Marks And Spencer Employee Relations

Marks And Spencer Employee Relations Marks and Spencers has been one of the largest retail markets in the UK and the employee relations that exist within the company have both positive and negative aspects. Marks and Spencers employee relations have always been influenced by the conventional system of industrial relations. The company now has 65000 employees all around the world out of which 80% of the staff works directly on the sales floor. MS is amongst the top 6 retail suppliers in the UK and have extended their operations in 29 different countries. Most of the stores are mainly franchises but it also owns a huge number of stores in Hong Kong. The profit turnover of MS is close to 7.3 billion. MS not only caters to clothing but has also widened the market by offering other products that range from furniture to food and financial services. (Marks and Spencer, 2000) Initially there were problems and issues with the employee employer relationship and hence the company had to adopt a different employee relation approach. The company adopted some changes and principles within the management such as: Change in working hours Competitive rate package Employee discounts Pension schemes Bonus and extras (Yvonne, 2010) Change in work timings: With the introduction of Sunday trading in the UK, Marks and Spencer had to create flexible shift timings in order to work on Sundays. Most of the staff work 36-38 hours per week and currently some of the staff work more than normal work schedules. (Yvonne, 2010) Competitive performance related rate packages: The salaries are frequently matched with the market to keep up with the changes in the market. Employee discounts: The staffs and employees of Marks and Spencers receive a discount of 20% on all the purchase made. Pension: Marks and Spencers provide secure retirement benefits for its employees if they have worked in the company for more than a year. The company also provides additional health and dental care for its employees. They also provide SAYE for all the employees across the world. (MS, 2007) The company is not represented by any trade union. The employee relation of MS is taken care by the Human Resource Management (HRM) and it is closely aligned to the business objectives and strategies. The trade union in the UK is the most influential association for protecting employees rights. In 2001, Marks and Spencers had announced closing down stores in Europe especially Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. The company had planned to close down some of the stores in Europe as a part of cost cutting measure which would help in saving 250 million GBP in 2006-07. The UNI commerce and the national trade Union had raised concerns and had tried to reverse the company decision as it had breached the laws. The Marks and Spencer staff members and the trade union had demanded to reverse the decision to close the stores in Europe and also to initiate and establish talks with the trade union. The trade union actions (TUC) had advocated Marks and Spencer to revisit and change some of the employment policies and practices. Currently Marks and Spencers are not under any governed trade unions. In 2005, trade union ` which mainly focuses on employee relations mainly in the retail sector had started campaigning and informing the employees and staffs of MS about the advantages that trade union can add and also serve the employees with vast knowledge. (Georgina,2006).To deal with these employee related issues, Marks and Spencer had hired a consultation company Business Involvement Group (BIG) (HRM in Marks and Spencer, nd) The stakeholders involved in the employee relations processes of the Organization: MS has always been known for having strong human resource strategies with the help of Human Resource Management (HRM).The HRM helps in laying down strong internal policies and procedures which helps in achieving business objectives of the company. The managers in MS are allowed to adopt appropriate strategies that will help in improving the companys productivity. MS HRM policies also help in contributing to commitment and loyalty of the employees. The HRM also initiated a new change in the company to help the employees and staffs change their attitude towards how they work and perform. Therefore, MS had commenced feedback sessions with its employees on the performance and the areas of improvement and these constant interactions with the staffs had helped the company in changing and developing new skills, increase competence and improve productivity. What is the orientation of the organization to industrial relations? If its not unionized, how does MS maintain communication with the employees? MS follows a sophisticated paternalistic approach which refuses to recognize any trade unions but they have strong internal HRM policies which will help in ensuring that all the employees goals and grievances are taken care of without the involvement of the trade union organization. MS also have a network of elected employee representatives known as BIG (Business Involvement Group) which aims at resolving issues that affect the employees. BIG provides an opportunity to voice their individual opinion, concerns and grievances. The employees also have a great opportunity to positively affect the organization by providing ideas which will help in improving the working conditions and the productivity of the employees. Every store across the globe has BIG representatives who are usually elected by their staff members to help the other employees resolve the issues. The national BIG aims at- Better communication between management and staff Continuous development of the employees BIG also aims at engaging the employees in discussing and debating the various changes that are required which can change the employees working condition and improve efficiency. MS also have a wide range of learning and development which helps the employees to