Overview
Students are required to submit a case study of 1,000 words in length. The assessment is due on 21 August 2017
This assessment is aimed at assisting students achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Accurately use the language of reward and performance management in verbal and written argument.
- Critically assess reward and performance management principles and practices in terms of the competing interests of employers and employer associations, employees and trade unions, and governments and tribunals.
Details
Models of reward and the labour market differ, in particular approaches adopted toward regulatory intervention in the setting of wages and other terms and conditions of employment. The interests of key stakeholders in the employment relationship also differ.
Two concepts are crucial to understanding these differing approaches and interests. The impact of supply and demand in the labour market and the need to achieve social equity.
This assessment focuses on the application of the two concepts to the case study
Case Study
You are the Human Resource Manager, New South Wales (Australia), for Premier Health Care (PHC). PHC operates a number of private hospitals and other health care facilities within Australia and overseas. As HRM, NSW, you are responsible for the recruitment and selection of all employees at the 18 private hospitals run by PHC in NSW. The hospitals are located in Sydney, Newcastle and major regional centres throughout NSW.
All of the hospitals have obstetric facilities, including maternity and neo-natal wards. There is a skills shortage in regional areas throughout Australia for appropriately qualified midwives making it difficult to adequately staff obstetric services.
All of the hospitals have their own in-house catering facilities. The bulk of employees who work in the catering facilities are employed on a part-time ongoing basis and are not required to have any formal qualifications to carry out their work. There is no shortage of candidates for these positions.
You are also responsible for contractual arrangements with a labour hire firm, Flexible Remedies (FR), for the provision of grounds and landscaping services for all of the hospitals. The significant majority of FR’s employees are employed on a casual basis and hold few, if any, formal qualifications. In addition to FR’s contractual arrangements to provide grounds and landscaping services to AHC, PR also provides contract labour for other horticultural purposes, including fruit picking.
Question 1
As Human Resources Manager, NSW, PHC, explain the implications of the level of supply and demand in the labour market in the recruitment and retention of:
- Midwives, both in metropolitan and regional areas; and
- The part-time catering employees referred to above.
