Flexible Working in the Context of Diversity and Inclusion: HR's Role in Promoting and Addressing Inequality

This report discusses the benefits and challenges of flexible working in promoting diversity and inclusion, and how HR can address issues of inequality. It includes a case study of ZARA and strategies for creating a diverse workplace. The report also addresses the role of HR in making the workplace more flexible and eliminating gender imbalance.

People Assessment 1
Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................2
A case in favor of flexible working in the context of diversity and inclusion. Also, explain how HR
plays the role in promoting diversity and inclusion............................................................................2
A case against flexible working in context to inequality while assessing the HR role in addressing
the issues of inequality that might increase from flexible working....................................................4
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
People or workers of any organization are referred to as the company's human assets. In order to
achieve overall company objectives, the said persons must be managed, organized, coordinated,
and controlled in an effective manner in the organization. The Human Resource department is in
charge of managing such employees. In the workplace, the HR manager is responsible for the
activities such as hiring, selecting, encouraging, rewarding, and much more. They have a direct
link to employees and workers(Ferreira Gregorio, Pié and Terceño, 2018). Zara SA is the
business that is being considered which is abbreviated as ZARA. This is one of the most well-
known Spanish retail chains for its clothing. The company's headquarters are in Arteixo, Spain. It
is well-known for rapid fashion, with things like accessories, apparel, shoes, cosmetics,
swimsuits, and perfumes. This organization coordinates around twenty clothes collections per
year by 2020. Covid-19 has totally transformed working methods and patterns, encouraging
people to work from home or remotely. Because of the epidemic, businesses must adopt flexible
working strategies to ensure that regular operations are not disrupted. In the subsequent report, a
case is made for flexible working in the context of organizational inclusion and diversity. In
addition, HR's role in encouraging diversity and inclusion is examined. Later, an argument is
made regarding workplace flexibility in the context of inequality. Other than this the report also
addresses the role of the human resource department with respect to the various concerns
regarding the inequality in the flexible workings.
MAIN BODY
A case in favor of flexible working in the context of diversity and inclusion. Also, explain
how HR plays the role in promoting diversity and inclusion.
The measures related to flexible working are also addressed as the flextime as they indicate the
work schedule as well as the required environment which does not comprise the general control
of the traditional work. This type of arrangement takes into account an individual's personal
needs and allows them to better align their working hours along with their personal obligations.
Flexible working arrangements are becoming more common day by day, especially as many
employers now value a healthy work-life balance in the same way they do a decent wage
package. Employers are also becoming more aware of the advantages (Brondoni, 2018).
Employees at ZARA, for example, are asking for flextime in order to strike the correct work-life
balance. Moreover, technological advancements have made diverse job approaches more
practical. HR managers in the organization aim to understand this need for flexibility because it
not only helps to secure better personnel but also aids in obtaining a number of performance-

related benefits. In the instance of ZARA, the company has a variety of flexible work options to
choose from. The following are a few of them-
 Telecommuting - This is a type of work that is done remotely only part of the time.
Employees can work part-time or full-time as a result of this arrangement. Employees in
these setups usually reside in the same area. Employees have the option of working two
or three days per week.
 Remote working - This type of work is done entirely outside of the workplace. It could
be a part-time or full-time job. Because these arrangements do not require workers to
attend an office, they can live anywhere in the world. This is an excellent alternative for
companies looking to expand their talented workforce and for job titles that do not
require in-person work(Rădulescu, Dobrea and Burlacu, 2018).
 Part-time positions - Providing part-time work helps businesses increase their
production. However, if a worker wants to be particular in order to keep attracting the
best candidates, they may want to think about providing the same advantages. Workers
leave or do not pursue a job for a variety of reasons, including benefits and bonuses.
 Job sharing - This is a type of part-time employment arrangement in which two or more
part-time individuals share a full-time position. It isn't the most universally flexible work
arrangement, but it may be the best fit for some positions and businesses.
 Compressed workweeks - This type of workweek is known as a compressed workweek.
This is a system in which full-time work hours are maintained, but they are broken up
into fewer days than usual. For example, a four-day workweek is preferable to a five-day
workweek.
Diversity and inclusion are much more than numbers, programs, and regulations. Equitable
employers outperform their competitors by valuing their employees' diverse viewpoints,
needs, as well as potential. As a result, workers trust and commit to organizations that are
inclusive and varied. Organizations that value diversity and inclusion make everyone feel
equally involved in and aided in all divisions of the organization, regardless of who they are
or what work they do for the company(Zuhdi, et.al., 2019). In the case of ZARA, the HR
manager is crucial in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. The following are
some strategies HR managers can use to create a diverse workplace –
• Emphasize diversity on the website's career page - HR managers should make sure that
the company's diversity statement and existing initiatives are prominently displayed on the
website's career page, as well as referencing it in all job descriptions.
• Provide a variety of internships - Mentorship programs help to ensure that every
employee has the opportunity to advance while developing stronger relationships with their
business. In the case of ZARA, establishing an inclusive mentorship program can help to
foster workplace diversity.
• Reward - Ask workers or employees to refer job candidates they identify from under-
represented teams in the company and reward them with bonuses, privileges, or other
benefits for bringing in diverse talent.

