, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
QUESTION 1
1. Although normal production activities at Desmond Drapery & Textiles begin at 08:30,
employees are required to report for duty at 07:00 to complete production preparations. Some
employees are finding the early starting time difficult because of their family responsibilities.
Advise Thandi on how the organisation could accommodate employees with family
responsibilities. In your answer, discuss the advantages of alternative job-design arrangements
that could be considered.
Advice to Thandi on Accommodating Employees with Family Responsibilities
To address the difficulties employees face with the early starting time, you should consider
implementing more flexible job-design arrangements. This approach can help balance operational
needs with employee well-being, which is crucial for retention and productivity. Several alternatives
could be considered:
1. Implement Alternative Work Schedules (Flexitime)
The most direct solution to the early start time issue is to introduce a form of flexitime. In this
system, the organisation would establish a "core time" during which all production employees must
be present to ensure workflow continuity. Employees would then have the flexibility to choose their
starting and stopping times around this core period (HRM2601, Study Guide. Page 168). For
example, production preparations could be divided into tasks that can be performed flexibly,
allowing employees to choose between starting early and leaving earlier, or starting later and staying
later to complete necessary preparations.
2. Consider a Compressed Workweek
Though the scenario states the factory operates Monday to Friday, you could also consider a
compressed workweek where employees work their total required hours over fewer days (HRM2601,
Study Guide. Page 169). For instance, employees could work four longer days instead of five, giving
them an extra full day off to manage family commitments. This schedule has been found to be a
highly effective tool for improving work-life balance and employee satisfaction.
3. Offer Job Sharing
Another alternative is job sharing, where two or more employees share the responsibilities of one
full-time position (HRM2601, Study Guide. Page 169). This could be particularly helpful for
employees who need to start later or finish earlier due to family responsibilities. The employees
could coordinate their schedules to ensure that all production preparation tasks are completed before
the 08:30 start time.
4. Consider Telecommuting for Suitable Roles
While the production floor requires physical presence, some roles such as administrative or customer
service positions within the business could potentially be performed from home (HRM2601, Study
Guide. Page 169). Telecommuting allows employees to work from home or other locations, reducing
commuting time and providing greater flexibility to manage family responsibilities.
QUESTION 1
1. Although normal production activities at Desmond Drapery & Textiles begin at 08:30,
employees are required to report for duty at 07:00 to complete production preparations. Some
employees are finding the early starting time difficult because of their family responsibilities.
Advise Thandi on how the organisation could accommodate employees with family
responsibilities. In your answer, discuss the advantages of alternative job-design arrangements
that could be considered.
Advice to Thandi on Accommodating Employees with Family Responsibilities
To address the difficulties employees face with the early starting time, you should consider
implementing more flexible job-design arrangements. This approach can help balance operational
needs with employee well-being, which is crucial for retention and productivity. Several alternatives
could be considered:
1. Implement Alternative Work Schedules (Flexitime)
The most direct solution to the early start time issue is to introduce a form of flexitime. In this
system, the organisation would establish a "core time" during which all production employees must
be present to ensure workflow continuity. Employees would then have the flexibility to choose their
starting and stopping times around this core period (HRM2601, Study Guide. Page 168). For
example, production preparations could be divided into tasks that can be performed flexibly,
allowing employees to choose between starting early and leaving earlier, or starting later and staying
later to complete necessary preparations.
2. Consider a Compressed Workweek
Though the scenario states the factory operates Monday to Friday, you could also consider a
compressed workweek where employees work their total required hours over fewer days (HRM2601,
Study Guide. Page 169). For instance, employees could work four longer days instead of five, giving
them an extra full day off to manage family commitments. This schedule has been found to be a
highly effective tool for improving work-life balance and employee satisfaction.
3. Offer Job Sharing
Another alternative is job sharing, where two or more employees share the responsibilities of one
full-time position (HRM2601, Study Guide. Page 169). This could be particularly helpful for
employees who need to start later or finish earlier due to family responsibilities. The employees
could coordinate their schedules to ensure that all production preparation tasks are completed before
the 08:30 start time.
4. Consider Telecommuting for Suitable Roles
While the production floor requires physical presence, some roles such as administrative or customer
service positions within the business could potentially be performed from home (HRM2601, Study
Guide. Page 169). Telecommuting allows employees to work from home or other locations, reducing
commuting time and providing greater flexibility to manage family responsibilities.
