Paper Example on Employment Relationship

Internal and External Factors That Impact on the Employment Relationship

Internal and external factors refer to situations or conditions which have the ability to affect an employee's behavior and motivation; either positively or negatively. Internal factors are those factors that the company can directly control such as work policies, workflow and company culture while external factors are those factors outside the jurisdiction of the company. The company is not in control of these factors. Examples are the economy, industry remuneration rate and employee social life.

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One internal factor that affects employment relationship is compensation. This is the most important of all factors that greatly contribute to the well-being of an employee. It is very obvious that it's a big contributing factor to the happiness and satisfaction of an employee. An employee will settle in at work and feel appreciated if they feel that they are paid enough for the work they do. On the contrary, the same employee would be very unsettled and unhappy if they feel that they are underpaid or overworked. This would make them seek other employment opportunities or do their work half-heartedly (Taylor, 2014).

Career advancement is the second internal factor. Employees will feel at ease working for a company that allows them to advance their careers. This could be in the form of furthering their studies or opportunities for promotion in the workplace. This is important to some people. A company with kind of arrangement will have highly motivated employees who will always be proficient at their work. It will also attract other highly skilled individuals from other companies because this arrangement aligns with their career goals and plans. This would lead to improved company performance and better achievement of company goals and targets. In contrast, a company which doesn't consider employees career aspirations stands to lose. This is because employees will opt for other companies which support their career growth plans or work without motivation. This will lower the production output of the company.

Thirdly is the company culture. Employee relationship is enhanced when the company culture is one that discourages habits and practices that stifle cooperation amongst the employees (Taylor, 2014). For example, when the company culture is centered on core values such as collaboration, integrity and innovation, the employees are greatly motivated to work together in the spirit of teamwork so as to achieve the company goal. This brings about a thriving relationship amongst the employees and they are bound to be happy and satisfied. Also, innovation allows the employees to voice their opinion because they know that their contribution is welcome and appreciated. These are practices that mean well for both the company and the people.

Lastly is employee engagement. An engaged employee is a happy employee and great asset to any company. These employees commit themselves wholly to the tasks given unto them. They have a great drive for success because their career goals align with those of the company. Employees tend to feel more engaged or connected to the company when they are constantly given feedback about their contribution at the workplace when they are informed of the company expectations of them when they are informed of the performance of the company and also when they are given opportunities to flourish. Consideration of employee opinions and participation in problem-solving greatly engages employees and enhances their relationship. These employees enjoy what they do and are greatly motivated as a result.

Next is the external factors that impact employment relationship. The first is industry remuneration rate. Chances are high that there will be a high level of discontent in the event that the company remuneration rate is lower than the industry rate (Bednall, 2013). There will be great dissatisfaction among employees and loss of motivation. The work output will be very poor and overall company performance will drop. However, when the company remuneration rate is on par with the industry one, employees' relationship will be great and motivation will be high. In the event that the company remuneration is higher than the industry rate, this will attract other high-skilled employees from other companies. This will greatly boost the performance of the company and the happiness index of the employees because they will benefit from the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

Second is economic times. Hard economic times are beyond a company's control. However, it greatly and negatively affects employee motivation and concentration in the workplace. When an employee is worried about house rent, medical bills, school fees or even food, it is difficult for them to concentrate and perform well at the workplace. Their concentration is shifted and their energy level is greatly damaged. This also causes stress on them and is easily transferred to the company work. The output is low and the probability of the employee injuring themselves is high in cases where they work with heavy machines or moving parts.

Types of Employment Status

Employment status comes in different forms. An employee's employment status stipulates the rights and responsibilities they have at work as well as the responsibility of the employer. Discussed below are different types of employment status.

One is regular employment. Regular employees work for a duration of 38 hours per week. However, most of the time the working hours of an employee are agreed upon between the employee and the employer. This is then documented officially by a signature and date. Full-time employees are entitled to a number of benefits including but not limited to; sick leave, bereavement leave, yearly leave, parental leave and long service. In the event a public holiday falls on a working day, they are paid because they are entitled to pay for such a day.

Second employment status type is part-time employment. In this kind of employment, the employees are entitled to less working hours than those of full-time employees (Taylor, 2014). Their working hours are regular and they enjoy the same benefits as their full-time counterparts.