grow with the company and also achieve their goals. (MS, Employee Handbook, 2009) How does MS handle collective grievances? MS procedure is available for all the employees to address any issues, grievances and complaints. Work well programme was also introduced in MS which help in creating and maintaining a productive and healthy environment. The grievance can be in any form such as workload pressure, employee employer relationship, roles and responsibilities, work stress, organizational environment or even personal relationship. In case, the complaint is with respect to a generic company policy, then the internal BIG will handle such issues. The employees line manager provides all the necessary information to the local BIG and the local BIG flags the issue in the common forum with the national BIG. If the issue is collective and if the complaint is common among other employees, the national BIG contacts the policy owner or the HR to revise the policy and a written response will be sent to the employees who had raised the grievance. MS believes in treating its employees with dignity and any form of discri mination or harassment will be dealt very seriously. The company has now 3500 BIG representatives covering all its stores. The company also provides workshops to the employees to help in performing the role better. (The Marks and Spencer WorkWell Programme, 2002) How does MS establish fair pay and conditions? The company is periodically audited which is part of the ethical trading initiative which helps the company, government, trade unions and human rights department. The company believes in providing good working conditions and fair rates of pay. Development of standards between the company and the employees suppliers help in achieving continual improvement for the business. The employees and staff working in MS are treated with respect and without violating the human right law. The company complies to the local governments regulations in the below areas- Working hours and working conditions Minimum age of employment provided Terms of employment Health and safety of the employees Free from discrimination Right to collective bargaining Rate of pay with par with the local labor law Regular checks in all production and sales sites are made periodically to ensure the working conditions of the employee are as per the rule (Ethical Trading ,2002) If MS is not unionized, how does it regard its relationship with the trade unions? The company has 80% of its employee workforce as women and the company now is 98% unionized in Ireland and there are 2 collective agreements with 2 different unions- MANDATE and SIPTU. The governing reasons for MS to have the company unionized are- Some of the management policies and procedures do not suit the local government as the culture of UK is not always compatible with the other countries. The conventional system did not help in the change strategy established by the business. Marks and Spencer are not affiliated with any trade union currently in the UK but many trade unions have been convincing the company to permit trade unions within its operations. The government has also been involved very closely with the operations of Marks and Spencer as it is one of the largest employers in the UK. M S has to comply with all the rules and regulations laid by the government. The company was also asked to submit a report on internal controls and risk management by the government and this had helped the company to detect some issues and obtain control. The company has also faced allegations from trade union called UNITE criticizing the employee relations implemented by the company. There have been a number of advantages for the employees owing to the partnership with the 2 trade unions in Ireland- Flexible working hours introduced for its employees to have a better work life balance. Profit sharing pension scheme has been introduced Better medical facilities available for its employees for free checkup Training and development in technical aspects, job analysis and problem solving areas which has helped employees improve their productivity and efficiency These changes have helped MS ensure a positive feedback in Ireland and as a result have also attracted number of candidates for employment. (Marks and Spencer, 2000) The problems in the companys industrial relations culture and practice? The company should allow its employees to join trade unions because the company can discharge a separate internal team BIG working on employee relations which is not very effective. MS also needs to realize that any decisions taken impact many of its own employees which can cause more fiction. The employee problems need to be addressed by a neutral governing body who are not affiliated to the company so that the employees problems are addressed and necessary actions are taken. The pension scheme established by the company has also raised concerns among employees. The company has not matched up the profits directly to the employees and the pension scheme introduced by MS was not taken well by the employees. The employee turnover is also high in Marks and Spencer as the employees are not satisfied with the working conditions, changes that take place within the organization and other factors. (MS, 2007) Recommendations: The company needs to introduce a knowledge management process which can be an advantage for the employees and the company. This helps the company to handle the jobs effectively and efficiently. The company should also allow the employees to join trade unions as the internal consultation system BIG is not effective on employee relations. BIG representatives do have the technical competence to handle issues put forward by the employees. (Brunes, 2004) MS definitely need to work on the employee relations area as the competition within the retail sector is high and the employees play a very important vital role towards contribution of a profitable company. Although the company