Analysis of HRM Practices and Employment Law in British Airways

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Human Resource Management for Service Industries
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
TASK 1 LO 1 Understand Human Resource Management.............................................................3
AC 1.1 An analysis of the role and purpose of human resource management in a selected service
industry with reference to British Airways......................................................................................3
AC 1.2 The creation of an HR plan, based on an analysis of supply and demand, with
justification of the staff roles and numbers of staff and hours of work required to deliver the new
flight service to Madeira..................................................................................................................5
TASK 2 LO2 Understand the effect of employee relations and employment law on service
industries businesses........................................................................................................................7
AC 2.1 Assess the current state of employment relations in the airline industry............................7
AC 2.2 Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources within..........9
TASK 3 LO3 Understand the recruitment and selection process..................................................11
AC 3.1 Discuss a job description and person specification for a selected service industry job....11
AC 3.2 Compare the selection process of different service industries businesses........................14
TASK 4 LO4 Understand training and development in service industries businesses.................17
AC 4.1 Assess the contribution of training and development activities to the effective operation
of a selected service industry business..........................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................19
References......................................................................................................................................20
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Introduction
British Airways is widely accepted as an international airline, which was founded in 1974 to aid
people with the valuable experience of family trips and travelling to various places like
California, Belgium, Brussels and many more (Britishairways.com, 2019). The present study
focuses upon the various factors of human resource management and its effect and influence
upon British Airways. The selection and recruitment process along with various training and
development programs and activities have been justified to support the upcoming improvement
of the organizational performance, operations and management.
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TASK 1 LO 1 Understand Human Resource Management
AC 1.1 An analysis of the role and purpose of human resource management in a selected
service industry with reference to British Airways
An idea of human resource management
Human Resource Management is a compact process that comprises different pattern of
performances. These include the process of recruitment, selection, induction of employees and
their retention, orienting of staffs, imparting training to the employees for their development of
skills, and appraisal of the employees based on the performance showed by them (Eaton, 2017).
It further includes making provision of benefits to employees, making decision over the
compensation range, motivating the employees towards work, adopting measures to keep up
good terms among employees and between employer and the employees.
Requirements for meeting goals
The salient objectives of the Human Resource Management team within British Airways are
ensuring the various goals of the company. This can be properly done when the HR team is
confident about the efficiency and competency level of the employees. British Airways HR team
chooses and appoints an individual as an employee in the organisation when the person meets the
parameters fixed by the company. Persistence in the offering of rewards to employees,
management of risks, making an employee comfortable with the level of training that are offered
for development of their skills.
The HR team of British Airways makes use of data storage system in order to record and
protection of employee data. The team also functions in augmenting training and development
program and scheduled campaigning. Such arrangement helps in promotion of various unleashed
opportunities for employees (Boella, 2017).
The company is under a process of excel with the help of establishment and providence of an
appropriate administrative functions. Through guided administrative functioning, the company is
able to provide the staffs with environmental comfort as well as achieve the most desired aspect -
job satisfaction.
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The various roles and purposes of HRM team in British Airways are appended as under:
● Planning and Forecasting
British Airways makes a proper and concise planning about the future performances. Such
planning is required to keep an edge over the competitors as several other companies are also
operating in the same sector. Such planning is chiefly concerned over the allocation of resources
to employees. Planning helps in proper aggregation of cost and expenses going to be incurred
upon the employees. On the other way, forecasting is concerned with prediction. With the ability
to forecast upon affairs, the company can offer a presumed of outcome that would be required to
generate in order to attain the target profit margin.
● Recruitment Process
The procedure of recruitment adopted by British Airways includes estimation of the job profile.
For the purpose of recruitment, the team sorts out the vacancies, and arranges for the screen test
and interview of candidates. The performances in the screen test and interview are measured and
compared with the work type in order to make the final selection,
● Contracts of employment
A contract of employment is defined as a valid document signed by both the parties in the
process of employment (Shields et al, 2015). This document is prepared before commencement
of the period of employment of the individual in the company. This contract contains various
statements of guidance, rules and regulations, obligations etc. There are provisions of various
primary policies, agreement tenure, structure of remuneration, protocols for terminations and
likewise.
● Deployment and monitoring of Employees
The term Employee Deployment refers to the assurance of the work plan structure assigned to an
individual employee. Carrying out of such formalities depends entirely on the capability and
capacity of an employee (Cascio, 2015). British Airways has also carried out despatch of such a
document to its employees. The despatch of such a document is also dependent over the duration
of working hours. The time allotted for a whole day, holidays and leaves are also referred in this
document.
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Employee monitoring is the summation of those tools and techniques applied to estimate the
performance quotient of an individual working for the organization. This document also assists
in evaluating the future performance (Bratton and Gold, 2017). Both or any of these documents
ensure that every piece of performance is guided by the ethics and moral norms of British
Airways.
