Human Resource Management Report: Boots Company Overview

This report provides an analysis of the human resource management (HRM) practices at Boots, a UK-based pharmacy chain. The report examines Boots' approaches to health and safety, including training programs and compliance with regulations like The Human Medicines Regulations 2012. It also analyzes the company's strategies for managing equity and diversity in the workplace, highlighting its commitment to providing equal opportunities and a discrimination-free environment, as well as its compliance with employment legislation and initiatives like 'Dignity of Work'. The report further discusses the role of HRM in strategic management, emphasizing the importance of employee well-being, retention, and the creation of a diverse and inclusive workplace to achieve business objectives and enhance the company's reputation. The report also covers the company's Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).

MANAGING HUMAN
RESOURCES

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Identification and analysis of approaches of company towards health and safety......................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of approaches relates to managing equity and diversity in the workplace...................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
Role of both aspects in strategic human resource management..................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The most important part for an organisation is its human resource, whose contribution
helps in achieving desired goals and objectives. Therefore, it is responsibility of managers to
manage them in a better manner and provide all benefits so that they can work with full
efficiencies. In order to provide welfare to workers, HRM performs many duties for business
processes and operations including recruitment and selection, giving orientation and induction
program, training and development, employees assessment, etc. All these things directly impact
on success of organisation in a positive way. Regarding with these, managers used to divide
workload among people and giving salaries, incentives accordingly (Wehrmeyer, 2017). They
provide correct directions, vision and goals for workers to help them in their part of work. In the
present report for describing how organisations manage its manpower, Boots Macmillan has
taken. It is a pharmacy chain of UK which carries its operations over in 2500 stores. It sells
various health and beauty products including optician and hearing care services. Following study
focuses on the way this firm help its workers in developing their career as well as provide health
and safety to them.
TASK 1
Identification and analysis of approaches of company towards health and safety
Boots industry is always focusing on providing the best quality of products or services to
its customers as well as concerns on health and safety practices also. It is a In context with
pharmaceutical and beauty products, it is one of the best companies of UK that avails its
marketplace through range of goods in a wide manner. This firm has incorporated its business in
year 1965. In order to improve standard living of people, this organisation has dealt its business
with health and beauty products. For carrying out such operations in a desired manner its
management has introduced high qualified and skilled workforce having expert knowledge in the
same field ( Warner, 2014). Making such products involve many risks factors, therefore, this
firm has provided workers with essential training programs for their safety. Training programs
help people to protect themselves from danger as well as develop their knowledge in same
context also. It proves beneficial for employers to retain employees in the organisation also.
Boots Company in UK deals with products of medicines, health and beauty commodities
along with food and beverages also. It has provided a wide range of pharmaceutical products
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over its various stores in UK. It is a reputed firm which is committed to provide healthcare
products and services like Skincare, hair, luxury perfumes and lotion etc. This company has
various departments like human resource management, R&D, marketing team and more. All
these divisions have their own roles and responsibilities in providing best services to customers.
With the help of Research & Development division, this firm has manufactured exclusive
commodities like Tea Tree and Witch HAZEL, Smooth Care, Botanics and more. In order to
retail and manufacture medical products legally, UK Government has established a law named
by The Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Along with this, Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) takes all responsibilities for the investigation of harmful
chemicals in beauty and medical products.
The main objectives and goals of Boots Company are to gain customer satisfaction. For
this process its management adopts many approaches in managing and maintaining effective
relationship with consumers which would directly help in gaining customer retention and
satisfaction. For an organisation, its major task is to provide healthy and safe working
environment to all employees and employers in a proper manner. Since technological
advancement makes life of people and their work so easy but it impact on environment in a
negative manner. It creates many hazardous issues like global warming on earth which
consequently effect life of living beings also ( Festing and Schäfer, 2014). Due to which many
diseases are spread in atmosphere like asthma, diahorrea, skin infections and more. Therefore, in
order to protect human beings from diseases spread in a region, this company has made various
health products. Apart from this, for welfare of society Boots has made huge investment in CSR
(Corporate Social Responsibilities) also. Its management always focus on minimising hazardous
issues by implementing safety equipments in workforce and trained it workforce for using such
apparatuses accordingly. For such processes they use best HRM (Human Resource Management)
practices which would help in gaining retention of employees and customers too. This would
help in enhancing reputation of this enterprise among other organisations as well ( Reiche,
Mendenhall and Oddou, 2016).
