employers in striking a better deal with the work force so that they can work within the organization. Dowling (2008) was of the opinion that a change within the organization will help the employers to be flexible in a greater way so that they can adapt new ways in getting the work done with the new work force. The use of the restructured employment model helps in securing mostly all kinds of flexibility that are present as option to the employer.
Kalleberg (2001) stated that the employers have to adopt the new model so that it can help in forming the hierarchical structure so that it can help in employing different policies so that the work force can be classified in to various groups. These divisions that are done within the organization are based on the distinctions of white and blue collar so that the employees can be separated according to their skills that they possess. This will help the organization in assigning proper duties to the employees who can carry it out responsibly. According to Winch (1998), this division of skills helps the managers in maintaining the operations within the organization so that it can help in the diversification of the pressure of work. The present structure helps in breaking up of the labor force by increasing the peripheral flexibility among the workers so that it can help in fastening the activities within the organization. More emphasis is laid on the flexibility that is functional in nature so that the shift from the periphery can be done in an easier manner and the flexibility can be achieved. Tarique, Briscoe and Schuler (2015) stated that for instance the company Apple, which is operating in the UK market has an office as well, which has adopted the flexibility firm model. They are of the opinion that the employees may get tired if they are being put in to the same work over a long period of time. They have given the employees flexible shift hours, which have helped them in maintaining the balance between their life and work.
Brewster, Mayne and Tregaskis (1997) was of the opinion that the workers who are employed in the core group of the company are employed on a full-time basis for example the designers, managers and the technicians who have to support the organization on a constant manner. The security of their employment has to be won by the cost of the functional flexibility that has to be accepted in the shorter as well as in the longer term. Hoque and Kirkpatrick (2003) stated that the terms and the conditions of the process of employment have to be designed according to the functional flexibility so that the employees can work in a better environment. This can be done by formulating the status that is based on single condition and reviewing the system of payment so that it can enhance the skills related to deployment and acquisition. This will help in assessing the employees based on their performances. Budhwar, Schuler and Sparrow (2009) stated that another example is the company Philips, which has provided its employees to go back home and work if they do not find a parking for their car in which they reach office. This has led to the satisfaction among the employees, as they do not need to worry about their personal belongings and can work in a peaceful manner.
Felstead and Gallie (2004) stated that the model that is applied by the employers in the current period consist of the first peripheral group, which includes the employees who are working on a full-time basis but at the same time enjoys a low level of security in the job. This leads to the low access to the opportunities that they have in their career as well. The labor market that is available externally tends to be employed so that they can fill up the positions that help in achieving the financial and the numerical flexibility. According to Keune (2013), these flexibilities can be done through an immediate link between the core group that is present and the labor market that is available to the organization. This results in the lack in their prospects with their career, as their range of tasks gets narrowed to a higher amount of turnover of labor that is available in the market. This will help in adjusting the numeric value of the potential availability of labor in the product market.
Authors Heery and Simms (2011) was of the opinion that the demands of the employers along with the supply of the labor force are changing on a constant manner with respect to the skilled and unskilled labor that is available in the UK market. This has paved a way for the employers in identifying the various factors such as the distribution of the payment among the employees and the education that is required from the employees in carrying out the work in a successful manner within the organization. This has resulted in the well-being of both the employees and the employers. The latest trend that is affecting the employers has to be understood so that the impact on the high and low skilled jobs along with transition period of the worker can be understood in a better manner. The change in the labor force will help the employers in understanding the skills that will be required within the employees so that it can effectively lead to the completion of the process.
According to Brewster, Mayne and Tregaskis (1997) the numerical flexibility that is available in the labor market has to be supplemented with flexibility that is functional in nature as well so that the design of the employment can be distinguished in a proper manner. The factor of working in a part-time manner is more common in the first peripheral group, as the structure of work gets changed due to the various needs that are present in the organization in a changing manner. This has led to the increase in the flexibility and minimizing the level of commitment within the organization regarding the development of the career and the security of the job for the employees.
Drache, LeMesurier and Noiseux (2015) was of the opinion that the jobs that are not related to the firm directly and are highly specialized increases the chances of the employers to source them to an outsider through subcontracting so that it can be done by them in a proper manner. This helps in increasing the numerical flexibility, as the firm can decide the duration that will be taken in completing the work. It will also encourage the functional flexibility of the firm due to the greater amount of commitment in getting the work done through the special employees after outsourcing it. The privatization that is present in the public sector agencies have a better knowledge regarding the outsourcing of the work, as it helps in teleworking and networking of the functions in the broader aspects that are present in the labor market of UK.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be said that the workers who are non-standard carry out the mainstream work within the organization and that there is no difference between the regular and these types of employees. This form of employment represents nearly a greater part of the labor market that is present in the United Kingdom (Kersley et al. 2013). They have the weakest position in the UK labor market and tends to suffer more than the other employees that are present in the market with respect to the discrimination in their wages and tasks that are given to them. The re-structuring of the labor market has helped in the intensification of the work and provides benefits to the skills that are possessed by the employees (Cooke and Jiang 2017). This will lead to increasing the rate of employment so that the growth of the economy can be stable and provide a better earning to the employees. The adoption of the flexibility model will help in determining the level of commitment and the stability that is present in the labor market.
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