● Training and Development
British Airways carries out continuous training and development program of its employees.
These programs are conducted to enhance the level of performance with additional outburst of
efficiency and promptness. Such an outbreak helps in the generation of job satisfaction within
the employees.
● Budget Monitoring
According to the situation offered, British Airways will have to check the cash flow in planning
the trips from Heathrow to Madeira and back. The monitoring process will be strengthened with
a proper budget allocation and controlling of the aspects. In this context, the role of HRM is
classified into soft and hard HRM for forecasting the future expenses as thorough estimation of
members of staffs is required (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). The soft HRM is used to
dictate the more liberal system of communication. On the other hand, hard HRM uses various
oppressive techniques for recruitment and retention of staffs. Presence of both types is required
in proper decision making in concerns like British Airways.
AC 1.2 The creation of an HR plan, based on an analysis of supply and demand, with
justification of the staff roles and numbers of staff and hours of work required to deliver
the new flight service to Madeira
The British Airways has subjected to undertake a detailed set of courses for the proposed
conductance of trips between Heathrow and Madeira
Formation of a HR Plan
It will need the estimation and recognition of the relevant resources available to meet the
requirements of current and future mode of travelling for the places within proposed time limits.
With the help of an updated technological innovation and developed work environment, it
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becomes the duty of the HRM team to select the most appropriate staffs who have the required
potential to work within the desired time frame (Wood, 2016). In the case of British Airways,
the HR team is supposed to build up a detailed plan for meeting the required goals and
objectives.
Human Resource Planning
Demand Analysis Supply Analysis
Being involved in the computation of
demand workforce, the HR team in British
Airways is supposed to construct the
budget, select the appropriate employees,
as well as framing the time and risk
management for executing the plan for the
flights from Heathrow to Madeira.
It is also required that the team understands
the demand of filling up the vacancy and
inform the authority of British Airways
accordingly.
The HR team in British Airways will adopt
the process of recording and statistics while
assessing the supply of human resource
data. An assessment of timely supply of the
resources and workforces are also needed
to take into account.
Internal Factors Influencing HRM External Factors Influencing HRM
These factors include encouragement,
motivation, recognition, rewarding,
promotion and adoption of safety policies.
The HR team in British Airways is
influenced by several external factors too.
These include social and economic
conditions, technological advancements
and innovation, environmental factors and
adoption of legal provisions.
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Table 1: Human Resource Planning
(Source: Created by Author)
TASK 2 LO2 Understand the effect of employee relations and employment law on service
industries businesses
AC 2.1 Assess the current state of employment relations in the airline industry
British Airways considers that a healthy relationship and smooth interactional facilities amongst
various employees of the organization with the other departmental staffs, managers and workers
prevail as the mode of good work inspiration and job satisfaction for all the fellow members of
the organization. Any organization can easily map and design the future operational agendas and
ventures with advance fixtures by the help of employment relations (Albrecht et al., 2015).
Any credible HR meets the desires of the employees through the medium of a certain adjustment
and compromising according the organizational rules and regulations. British Airways union also
follows the same criteria with the help of palliating the altercation of wage distribution,
termination tenure or service period between the employees and employers.
Union Structure
In general any organizational union structure comprises of the people who works in the same
organization. The union structure of British Airways is constituted of their internal committee
members, core board members, external commission boards, influential stakeholders.
Union Culture
In aspects to culture, any organization puts immense effort in adopting a global cultural sphere.
Specifically they focus on implementing the popular cultural practices (Larsen, 2017). British
Airways especially focuses on imbibing the symphony of a variety of cultures which are
performed globally. The union board of British Airways attempts to maximize the skills and
ethical enhancement of the employees by the organizational culture.
Collective Bargaining
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The concept of collective bargaining appears in an organization mainly when they are trying to
achieve greater amount of outcome with less monetary investment (Chang et al., 2015).
However, the union members of British Airways adopt collective bargaining especially for the
purpose of initiating a cross cultural venture or any offshore endeavor. As an example for
managing the return flights circulation from Madeira to Heathrow, they collectively bargained
with the investors to incur a little more finance than they have granted.
Negotiation
In general approach, negotiation is executed in a written agreement between two consecutive
parties of any organization with the concerned proposal and its validity (Stone et al., 2015). But,
the union of British Airways follows some additional guidelines which is inclusive of some basic
marginal rules and regulations which are carried out in presence of a representative.
Consultation
Most of the organizations do not realize the importance of consultation while executing any
activities or operations. Although, British Airways conducts a group discussion about any project
within the union members and then they further comports a consultation with the higher
authorities of the governing body of the union. The authoritarian and the representative remain
present in the time of consultation.
