Two Management Issues in GTR
The report talks about the roles and responsibilities of the human resource management. It explains the roles and responsibilities of HRM within the organization. The report is based on the Govia Thames link railway company. It explains that how the company is dealing with various key management issues at the workplace. It also tells that how the company is using human resource planning process to reduce the staffing issues within the organization. Furthermore, it describes the developmental activity to deal and manage the performance of the railway drivers and other workers.
Govia Thames link manages and operates the railway department. It is the railway operating company which manages and operates the Thames link, Southern and Great Northern rail franchise in England. Along with this, it provides various airport services to the people. It operates and manages approx 238 stations around the world. There are various key management issues entertained and faced by the human resource management of the Govia Thames link. The company faces various issues such as basic pay, salary, compensation and working hours of the job (Thompson, 2011). The people are going on strike due to the human resource management issues within the organization. The major issue in the company is compensation and incentives which affect the performance and efficiency of the workers in the organization. Basic salary and pay is the primary issue in Govia Thames link which is faced by the contractors at the workplace. The company does not provide suitable remuneration and salary to the railway drivers and other workers thus various challenges are faced by the company. Many people do overtime but the company does not pay for overtime and extra work in the organization. Therefore, it affects productivity and quality of the employees. They do not feel happy in the organization and they get disappointed (Belser and Rani, 2011).
The company has committed to increase the salary and basic pay of the employees. But they do not increase the salary and basic pay of the drivers. Hence, they do not perform the task and duties effectively and efficiently. Along with this, the company has fixed the working hours of the workers which should be 35 hours four day a week. But the employees have to do work more than fixed hours. These challenges and key issues are faced by the Govia Thames link. In addition, the company is not able to provide other allowances and benefits to the workers. They do not motivate and encourage the performance and efficiency of the workers. Apart from this, the environment of the company is not good and effective. The firm is not able to provide training and development sessions to the employees at the workplace. All these issues are faced by the company in Govia Thames link (Thite, Wilkinson and Shah, 2012).
Now the company needs to manage and control all these issues to increase and maximize the profit and revenue of the company. The company must improve the sustainable human resource management. They should increase the salary and basic pay of the railway drivers and other workers. Along with this, Govia Thames Link provides remuneration, bonus, rewards and other benefits to the potential and capable employees within the organization. The organization must focus on the working environment and culture of the company. HRM should take care of the basic facilities of the workers. Apart from, training and development sessions must be conducted by the firm to increase and improve the performance of the new workers. They should maintain proper coordination and communication with workers. If the employee is facing any problem and issue then HRM must resolve these issues and problems within the organization (Preston, Pritchard and Waterson, 2017).
HRM Planning Process
Govia Thames Link must fix the working hours of the drivers and other employees to provide satisfaction and job security to the workers. In addition, the contractors should focus on the services of the company. Regular feedback and reviews should be collected by the company to analyze and evaluate the productivity of the employees. All these issues and challenges must be reduced by the company to manage and control the people management issues of the GTR (Monsuur et al, 2017).
Human resource planning process is an important and essential function of the HRD to manage and operate the employees of the company. HRM can successfully implement a sustainable and effective human resource planning process to operate and manage its current staffing related issues and challenges. The HR planning process has been discussed below (Brown, 2013).
Objectives of the human resource planning: The human resource planning process should be matched with overall plans and programs of the GTR. It will help to fill the future vacancy of the company.
Current manpower stock: The current manpower stock should be maintained and controlled by each and every department of the GTR. It will help to reduce the shortage of the manpower within the organization (Marler and Fisher, 2013).
Supply/Demand forecasting: GTR should check and evaluate the demand and supply of the manpower within the organization. This process helps to maintain a balance between demand and supply of the manpower in the global market.
Determining net requirement: GTR must evaluate and analyze the demand and supply of the manpower before deriving at any conclusion. It is the important step of the human resource planning process within the organization (Budhwar and Debrah, 2013).
Redeployment and redundancy: In redeployment, the surplus workers in one department are transferred to another department where the shortage of employees estimated. Further, in redundancy where surplus workers cannot be redeployed.
Employment program: It is required to prepare the programs of the recruitment, selection, promotion, and transfers to attain the long-term goals and objectives of the firm (Marescaux, De Winne, and Sels, 2012).
Training and development: It is an important step of the human resource planning process to provide experience and knowledge to the railway employees. Through training and development, the employees can understand the working environment and culture of the GTR.
Evaluation of human resource planning: After implementing the planning process, HRM should evaluate and analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of the human resource planning. These are the important step of the human resource planning to manage and operate its current staffing related issues and challenges (Mandip, 2012).
Apart from this, Govia Thames Link uses various other strategies and policies to resolve the staffing issues. For example, the company can use reward and compensation system to reduce the employee turnover within the organization. In addition, the company must focus on the conflicts and disputes of the employees which are raised at the workplace. The firm should conduct an audit to review and handle the staffing and recruitment issues within the organization. Proper utilization of resources must be done by the company to increase and maximize the revenue and profit of the company. Along with this, the company should use effective staffing process to appoint the potential and capable employees in the organization. The staffing process includes the estimating manpower requirements, recruitment, selection, placement and orientation, training and development. Now it is assumed that the company must focus on the staffing process to manage and control the recruitment and staffing issues within the organization. In addition, the company must appreciate the potential and competent employees for improving the performance of the workers (Parry, 2011).