The third type of employment status is casual employment. This is an irregular type of employment because it is dependent upon the flow of business. If the business demand is high then casual employees are hired. Once the business goes down they are stopped. This type of employment is uncertain and does not guarantee these casuals constant employment. They are not entitled to sick or annual leave pay, they are not required to give a notice of termination of their services and they are not obligated to take up job offers.

Reasons Why It Is Important to Determine an Individual’s Employment Status

It is important for the employer to determine an employee's employment status. This allows for the determination of legal rights and obligations. It is clear to the employer what is expected of them and also the benefits they stand to gain. It is also important to know because it helps determine liability for an injury that occurs in the workplace (Gold, 2017). It is easy to determine whether it's the employer who should compensate for the injury or the employee themselves. Thirdly, it assists the employer in determining and fulfilling their tax obligation. Lastly, it helps in determining the liability insurance of the employer.

Importance of Work Life Balance Within the Employment Relationship and How It Can Be Influenced by Legislation

Work-life balance is being able to meet the goals and targets of a workplace while managing to create time for oneself, family, friends and hobbies. Work-life balance at the workplace is critical. This is because it has the ability to enhance the well-being of the employee and improving company performance or the opposite. The opposite is degrading the life of the employee and poor performance of the company. Employees respond well to a flexible working environment that affords them time to further their studies, be with their families and friends, enough relaxing time, time for personal hobbies and also opportunities to explore new interests.

Therefore, it is important that the employer supports the employees in establishing a wholesome balance between work and personal life. A good balance between personal life and work goes a long way in increasing employees' productivity, improving company performance, reducing employees stress levels, increasing the concentration span of employees and smooth operation of the company. UK employment laws demand that employers provide guidelines that define holiday time, working hours and rest periods. The current UK employment laws (GOV.UK, 2017) state that the employees' maximum working hours on a weekly basis is 48 hours. However, this law exempts those working in companies that have a 24-hours working system, the army and the security companies. This is preceded by writing in the formal work contract so that employees are not exploited or forced to work outside the laws that protect them. Minors below the age of 18 are not supposed to work for more than 40 hours in a week. In addition, employees on a full-time employment basis are entitled to a yearly leave of 5.6 weeks, translating to 28 days. This is for those employees who work for 5 days a week (GOV.UK, 2017). However, the part-time employee's consideration is dependent on the number of days worked per week. Employees working at night are categorized according to the time worked between 11 pm and 5 am. Employees who work for 3 hours between 11 pm and 5 am are classified as night workers. Night workers should not exceed the 8-hour limit in a day. In the event this limit is violated, they are supposed to be paid overtime. In contrast, employees in the night shift should work a minimum of 3 hours between 11 pm and 6 am in the morning and a maximum of 7 hours. Employees below the age of 18 years are exempted from working for a night shift, defined as working from 11 pm to 6 am, with the exception of hotels and hospitals.

All employees irrespective of their employment status are entitled to resting time, defined as breaks, daily or weekly breaks. They are also entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minutes break during the tea or lunch break. Employees are further entitled to uninterrupted daily rests of 11 hours while on a weekly basis it is 24 hours of interrupted rest (GOV.UK, 2017). This is meant to prevent fatigue and psychological breakdown.

Legal Support That May Be Given to Employees as a Family Member

An employee is entitled to maternity rights, paternity rights, adoption rights and time off for dependents. The UK employment laws have several descriptions for maternity leave. One is mandatory leave which is a duration of 2 weeks immediately after giving birth. In this period, the employee is prohibited from working. The second one is statutory maternity leave. This is the 52 weeks that a pregnant employee is entitled to. This can be taken anytime so that means there is no qualifying period for application. However, there is a period within which an employee qualifies for the statutory maternity leave.

Lastly is shared parental responsibility. This refers to shared paternity and maternity leave. Either of the parents is entitled to this type of leave. The earliest an employee can start her maternity leave is when she is eleven weeks due. The employee is mandated with informing her employer her delivery date as well as her maternity leave dates (Gold, 2017). The employer should inform the employee of her reporting date back to work. This notice should be issued within 28 days.

The employer is expected to give the employee all the 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave unless the employee req...