Organizations can use diversity to start spotting new trends. They are able to do so because their
personnel is representative of their clients. It helps to reduce absenteeism, encourage employees,
and boost productivity by creating a welcoming environment. In the case of ZARA, the
company's primary function is in leadership and management, which helps to create and promote
a varied culture(Marom and Lussier, 2018).
Workplace benefits of diversity comprise -
• Diverse workplaces solve problems faster - Companies with a more diverse workforce are
more likely to be creative and imaginative in solving challenges, and they do so more quickly. It
has been noticed that teams with more cognitive variety in their reasoning methods are better
equipped to solve problems than groups of people who think alike.
• Diverse teams are more productive and effective at work - Because various people have
varied thinking and cognitive styles, working together can help the company in more effective.
Diverse people's cognition and knowledge can provide a variety of inventive solutions, and they
can encourage one another to be more productive and perform better at work.
A case against flexible working in context to inequality while assessing the HR role in
addressing the issues of inequality that might increase from flexible working.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, most firms are gradually investing in the expansion and
evolution of flexible work arrangements to align with employees' desires and requirements for
achieving a decent balance between work and personal responsibilities. However, research has
shown that only a small percentage of workers have access to flexible work schedules or are
having experience in using the actual benefits. Skills are a sensitive element that indicates such
differences in addition to key demographic characteristics such as age or
gender(Ahmadjonovich, 2021). The majority of large companies in the domestic and
international marketplace, such as ZARA, focus on encouraging workplace equality. It assists
companies in increasing employee engagement and workplace development. It causes businesses
to place a greater emphasis on gaining key competitive advantages. It is one of the HR
department's ethical responsibilities to follow and implement all regulations and legislation
relating to employee equality. It aids in the acquisition of competitive advantages. In the
situation of inequality, flexible working will create significant concerns and obstacles for the
organization. To get the best results, the organization must be able to meet the current needs and
demands of its personnel. ZARA should offer flexible working arrangements that take into
account employee equality. Employees may request flexible working hours for a variety of
reasons, but employers may refuse because of the resulting disparity. Some of the concerns
raised by ZARA are listed below –
• Indirect discrimination - If a working mother requests flexible working hours from her
employer, but the employer declines the request, stating that it is not the company's policy or
practice to accept everyone's request. This may create concerns about inequity in the workplace.
Discrimination between men and women is also against the law.

• Flexible working hours as a reasonable accommodation - An employee may request or be
concerned about flexible working hours owing to a disability. For example, an employee may
find it difficult to go to work during peak hours, thus he or she may want to start and leave work
outside of peak hours(Foster, O’Reilly and Dávila, 2020).
• Discrimination against careers - Careers for handicapped people or children, as well as
careers who are unable to care for themselves, may raise concerns about disability inequality.
Concerns based on age discrimination may be applicable in particular circumstances. In such
circumstances, where employees have protected characteristics, employers are less likely to
approve the request. This is a different form of discrimination.
Role of Human Resource manager in making the workplace more flexible –
Organizational performance suffers as a result of gender inequality. In order to meet the
organization's goals and objectives in a timely and efficient manner, it must adopt an agile
structure. It is a complicated phenomenon, and management must consider a variety of factors
and foster diversity in the workplace to ensure that all employees have equal opportunities. In the
case of ZARA, the company provides employee evaluations, but not everyone benefits from their
employment there. The brand's overall performance has suffered as a result of this. There are a
number of employees who break workplace rules. They tend to receive promotions that they did
not deserve, causing divisions in the workplace. The majority of the employees do not perform to
their full ability, and as a result of which the company fails in meeting its market goals. The
brand has suffered some major consequences as a result of this situation.
The following are some tactics that human resource management could use to eliminate gender
imbalance in the workplace and make the atmosphere more flexible –
• A human resource manager may motivate many employees to work productively. They can
give women equal opportunity and make them feel at ease in the workplace(Campra, Paolo and
Brescia, 2021). The company must create a flexible working environment that allows employees
to be more productive. The business would be able to attain its aims and objectives in a
systematic manner. To increase overall performance, ZARA must concentrate on this issue.
• They might inquire about any troubles that the female employees are having and assist them in
resolving various difficult situations. The human resource manager must collaborate with the
staff and assist them in becoming more productive. ZARA can assist employees in working to
their full potential by employing this positive approach.
• During the interviews, the human resource manager can bring up the subject of gender equality.
They can help the organization project a positive image and assist individuals in demonstrating
positive job standards.
• Employees can be assisted and educated by human resource managers in order to promote a
healthy working environment. It raises the organization's value in the eyes of various employees.
The HR manager's major work responsibility is to make numerous improvements. They had to,
for example, assess staff performance. If an employee is underperforming, they can assist them
in resolving the issues that they are encountering at work(Grab, Olaru and Gavril, 2019).

• A human resource manager can inspire employees to work in a good and healthy environment.
In order to address the issue of gender disparity, they must adhere to all codes of behavior and
ethics norms. ZARA must be able to effectively measure performance. In order to make the
workplace more nimble and structured, they must effectively handle the challenges of varied
employees.
CONCLUSION
From the following report, it can be very well summarized that the employees are crucial for any
business corporation, and analyzing their needs and requirements is the primary responsibility of
the employer or HR manager. Furthermore, as the Covid-19 pandemic has altered to a great
extent the working methods of the companies and businesses hence it is required on the part of
employers that they should directly explain to their employees why they are doing and what they
are doing in the organization. One of them is a flexible working arrangement, which allows
employees to work without having to physically present themselves in the workplace. Remote
employment, job sharing, part-time work, and many other options are available. One of the most
significant barriers to flexible working in the workplace is inequality. Moreover, the employees
are discriminated against because of differences in gender, age, or race, and employers reject
requests for flexible work schedules, which is one of the concerns that the HR department must
address.
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