Surveys in Measuring Flexible Employment in the UK Essay

Surveys in Measuring Flexible Employment in the UK - Essay Example A broad definition of 'atypical' employment is that adopted by Delsen (1991), who describes it as deviating 'from full time open ended work employment: part time work, seasonal work'. In the US the most common term which largely overlaps what is referred to in Europe as flexible working patterns is 'contingent work' (Freedman, 1986). ( H Harris, C Brewster and PSparrow,2003 pg 101) Although some consultants have tried to foster the term 'complementary working', Polivk and Nardone (1989) define contingent employment as 'any arrangement that differs from full time, permanent, wage and salary employment'. Morishima and Feuille (2000) noting that contingent employment can include a variety of workers The common themes that unite the individuals in these diverse categories are that they receive few or no fringe benefits, they have little or no expectation of long-term employment with the firm on whose premises they work at any given time, and they occupy a secondary position to the regular, full-time employees in the firm's status hierarchy. They conclude that although an accurate account of the situation in the USA and Japan, within the European contest such distinctions do not hold true. The complex aspects of flexible working practices render varying effects and implications. Part time work for example will apply to any work hours short of the normal working week for each country which vary across the globe. For instance in France and Belgium, part time work is defined as four-fifths or less of the collectively agreed working time; in the Netherlands and USA as less than 35 hours per week; in the UK as less than 30 hours, with lower thrash holds in relation to social security contributions. Elsewhere, the norm is concentrated around 25-30 hours per week (Bolle, 1997 and Brewster et al, 1996). THE FLEXIBLE FIRM Source: as cited in Keizer (2007). Various scholars have had their significant contributions to the entirety of the Flexibility discipline. Nonetheless John Atkinson stands out for his 'The Flexible Firm" model. Whilst at the institute of man power studies John Atkinson and his colleagues propounded the much quoted model depicting the divisions, between 'core and peripheral' work forces. In this model the core workers are full time permanent career employees who have won security by virtue of committing to functional flexibility in the short term and long term basis. The organisational value of such is encapsulated in the terms and conditions that bind them whilst their remuneration is largely influenced by their achievements including those of t the team and the organisation. (John Stredwick & Steve Ellis, Flexible Working Practices techniques and innovations, pg 11 & 12) The first peripheral group has less job security and access to career opportunity. And their jobs are plug in ones, not skill specific to the firm. Organization looks to the market place to fill the jobs, many of which are filled by the women, and numerical flexibility is achieved by the normal wastage which is fairly high. .(John Stredwick & Steve Ellis ,Flexible Working Practices techniques and innovations, pg 11 & 12) The second peripheral is an extension of the first, with much part time working, shift working, zero hour and short term contracts which maximize flexibility. Such terms and conditi