Employee Participation
It has been discovered that, the staffs and members of any organization remain very energized
and inspired when they enter into a new program or campaign (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). In
case of British Airways, the employees are found to be twice more eager and keen to participate
unitedly in the various curriculums, activities, seminars and workshops which are held by the
organization.
Involvement and conflict management
In the premises of most ordinary small or medium organizations, it has been observed that the
involvement of the employees and staffs, towards any work is not that much dedicated which is
desired. Reasoned by that, the conflict arises within a short interval (Ray, 2019). Contrary to that,
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British Airways employees and managers are found to be very focused and involved irrespective
of whether it is a big project or just a workshop. That’s how the raised conflicts are much less,
and managed through their conflict management system. Regarding the flight circulation from
Heathrow to Madeira, British Airways confronted a lot of conflict by the flight attendants, which
was later on resolved by the labor unions.
Empowerment
Few organizations deal with their employees very casually. They do not look after the comfort
and facilities of the employees very seriously (Ray et al., 2016). However, British Airways
believes in the empowerment of the employees. They execute it with providing additional reward
to the employees with based on their performance prosperity. The union board of British
Airways extends motivation and inspiration to their employees by praising and approving their
activities, which results in a long term employment period for the workers.
Grievance and disciplinary procedures
The grievance and disciplinary procedures which are acquired by British Airways are mainly
functioned by their union members. The union decides the disciplinary guidelines and assigns
clear roles and responsibilities to their staffs and employees in accordance with their capacities.
Afterwards, the union authority supervises their activities through the mode of qualitative
measures.
AC 2.2 Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources within
British Airways
There are a few certain employment laws which are followed by British Airways before
conducting any activities or managerial operations. Some particular employment legislation acts
are considered as the inbound part of these laws. British Airways desires to demonstrate a
workplace free from inequality or favouritism by the mode of employing these legislation acts
and employment laws. The foremost demand of British Airways is to attain a clean, clear and
healthy work atmosphere and work culture.
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Employment rights act constitutes of providing the employees with feasible compensation,
assurance of provident funds and gratuity, assistance in health and life insurance, and salary
increment (Morrison, 2019).
The employment relations act which is practiced by British Airways assists in reforming,
managing, and protecting the inter-relationship between the employees and employers.
Equal opportunities are furnished for everyone which is free from any bias, so that they can avail
all the advantages and work with all their potency to accomplish their as well the organization's
desired outcome. The termination procedure along with the duration of service period is
mentioned in the agreement when the contracts are signed (Lussier and Hendon, 2017).
Redundancy procedures are followed by British Airways governance as continuous joining and
quitting of employees is a part of their organization and it is accepted by the managers.
On a different note, the ethical and moral practice of British Airways is very flexible and
refreshing but still they also accept certain resignations.
British Airways approves any sort of retirement which is caused by long term ill health issues.
Dismissals decided by the operating body of British Airways affect the overall organizational
performance although they permit maternity and paternity rights alongside parental leaves.
The advisory board and tribunals of British Airways suggests the employees with legal
procedures and judicial acts.
ACAS which is denoted as advisory, conciliation, and arbitration improved the efficiency, and
flexibleness of the employees and staffs in British Airways.
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TASK 3 LO3 Understand the recruitment and selection process
AC 3.1 Discuss a job description and person specification for a selected service industry
job.
The talented and potential individuals who are best suitable for any job profile catering to the
vacancy are generally employed to any organization by the method of selection and recruitment
procedure. The selection and recruitment procedures which are implemented by British Airways
help to carry out improved proficiency and excellence regarding their managerial and operational
activities. It has delivered some very long run effects to the organization and the business
performance of British Airways has substantially enriched from the former stage.
Recruitment Effects
Job Description, Job Purpose and Accountability
The secret dream of any individual dwelling in London is to become the cabin crew of London
city. The general format of job description is quite elementary, which is maintaining and
governing the production of products and services to cater to the necessities of the general
audience and prospective customers (Larsen and Navrbjerg, 2015). The job purpose of a cabin
crew inside British Airways is to remain extremely passionate and enthusiastic to spend the
whole of the lifetime in service of others. The job accountability is concerned with health safety,
security and mental comfort.
Person Specification
The person or individual who is awaited to be recruited should possess a decent behavior
(Wagner, 2015). Many job profiles demand artistic behavior. Apart from it, British Airways
looks for a person who will be well cultured and civilized along with having a sense of moral,
ethics and values. The customers must be dealt with respect and equality.
Factors affecting the labour market
Generally the individual entities that are virile, strong, active and possess a good ability of
interaction can be employed in the labour force of British Airways. Therefore they will be able to
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