HRM Report: Analysis of Sports Direct's HR Practices

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Sports Direct, a leading UK sports retailer. It addresses key management issues such as racial discrimination and potential modern slavery practices, and proposes solutions through effective employee relations, welfare management, and training and development. The report further examines the importance of HR planning, including setting objectives, evaluating current manpower, demand and supply forecasting, and the role of training in international staffing. Additionally, it explores developmental activities like individual development plans, performance metrics, and motivation strategies to improve employee performance. Finally, the report discusses the implications of employment legislation on pay and contract working times within Sports Direct, offering recommendations for improvement.

INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Identification of two individual management issues and function of HR division can
proactively manage them effectively..........................................................................................1
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................2
Human resource function implemented successful for a viable HR planning process to mange
firm growing international staffing requirement.........................................................................2
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
Developmental activity a functional HR divisions within Sports Direct implement to
effectively improve employees performance..............................................................................4
TASK 4 ...........................................................................................................................................5
Discuss the implication of employment legislation on the current practices of Sports Direct in
Pay related and Contracted working Times................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Human resource management perform various function in the organization which lead to
assist in achieving objectives of the firm. The purpose of report is to understand different concept
and practices of HRM helps in daily operations. The given Case Scenario of Sports direct
founded in the year 1982 by Mike Ashley and the brand become the United Kingdom leading
sports retailer. From the investigation by Guardian in the year 2015 found that firm accused for
unethical workplace practices allegation ranging from poor wages paid and penalising ill staff
and other conflicts arise in the company. Further, report covers two individual management
issues sports direct facing recently and its function HR division can proactive manage
effectively. Human resource planning in business environment and effective HR practices and
performance management within company. Lastly, implication of employees legislation on the
current practices sports direct in two areas such as Pay and wage, Disciplinary Procedures.
TASK 1
Identification of two individual management issues and function of HR division can proactively
manage them effectively.
The two individual management issues recently face in the organisation. First the racial
discrimination by its employees and second issues is practices of modern slave labours. These
are two management conflicts have been arisen in the sports direct. The first issues in sports
direct during welsh brand retailer was accused of racial discrimination by its worker for
prohibiting of welsh language in is store which was located in Bangor a welsh city stating
English to be the official language of the organisations. The another management face in its
warehouse describe that a harbour for the practices of modern slave labour, were men from three
various groups were recently charged of running salve labour related business, under the disguise
of being recruitment agencies(Sirmon, Hitt and Ireland, 2007.). The different function of Human
resource division can proactive manage them effectively such as follows:
 Employee relation: This can be the critical for angle for the association in which the
representative connection which required to keep up the successful connection with the
workers Employers are the person who give legitimate direction and have coordinate
cooperation with workers. It is vital for the businesses to have solid association with their
workers so the issues that are looked by them can be recognized. They are sufficiently
useful to create and develop mechanical connection and in going for accomplishing the
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destinations effectively. It isn't conceivable to have a solid association with endeavours
are simply produced using one side. At the point when managers put on their push to
ensure that representatives perform with their full effectiveness, at that point it is likewise
critical from the side of specialists to ensure that all the prerequisite are satisfied from
their side too. Part of exchange association is to ensure that they create support to
representatives so they are not influenced with a separation towards work. They go for
giving specialists and administration to cooperate and to work for shared objective. Aside
from this, they fill in as an instrument to fathom the issue that are looked inside the
business condition. Staff were told that they are free to speak any language they wish
"outside of work time", but are warned that failure to adhere to the policy may lead to
disciplinary procedures as speaking in a foreign language other than English, poses a
variety of "risks" such as "health and safety" to the company
 Welfare management: It is important for the Sport Direct to bring the effective
development of the employee with the proper welfare management. So it is important for
the firm need to bring the ethical practices in the benefit of the employee welfare
management in due of health and safety of the employee in the organisations.
 Training and Development :Preparing will enhance the work execution in the
association which is essential in different assignment. Additionally, the preparation can
be given to numerous representatives for the unique task of associations. It is the
procedure for general improvement of a person in which the state of mind promotion
conduct of workers can considered. It can be long haul process and time taken movement
where individual need to sit tight for representatives. The introduction of advancement
will be founded on vocation which can bring the individual and expert improvement. The
focal point of improvement will be for the future development.
TASK 2
Human resource function implemented successful for a viable HR planning process to mange
firm growing international staffing requirement.
Human resource management is the backbone of the organization which will help to implement
effective practices for proper development of the company. The human resource planing process
will help to find out the recent and upcoming HR requirement for a firm to achieve its objectives.