Effective and unique activities are used by the company to improve and enhance the performance and productivity of the GTR workers. It also helps to maximize the outputs and productivity of the employees. The company can use counseling activity to improve the quality and efficiency of the workers. It provides knowledge, information, and experience to the railway employees for increasing the revenue and profit of the company. Counseling helps to improve the skills and competencies of the workers. The firm should appoint a counselor to provide counseling session to the workers. It can create a culture of greater synergy in GTR learning and development. It helps to increase the self-awareness of the employees. Counseling also helps to improve the self-esteem of the railway drivers and other workers in GTR. It helps to develop and improve a favorable outlook and healthier lifestyle in the organization (Gilbert, De Winne, and Sels, 2011).
It also improves and enhances the behavioral tendencies of the railway workers within the organization. It reduces mental stress, frustration and personal issues of the workers related to the work. It also helps to reduce and prevent the absenteeism within the organization. It determines the personal growth and success of the employees. Counseling develops and increases the level of confidence of the employees. It also helps to explore and expand thoughts, ideas, and knowledge of the workers. It helps to maintain collaboration and cooperation between employer and employee. It helps to attain the long-term goals and objectives of the company. Counselor motivates and inspires to the employees to do work with more effectively and efficiently within the organization. The employees share their problems and issues with a counselor to get good output within the organization. It also helps to develop and build team spirit within the organization. Along with this, the company uses effective and unique counseling techniques and strategies to improve and enhance the performance and efficiency of the workers (Jiang et al, 2012).
Apart from this, the company can use performance appraisal system to attract and retain more railway employees within the organization. The company should provide compensation and other allowances to the workers to increase the level of satisfaction of the workers in the organization. HRM is the backbone of each and every company to run the business activities and operations smoothly. Furthermore, the company should use the recruitment and development strategies to recruit the competent and capable employees in the GTR. In addition, the company must focus on the grievances and conflicts of the employees to carry the business activities efficiently and effectively (Allegretto, Dube and Reich, 2011). Apart from this, Govia Thames Link must focus on the reward system to encourage workers for doing work successfully. In this way, the company can meet its long-term goals and objectives within the organization. It will also help to prevent the strike of the workers in GTR. Apart from this, the company must fulfill the needs and requirements of the railway employees to enhance the efficiency and productivity. Along with this, the company should implement some other strategies and plans to increase the productivity and performance of the railway drivers. The appropriate working hours should be fixed by the company to make happy to the employees in the organization (Gruman and Saks, 2011).
A) Pay and wages:There are various rules, legislation have been made by the government to provide satisfaction to the employees within the organization. The payment of wages act 1936 has been made by the government. Along with this, minimum wages act 1948 has been made by central government and provincial government (Bhorat, Kanbur, and Stanwix, 2014). The minimum wages and pay include basis rate of pay, wages, basic rate of wages and cost of living allowances. The minimum wages act 1948, provides minimum wages and pay in certain employment. The company should provide minimum wages to skilled and unskilled workers. This act is statuary not legally binding by the companies. Further, payment of wages rules, 1937 has been made by the government to provide appropriate wages to the workers. Apart from this, payment of bonus act 1965, has been implemented by the government to provide a minimum bonus to the workers. Further, GTR has made rules for the overtime, vacation pay and statutory holidays (Patro, 2016). Proper records must be maintained by the company within the organization. In addition, the company also uses leadership styles to influence and control on the supervisors in the organization. According to minimum wages act 1948, the employer is liable to pay basic salary and wages to the employees on regular basis in a month. The minimum wage and basic pay is determined and fixed on the daily, hourly and monthly basis. Along with this, employee’s rights act 1996 has been made by the government to protect the rights of the employees. In addition, the company should make some other rules, strategies, and policies within the organization (Acharya, Baghai, and Subramanian, 2013).
B) Contracted working times: There are various rules and regulations have been made by the government. The factories act 1948, has been implemented by the government to determine the working hours of the employees within the organization. According to this act, every adult who has completed 18 years of age they cannot work for more than 48 hours in a week and 9 hours in a day. The employees cannot exceed more than 10 hours in a day within the organization. If an employee is working extra hours then the company provides extra incentives and bonus to the workers (Singh et al, 2012). Further, health and safety act also has been made by the government. The working time legislation act came into in existence on the 1stOctober 1998. This act applies all full-time, part-time and casual employees and agencies within the organization. According to working time regulation act, the average working hours is 48 hours per week in which employees may be essential to work. The night workers cannot do work more than 8 hours in a day. Along with this, free assessment should be provided by the company to the night workers. In addition, meal break should provide to the workers in GTR. Along with this, 5.6 weeks paid leave per year should provide to the employees. The company must provide sick leave and annual leave to the employees. Further, the firm should provide favorable working environment and culture to the employees. The female workers cannot do work beyond 6 am to 7 pm within the organization. Along with this, children cannot do work who is below the age of 14 years. It is restricted by the government in every organization. Furthermore, the company should not abuse the children’s and female workers at the workplace. These rules and legislation have been made by the government (Heyes, 2011).
Now it is recommended that GTR should focus on the human resource management strategies, plans and policies to resolve the key management issues within the organization. It must focus on the human resource planning process and working time of the railway workers within the organization to improve the performance of the employees. Along with this, GTR must focus on the grievances and conflicts of the railway employees to do work effectively and efficiently.
On the above discussion, it has been concluded that the case study explains the key issues and problems of the Govia Thames link. Thus, the company develops and builds sustainable human resource management to resolve and overcome these issues within the organization. It uses effective tools, techniques, and methods to reduce these key management issues in GTR.
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