Boots Company always takes its human resource as most valued part. Therefore, in order
to provide them equality and safe working environment, this organisation has comply its
workforce with employment legislation also.It gives opportunity to all people including physical
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disable persons to acquire jobs in a company according to their skills and qualifications
(Hornstein, 2015). It also helps human resource management to use best practices and
approaches for maintaining healthy working environment of workers. Apart from this, for health
and safety of people managers of this enterprise made various policies and strategies by
discussing with top management and workers ( Riley, 2014). They implement these policies
accordingly in workforce as per requirements of individuals, vendors, stakeholders and
customers.
For achievement of business objectives in a desired manner, company’s board of
directors, executives and top managers of all departments coordinate each other in formulating
policies, visions and commitment related to security of workers. These committee members
further make policies for redefine the organisational structure by which they can get success in
reducing risk factors of productions. Since this firm has operated its business in many countries
having various stores worldwide, therefore, for providing safety to people of all stores its
managers have formed a retail safety steering committee. This committee association has taken
all responsibilities of forming strategies for keep their stores and associated persons safely.
Along with this, another governance committee of UK named by Nottingham Site helps in
developing skills of people working in such organisations so that they can identify problems at
early stages and take appropriate steps before hazardous (Sheehan, 2014). This would help in
reducing risks as well as protect other people of organisations too. With assistance of such safety
process its management has taken approaches like Development of safety culture plan also. It
helps in embedding health and safety practices into organisational culture of Boots Company.
This approach helps management in making effective communications with stakeholders and
workers in a proper manner for getting their views and opinions on implementation of health and
safety practices in institution. By taking feedback of workers, management can review strategies
about how to reduce risk and serious issues in workplace. This would helps in improving
performance of employees also through which they can contribute their efforts in making
products or services of this ( Kramar, 2014). There are numerous discounting scheme offered by
HRM to its regular clients. As Boots is one of the reputed pharmacies so its management has all
responsibilities to develop offerings which are essential for health and safety guidelines formed
by regulatory bodies. Like in today’s marketplace, obesity is considered as one of the biggest
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issues in human beings. Therefore, this organisation has focused on developing such healthy
products which is helpful in reducing their problems.
TASK 2
Analysis of approaches relates to managing equity and diversity in the workplace
Government of UK has established many rules and regulations in order to provide equality
in organisations. These laws are called employment legislations which is amendable for all
companies that lie within the territory. For Boots enterprise, diversity and equality matter a lot,
therefore, its human resource management provide equal opportunity to all persons including
disables to do job in its working environment (Sheehan, 2014). These persons should have
possessed all required skills and eligibilities in order to do job in such a reputed pharmacy. In
context with diverse culture, they always try to recruit people of different culture, ethnicities and
nationalism through which workers can know other traditions and work together. The term
diversity refers to persons having different ideas, perspectives and values as well as own way of
doing a task. Implementation of diversity in working place helps increasing high productivity
which directly impacts on reputation (Kramar, 2014). While on focusing equality, management
of Boots engages in providing discrimination free environment to workers and employers by
treating all of them equally. They provide rights to employees to speak out if any type of
discrimination occur with them. If any person at workplace misbehaves with others and tries to
harass then management of this company take serious action against them as well as punished in
a legal manner also. These processes help this pharmacy to run its business in legal manner.
Therefore, diversity and equality in an organisation helps in increasing productivity of workers
as well as enhance growth of a company in a profitable manner. Along with this, Boots Company
has given various opportunities to people with equal employment. It has equal number of male
and female staff at workplace. Such regulations are made by regulatory bodies of a country that
helps in protecting workers from unfair dismissals, unequal wages or other type of
discriminations on the basis of sex, gender, race, caste, religion or nationality etc. It includes Sex
Discrimination Act 1984, Equality Act 2010, Employment Equality Act 2006 etc. are some anti-
discrimination laws established by UK Government which prevent workers from these laws
based on 9 characteristics. It provides to workers to demand compensate if any type of such
activities happen with them.