Human resource planing should serve as a link between HRM and the appropriate action plan of
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an sport direct. The HR function implement successfully for a possible HR planning process to
mange firm growing international staffing requirement can be fulfilled such as follows:
 Objective of HR planning: Human resource planing must be competitive with overall
organisational plans it should be involvement with fill upcoming vacancies rather than
matched existing personnel with existing jobs in the Sports direct. The company strategy
over the next 3 to 5 years hopes to expand into all major EEA nations which required the
huge staffs.
 Current manpower stock: It is the next step for effective HR planing process which
need to considered before implementing successfully growing international staffing
requirement. The currently Sports Direct employed 18000 people across all the location
which gives a positive impact for fulling the staff requirement for the organisation to
expand international to their business.
 Demand Supply Forecasting: This is important task for human resource management
for growing international and fulfil staffing requirement in next 3 tom 5 years. So the
demand supply forecasting for expand into all the major EEA nations.
 Determining Net Requirement: The Sports Direct human resource management must
check the demand and supply of the employees before explanation at any assumption. If
the firm is not able to determine is net requirement than the various issues can be arise in
front of the management while manage firms growing international staffing requirement.
 Redeployment and Redundancy: The firm already have 18000 employees across all the
location from various nations in which the redeployment the extra employees from one
branch to the other which will help to fill the requirement but if the organisation is able to
fill the staff requirement at new stores the redundancy issues will not arise(Finegold and
Frenkel, 2006).
 Employment Programme: Human resource management of Sports Direct need to
prepared session of recruitment, selection, transfer and promotion to manage firm
growing international staffing requirements.
 Training and Development: It is an important function need to perform by Human
resource management to keep employees updated with the modification in job. The sports
direct firm Human resource function implemented successful for a viable HR planning
process to mange with the help of proper training and development of existing employees
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which will help to promoting several worker to fulfilling firm growing international
staffing requirement.
 Evaluation of human resource planing: If all the step will implement successfully
organisation requirement to appropriate evaluate the effectiveness of human resourcing
planing which is important for achieving company objectives. The Sports Direct Human
resource management bring the outcome of HR planing process to manage organisation
expanding international and fulfilling the staffing need for the same.
TASK 3
Developmental activity a functional HR divisions within Sports Direct implement to effectively
improve employees performance.
In the organization human resource brings the function of HR which will help to implement to
effectively. The various development activity required to implement to effectively improve the
employee performance such as follows:
 Create Individual development plan: It is the first step for developing activity of
human resource within Sports Direct Implement improve employees performance. But it
required making a proper development plan. It is important to communication with the
employees and discuss employees interest and career objectives. This will assist in find
out the development activities that employees must be undertaking. If the employees are
not sharing their objectives in such situation organisation need to give effective
development plan which will help to coordinate with the management for the better
outcomes. Therefore, the development plan should provide the structure for the worker
which consist continue objectives and real time for fulfil each objectives.
 Provide Performance Metrics: It is important to fix the particular quantitative metrics
to assist a worker interpret where they required to be or what they can realistically
accomplish. As the performance metrics which will help to improve the performance.
 Training Activities: This can be another important activities which will help to increase
the performance of employees. The training and development activities play an important
role in developing worker and develop them for adverse condition and unforeseen
circumstance. Training is important personal and professional growth of Sport Direct
employees. The most important issue arise in the organisation in front of the management
that is language need to speak during the working hours(Engle, Festing and Dowling,
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2008). So the management need to arrange a proper soft skill training for the employees
which are important for the firm when employees are dealing with the customer. The
same as in the case scenario of Sports Direct that some employee are the found speaking
in the language other than English whilst carrying out their duties. Though they have
strict policy but it is important for the human resource required to arrange the effective
training activities so that employee performance can be maximise easily.
 Motivation activities: It is important for the Human resource management to motivate
the employee in regular basis lead to improve their performance. The communication of
information that affect an employees work in which the employee feel part of the
organisation and work effectively during the customer review, changing due dates,
modification in goods, new interaction structure or division reporting and training
opportunities(Cornelius, 2012). Employee Engagement is the another option that can
easily take by the firm which will help to improve the employee performance in the
organisations and motivate them effectively. Employee required proper motivation in
which the reward and recognition in which the monetary term will help to improve the
employee performance. The another aspect that can be done by the management is to
promote the employee which are more efficient in the organisation to fulfil the different
task as the firm growing international market which required the staff.
TASK 4
Discuss the implication of employment legislation on the current practices of Sports Direct in
Pay related and Contracted working Times.
For every organization the most important role play the legislation in various areas to
bring the effective working environment. In the Sports Direct impact of employment legislation
on the recent practice in related to pay and contract working times.