provides a good remuneration package, refined human resource management strategies and good training development for its employees, the external factors such as constant unconstructive media reports and from the trade unions make it difficult for MS to provide good employee relations. (HRM in Marks and Spencer, n.d) To obtain a good employee relationship, it is very essential for the MS management to be involved. MS need to have the below HRM approach- Good management leadership to take necessary decisions Clear understanding of policies and procedures by the management to prevent any conflicts arising. Management should also consider the employee involvement in case of any change in process MS management should also build a good rapport with its employees by encouraging and motivating with rewards and recognition. MS should also focus on improving the interpersonal communication skills of all its organizational members. Well defined strategy and contingency plans in place to handle any unforeseen event. More employee participation in various events so that it helps in improving the responsibility and commitment. MS management to be more transparent with the policies and decisions made which will help in growth and development of the company (HRM in Marks and Spencer, n.d) CONCLUSION: MS have been very successful in implementing changes in a very effective technique. MS needs to build on its own strength and try to overcome the threats. MS needs to understand the work related issues and try to work on them. Work Well Programme has cited that one of the biggest issues in MS was the presence of good management. Literary References Brunes, B. (2004) managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics, London , Prentice Hall Ethical Trading (2002), [online], available from http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/companyprofiles/marksandspencer/ethicaltrading.php [8th May 2010] Georgina Fuller (2006), Union Udsaw Seeks recognition at Marks and Spencer, personneltoday, 20th Oct 2006 HRM in Marks and Spencer,[online] Available from http://www.ivoryresearch.com/sample13.php [8th May 2010] MS (2007) Marks and Spencer to revamp final pension Scheme, accessed, available from http://www2.marksandspencer.com/thecompany/mediacentre/pressreleases/2007/fin2007-01-23-00.shtml [8th May 2010] MS, Employee Handbook (2009),[Online] available from http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/specific/howwedobusiness/our_people/employeehandbook [8th May 2010] Marks and Spencer (2000) [online], available from http://www.ncpp.ie/dynamic/docs/markspencer_cs.pdf [8th May 2010] Stanley Chapman (2004), Socially Responsible Supply Chains: Marks and Spencer in Historic Perspective, Research paper Series: International Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, The University of Nottingham Staff Writer (2007) Marks and Spencer: Neat Pension fund arrangement , Insurance Business Review The Marks and Spencer WorkWell Programme (2002), [online] , available from http://www.resourcesystems.co.uk/Conferences/WorkWell%20Handouts.pdf [8th May 2010] UK Government (2007), Turnbull Report, available from http://www.frc.org.uk/corporate/internalcontrol.cfm [8th May 2010] Yvonne Miller (2010) An Analysis of Employee relations at Marks and Spencer, available from http://www.articleblast.com/Advertising_and_Marketing/General/An_analysis_of_employee_relations_at_Marks_and_Spencer__________________/ [8th May 2010]

Is Atticus Fitch a good Father? Essay

Fathers are important role models who raise and nurture their children with much love. A good father is a man who protects and provides for his children, who disciplines his children, and who tries to bring them up to know the difference between good and bad. Fathers should be there for their children in all times of need, to help and comfort them.1 According to Nicky Marone, the author of How To Father A Successful Daughter, there are four types of fathers. They are: The authoritarian, The softie, The protector, and The pal. The authoritarian father is usually a disciplinarian and very controlling. This person is uncompromising and whatever he says goes. The father who is a softie is greatly loved by his daughter, but is extremely easy to manipulate. He is controlled by his children and somewhat spoils them by letting them do whatever they wish and getting them whatever they want. This type of father does not know how to say, No. The father who is a protector tries to keep his children safe from all harm. But by holding them back, this type of father does not allow his children to reach their full potential. The last type of father is The pal. This type of father tries to establish a friendship between him and his children. By being more of a pal than a father, this person shows his children that they are equal and valuable individuals. This type of father is the closest to being right on track.2____________________1 Abby, Scott. What Makes a Man a Good Father? [Internet] June 19, 2005. December 1, 2006 2 Nicky Marone, How To Father a Successful Daughter. (New York: Ballantine Books, 1982), 22 – 24. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is portrayed as an excellent father because he acts as an educator, treats people equally and allows hischildren to develop their own personalities by giving them more freedom. Atticus is considered to be a pal parent, who shows his children lots of love. Besides being a lawyer, Atticus also acts as and educator to Jem and Scout. One of the ways he educates them, is by passing on the lessons that he has learned in his life. But Atticus does not just pass on these lessons; he puts them into terms that Jem and Scout can understand. An example of this is when Atticus teaches Scout a very important moral lesson and puts it in language that is easy for Scout to get. You never really understand a person  until you consider things from their point of view, until you climb in their shoes and walk around in them.2 This is a crucial piece of advice which influences Scouts development for the rest of the novel. Scout struggles to put Atticuss advice into practice but at the end of the novel she finally succeeds in seeing things from Boo Radleys perspective, which allows her to fulfill Atticuss advice and ensures that she will not become jaded as she looses her innocence. Another way in which Atticus educates Scout is by teaching her to read at an early age. By teaching her to read early on, Scout becomes a very good reader. In fact, she is so good that, Miss Caroline Fisher, Scouts first grade teacher, tells Scout to stop reading with Atticus because she is too________________________3 Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird. (New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1982), 30. advanced for her age. Scout becomes annoyed with Miss Caroline and tells Atticus that she doesnt want to go back to school. But Atticus urges her to go back to school and get an education because he loves her enough to see that getting an education would be important to her in the future. As you can see Atticus cares very much about his childrens futures and by educating them he shows the reader that he loves his children a lot. Atticus is a good father because he educates his children, but he is also a good father because he is committed to equality. Unlike most of the parents in the Maycombian Society, Atticus is committed to equality in all forms. All throughout the book, Atticus treats Jem and Scout as equals. He acts as if he is no better than them and by doing this, he builds a stronger relationship between him and his children, allowing them to relate on better terms. This is apparent when Atticus lets Jem and Scout call him by his first name, instead of father or dad. By doing this he demonstrates that he would like things to be equal and fair. If he let them call him father, it would imply that he is better than them, and that is not what Atticus wants. In fact it is the total opposite of what he wants. But at the same time, Atticus also realizes that he is supposed to be the father figure and tries to set an example for Jem and Scout. Before Jem looks at anyone else, he looks at me and Ive tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him. 4 Atticus is saying that Jem looks to him for advice  and sees him as a role model and Atticus takes that into account every day, with every action that______________________4 Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird. (New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1982), 273. he makes. This is because he knows that if he makes a bad mistake, Jem and Scout will be watching and they may get bad ideas and make the same mistake as well. So Atticus tries to live his life and treat people as fairly and as equally as possible. Furthermore, Atticus is also committed to racial equality. A few ways in which he demonstrates this is when he lets his children go to Calpurnias church and he also lets Calpurnia (a black woman) raise his children. By doing this, Atticus is sending the reader a message that he believes in racial equality and that he doesnt judge people just by their skin colour or  ¬Ã‚ ¬culture. He also defends Tom Robinson (a black male) and his rights while trying to getthe court to give him a fair trial. By doing this Atticus shows that he is not prejudice and treats every person, no matter what color, race, or culture they are, as his own. As you can see, Atticus treats everybody in Maycomb County equally and by doing this, sets a good example for his children. Along with educating his children and treating people equally, Atticus is also a good father because he gives his children freedom. Every parent tries to maintain a certain degree of control over their children, they just vary in the degree of control.5 Atticus gives his children plenty of freedom. By doing this, he demonstrates that he loves them a lot because he is allowing them to develop their own personalities and choose their own path in life. One of the ways Atticus gives__________________________ ¬5 Nicky Marone, How To Father a Successful Daughter. (New York: Ballantine Books, 1982), 218. them freedom, is by letting them pick their own friends. Atticus does not limit them to only playing with white people or with people that have a good family background, he gives them the freedom to establish their own relationships with whoever they want. Inaddition to letting them pick their own friends, Atticus gives Scout the freedom to dress how she wants. He does not tell her to dress more lady like, even with the pressures from Aunt  Alexandra and the rest of Maycomb. By giving them freedom, Atticus recognizes that they will make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from those mistakes and use them to help you to develop into a mature adult. Atticus gives his children the ability to live how they want and make their own decisions. He shows a lot of compassion for his children by giving them freedom, which in turn will make them into mature adults.  ¬Atticus is a normal person with a unique parenting style. He does not abide by the basic principle of the Maycombian lifestyle in which other parents use while raising their children. He believes that children should make their own decisions and develop their own personalities. He gives them freedom because he trusts them enough to do so, but as soon as they take advantage of that freedom, he is quick to set them back on track. In conclusion, Atticuss parenting methods and ways of showing affection, have positively affected his childrens personalities. Works Cited 1. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York : Warner Books, Inc., 19822. Marone, Nick. How To Father a Successful Daughter. New York: Ballantine Books,1982. 3. Scott, Abby. What Makes a Man a Good Father? June 19, 2005. December 1, 2006

Progressivism Between The Ideals Of Social Justice And The...