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Boots uses various processes in order to recruit the best talented and high skilled
workforce. They use external methods generally instead of internal one to fulfil vacant position
in working organisation. Its employees are much experienced and gained knowledge of
chemicals so that they can manufacture products with full efficiencies. This would help in
acquiring superior position at marketplace. They choose candidates by taking their interviews
face to face but before that these persons have to pass an I.Q. test. After recruiting new
candidates HR managers provide inductive training for three months to them so that they can
develop their knowledge in this field and work accordingly (Tyson, 2014). Using external
method of recruitment helps management of Boots to design diverse culture at workplace so that
better products are developed as well as helps in fulfilling the expectations of consumers as well.
As evaluating the workforce of this company, it has seen that almost 80% of the workers are
females while rest one are males and all are belongs from ethnic backgrounds. This fact proves
that managers of this firm work well in providing equal chances to all people.
‘'Dignity of Work' in 2012 is a first approach used to provide equality and diversity at
workplace of all organisations. This approach makes amendable for enterprises to make policies
and practices according to guidelines given by regulatory bodies. This would helps in providing
equity and diversity at (Langford, and et. al., 2014). Therefore, Boots Company always ensure
in providing equal chances to all people. Apart from this, firm also engages in organising various
events at UK marketplace which are related to develop diversities and equality relating at
organisations. With this assistance, Boots organised an event named by Diversity and Inclusion
day, through which it aware peoples and other industries about impact of diversities on growth of
business as well as on economy of country. It has invited many authors and speakers on this
event who helps in elaborating the same between citizens. That event created such a deep impact
on the management of this organisation that they revise their strategies and policies relating to
dealing with employees in an organisation.
Training and developmental activities are also taken as approach of HRM practices
which helps organisation to develop skills and knowledge of people who belongs from diverse
culture in a particular field so that they can feel equal and familiar with new working
environment. In Boots Company, such training programs help in employee development and
makes people able to face challenges of difficult situations relates to diversity and inclusion.
From such training programs this enterprise provides E-learning training program through which
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employees can develop their learning power and made healthy and defects free products.
Training programs also help employers to generate employee relation as well as maintain the
same in effective manner workplace ( Loucks and Van Beek, 2017).
Another approach of HRM management of Boots is organise programmes with
communities which are taken as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities. Since products
of this firm deals with various chemicals, therefore, its managements tries to reduce wastages as
well as use proper equipments to destroy such wastages that cause harm to human beings and
environmental too. This process helps in increasing production and enhances reputation of this
institution also in a wide manner ( Ployhart, and et.al., 2014). as there are able to attract
consumers due to these CSR practices. Since an organisation is normally judged on the basis of
ethics and fair employment tactics, therefore, Boots always try to use ethics in business that help
in raising goodwill of this of this firm on next level. With this assistance, it introduces disabled
peoples in workplace that motivates all people and boost morale of other employees to work
hard.
For career development, management of Boots implement lifelong learning programmes
that help workers in gaining knowledge in a particular field. This would help them to develop
their skills and abilities for future use also so that they can stay in a company for long term and
enhance career also workplace (Paillé, P., and et. al., 2014). For improving standard of women, it
tries to recruit female employees as much as possible in workforce especially in research and
development department. This would help firm in searching new trends of marketplace as well as
demands of customers. These workers identifies problems related to health issues of people and
suggest production department what type of products need to develop so that they can reduce the
same as well.