 Pay and wages: The national minimum wages act 1948 will impact on the organisations
in which the hourly rate of the minimum wage on the basis of employee are and type of
work. It will consider the nation living wage and the increasing of wages for employees
aged over rising to 7.50 pound. The current law will stipulate in comparison not the
current part structure of Sports Direct employees in which the minimum wage is not get
to the worker less than the rate fix as per the act. But after these act will be implement all
the employee are liable to get 7.50 Pound increasing wage in addition to the current wage
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received from the organisations. Pay band is the range of compensation given for various
roles in the organisation. The popularity of the company down-spiral with the media
accusing them of various unethical workplace practices allegations ranging from poor
wages paid to employees; unpaid time taken for "rigorous" compulsory searches on
workers leaving their warehouses meant they are paid less than minimum wage;
penalizing ill staff; cases of harassment as well as the infamous ‘strike’ system indicating
under performance, were six strikes in six months meant a worker would be dismissed;
zero hour contracts and more recently discrimination which severely infringed on the
employment rights of their employees. These can be based on the different factors such
as cost of living, experience and Seniority. It is used when the legislation is not decided
the figure for the compensation management in the organisations as well in the various
industrial where the management can not give wage and pay as per the law and also the
figure are not available for the such firm required to use grade bands(Boxall and Purcell,
2013). In the firm job is defined pay band are used to separate the level of compensation
provide in definite range of employment to have various level of pay, secondary business
track other than management and conflicts in the structure to motivate for the effective
growth in the organisation. For instance the job and role are same level of about required
to consist in a named or numbered pay band that prescribed a range of pay. For instance
Band 1 =$10-$17 per hour.The next step of level classification of a group of similar jobs
which will considered rising the roles and authority and hen the high pay band such as
Band 2 = $13- $21 per hour.
 Disciplinary Procedures: The contracted working time for the Sports Direct employees
in which the Zero hour Contract and other right of employment are not considered by the
management. The regulation will applied on both the employee regular and contract base
which are working in the organisations. The firm require to consider the 48 hour that
means the average determine over a 17 week working period which can be falls under the
working time regulation 1988 amended 2007 in which the right in relation to hours and
the right to time off were the huge issues of as per the decided in the contract. Theses
regulation introduce a new statutory regulation which would be upcoming impact on the
contract relationship.
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 This Employment Act is the most imperative represent the business and contract law. The
agreement and work Act of 1963 which has been demonstration of place of custom-based
law of the UK. It can be qualifies the representatives for the privilege of one's past
normal instalment amid the time see period. As the business contract is one of arrange
agreement which have been utilized as a part of the work law that ascribe to one side and
obligations between various gatherings to a deal(Armstrong, 2016). So it is important for
the Sports Direct which need to considered the various legislation for setting up effective
workplace which lead to make the rapid growth and development of the firms.
CONCLUSION
From the report Introduction to human resource management In the Sports Direct impact
of employment legislation on the recent practice in related to pay and contract working times.
The first issues in sports direct during welsh brand retailer was accused of racial discrimination
by its worker for prohibiting of welsh language in is store which was located in Bangor a welsh
city stating English to be the official language of the organisations. The training and
development activities play an important role in developing worker and develop them for
adverse condition and unforeseen circumstance. Training is important personal and professional
growth of Sport Direct employees.
RECOMMENDATION
The Following recommendation will assist in effective management for Sports Direct such as :
 It is important for the Sports Direct which need to considered the various legislation for
setting up effective workplace which lead to make the rapid growth and development of
the firms.
 The organisation required to use the better training activities and employee engagement
which will help to improve their performance.
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REFERENCES
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do we know?. Human Resource Management RevHafeez, K. and Aburawi, I., 2013.iew. 20(3).
Pp.295- 323.
Cornelius, N., 2012. Human resource management: a managerial perspective. 2nd ed. Cengage
Learning EMEA.
Dowling, P., Festing, M. and Engle, A. D., 2018.International human resource management:
Managing people in a multinational context. Cengage Learning.
Engle, D. A., Festing, M. and Dowling, P., 2008. International Human Resource Management:
Managing People in a Multinational Context. Cengage Learning.
Finegold, D. and Frenkel, S., 2006. Managing People where People Really Matter: The
Management of Human Resources in Biotech Companies. International Joutrnal of Human
Resource Management. 17(1). Pp.1-24.
Sirmon, D. G., Hitt, M. A. and Ireland, R. D., 2007. Managing firm resources in dynamic
environments to create value: Looking inside the black box. Academy of management review.
32(1). pp. 273-292.
Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Chung, C., 2016. Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.
Verhoest, K., Van Thiel 2016. Government agencies: practices and lessons from 30 countries.
Springer.
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