1. Discuss the tensions within progressivism between the ideals of social justice and the urge for social control. What concrete achievements are associated with each wing of the movement? What were the driving forces behind them? Progressives not only focused on improving quality of life for its citizens, but also on controlling certain aspects of the legal system. For instance, educated middle class women fought for better recognitions of women’s achievement, and they focused on improving health, education, ending child labor, and fixing working conditions. Florence Kelly, who pushed for an 8-hour workday for women and restricted child labor for children less than 14 years of age, made progress in Illinois. Other institutions, like the Hull House Settlement and Henry Street Settlement, were established to help the less fortune move up and improve conditions. On the contrary, Progressives focused on social control as well. They believed in regulating immigration with a tighte r national security and supported more business like methods. Despite the fact that Progressivism occurred across all classes, regions, and races, it was united by several themes. Some of the unifying sources were the anger created by urban growth and capitalism, hatred for social Darwinism, and the idea that everyone should cooperate in order to generate improvements and movements. 2. Describe the different manifestations of progressivism at the local, state, and national levels. To what extent did

When and How Many Times Should You Take the ACT

When should you take the ACT exam for college admissions? Typically, college applicants attempting to get into selective colleges and universities take the exam twice: once in junior year, and again early in senior year. The following article discusses the best strategies for different situations. Key Takeaways: When to Take the ACT A good plan is to take the ACT twice: once in the spring of junior year and, if needed, again in the fall of senior year.Unless you are applying to a special high school program that requires ACT scores, it is rarely worthwhile to take the exam in freshman or sophomore year.If you want to raise your score, you should only retake the ACT after doing additional exam preparation. When Should You Take the ACT? As of 2018, the ACT is offered seven  times in a year (see the  ACT dates): September, October, December, February, April, June, and July. In general, students applying to competitive colleges should plan to take the ACT once in the spring of junior year and once in the fall of senior year. For example, you might take the exam in June of your junior year. If your scores arent ideal, you have the summer to beef up your test-taking skills and repeat the exam again in September or October of the fall. However, the best time to take the ACT depends on a variety of factors: the schools to which youre applying, your application deadlines, your cash flow, and your personality. If youre a senior applying early action or early decision, youll want the September exam. Scores from exams later in the fall may not reach colleges in time. If youre applying for regular admission, you still dont want to put off the exam for too long—pushing the exam too close to the application deadline leaves you no room to try again should you fall ill on exam day or have some other problem. Should You Take the Exam Twice? To know if your scores are high enough so that you dont need to take the exam again, see how your ACT composite score measures up to matriculated students at your top choice colleges. These articles can help you figure out where you stand: Ivy League Schools: ACT Score Comparison TableTop Private Universities: ACT Score Comparison TableTop Public Universities: ACT Score Comparison TableTop Liberal Arts Colleges: ACT Score Comparison Table If your ACT scores are at the upper end of the typical range for your favorite colleges, theres not much to be gained by taking the exam a second time. If your composite score is near or below the 25th percentile number, youd be wise to take some practice tests, improve your ACT skills, and retake the exam. Note that students who retake the exam without doing further preparation rarely improve their scores significantly. If youre a junior you have several options. One is simply to wait until senior year—theres no requirement to take the exam junior year, and taking the exam more than once doesnt always have a measurable benefit. If youre applying to one of the countrys top universities or top colleges, it probably is a good idea to take the exam in the spring of junior year. Doing so allows you to get your scores, compare them to the score ranges in the college profiles, and see if taking the exam again in senior year makes sense. By testing junior year, you have the opportunity, if needed, to use the summer to take practice exams, work through an ACT preparation book or take an ACT prep course. Is It a Bad Idea to Take the Exam More than Twice? Many applicants wonder if it looks bad to colleges if they take the exam more than twice. The answer, as with many issues, is it depends. When an applicant takes the ACT five times and the scores simply move up and down slightly without any measurable improvement, colleges will get the impression that the applicant is hoping to luck into a higher score and is not working hard to improve the score. A situation like this can send a negative signal to a college. However, a college typically doesnt really care much if you choose to take the exam more than twice. Some applicants have a good reason for doing so, such as a selective summer program after sophomore year that uses the ACT or SAT as part of the application process. Also, most colleges want applicants to have the highest scores possible—when admitted students have strong ACT (or SAT) scores, the college looks more selective, a factor that often plays into national rankings. The fees for the ACT exam can be significant, and the exam does take up a lot of weekend time, so be sure to plan your ACT strategy accordingly. In general, you may come off with more money in your pocket and higher scores if you take several full-length practice tests, evaluate your performance carefully, and then take the ACT just once or twice, rather than taking the ACT three or four times hoping the Fates improve your score. With all the pressure and hype surrounding admission to highly selective colleges, some students are taking a trial run at the ACT sophomore or even freshman year. Youd do better putting your effort into taking challenging classes and earning good grades in school. If youre desperate to know early how you might perform on the ACT, grab a copy of an ACT study guide and take a practice exam under test-like conditions.