TASK 3
Role of both aspects in strategic human resource management
It can be easily evaluated that human resource management is concern by most of the
organization so as to focus on the aspects of health and safety. Thus, it can be determine that
throw light on such kind of aspects is plays an important role as it helps in giving an ideal space
for performing the task in a better manner ( Loucks and Van Beek, 2017). Therefore, in context
with health and safety the department of human resource management plays a crucial role as it’s
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their responsibility in providing better environment to workers so that they can feel free in doing
their work. Other than this health and safety is also a big concern for them so they should
provide appropriate workplace. In order to sustain the loyalty of employees it is important that
department of human resource management promote a good healthy relation with workers so that
they can have an effective communication with other. Therefore, in order to make strategies
about how to implementation health and safe working environment, it needs to use PESTLE
technique (Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Legal and Economic). These factors
impact on decision making process of HRM and operations of strategies. Therefore, HR
managers of Boots conduct various activities to evaluate impact of these in order to make
effective strategies for providing healthy and safe working environment. Apart from this, policies
which they are making should be according to the rights of employees so that workers don’t feel
alienated form the company. Along with the proper training programs they should also give basic
facilities of health and safety. Therefore, firm should provide job satisfaction, positive working
environment and must be guided in a proper manner so that they can deliver the best efforts.
Workers must be provided with compensatory if they face any accident like accidental death,
major injuries, loss of any essential part of the body etc. Thus, human resource department
should make strategies after going through all the legislations which are made by the government
in order to provide benefits to workers. This will assist the organization in maintain a good
relation with employees.
In order to focus on aspects of health and safety, Boots Company assists its human
resource management to take procedures accordingly workplace ( Meyers and van Woerkom,
2014). Therefore, HRM and other departments of this company engage in making healthy
products for reducing obesities and other problems of human beings. On considering the health
and safety practices of this organisation, human resource management takes all responsibilities
managing works of employees as well as provide them benefits so that they can work with
efficiencies.
In order to sustain workers in working organisation, management introduces performance
appraisals system also. They monitor performance of each employee and provide appraisals to
them accordingly. Managers appreciate work of people by giving them financial and non-
financial awards. Incentives, extra salary and bonuses comes in financial rewards while holiday
packages, retirement plans etc. as non-financial ones. These rewards boost morale of all workers
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and employers to do work well ( Ployhart, and et.al., 2014). This would also help management to
gain retention of best talented workforce in organisation. Therefore, from these benefits shows
how Boots Company help in managing human resources and provide them healthy and safe
working environment also.
Various efforts are done by the HR department of firm in order to develop a skilled
workforce to bring creativity at workplace and complete business operations in an adequate
manner workplace ( Warner, 2014). Manager is one who remains responsible to identify the gap
between actual and standard skills of employees should maintain a skilled workforce so company
can complete complex business projects and can get competitive benefit. Various laws of
employment legislations encourage manager to provide fair compensation and benefit to all staff
members. One of the main benefits of this is that it enhances employee’s morale and encourage
them to work well. Various factors such as equality and diversity support in create and maintain
a healthy environment at workplace, ensure optimum utilisation of skills and knowledge of
workers and at the same time remove discrimination. Further all this results in development of
skills of staff members which contribute in success and growth of company. Healthy work
environment should be offer to employees and this can be achieve by maintain proper risk
management and by offer proper training to workers (Carley and Christie, 2017). All this
remove chances of accidents at workplace. In addition to this, so many elements are there that
affect the strategic human resource management. Major internal factors are organisational
culture, structure, stakeholders, employees and management. Main external factors are political,
technical, legal, customers, social and many more. All these factors require to be considered by
the manager of human resource department for maintain employees and achieve set goals of
company in an adequate manner. A little variation in these factors affect the decision making
process of company and performance of workers. For example: when manager does not offer
proper training to employees then they fail to perform their job roles and firm face issue in
accomplish its objectives.
CONCLUSION
From the above given project report, it can be summarised that manage employees and
their activities at workplace is very significant for a HR manager. As actions of workers affect
the success and growth of company in a great manner, therefore, Healthy and positive work
environment should be offered to them by managers so that they can perform their job roles in an
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adequate manner and at the same time can provide better services to target consumers of
company. It has also summarised from this report that for pharmaceutical firms, they need to
follow all laws and legislations for manufacturing medical products like beauty and skin care
items, cosmetics, vitamins and more. These laws are made to prevent people from harmful drugs
and All this support entity in attract more customers towards its product and provide competitive
benefit to firm. For getting commitment and more contribution of staff members in success of
company, a manager is the one who remain responsible to create and provide healthy work
environment to its workers.
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