3.2b Different Ways of Working Flashcards

All 21 cards in this deck

What is the difference between a full-time and a part-time contract?

A full-time employee works a normal full working week; a part-time employee works fewer hours than a normal working week.

Give one benefit to a business of employing staff on full-time contracts.

Any one of: staff are available for the whole working week, so work is easier to plan; staff with one job tend to be more committed; fewer people need to be recruited and trained to cover the hours.

Give one benefit to a business of employing workers on part-time contracts.

Any one of: wage costs are lower as staff are only employed for the hours needed; hours can fit around employees' other commitments, improving motivation; it widens the pool of applicants.

What is flexible working?

An arrangement that lets when, how long or where employees work vary, e.g. flexi-time, shift work or working partly from home, to suit the business or the employee.

Give one benefit to a business of offering flexible working.

It makes the business a more desirable place to work (staff can fit work around childcare), so it can attract better quality employees.

What is temporary work?

Work under an employment contract that ends on a set date, or when a particular job or season is over.

Give one advantage to a business of employing temporary workers.

Flexibility: it can choose not to renew their contracts if demand turns out to be lower than expected.

Give one drawback to a business of using temporary workers.

Without long-term job security, staff may feel less loyal to the business, so they may work less hard or leave for a more secure job.

What does it mean to be self-employed?

Working for yourself rather than being employed by a business, e.g. being hired by businesses to do specific work or projects.

What is working from home?

Employees doing their work at home rather than at the business's premises, using technology to communicate.

Give one benefit to a business of allowing employees to work from home.

It attracts talented workers who want to work flexibly and who do not live within commuting distance of the office.

Give one drawback to a business of employees working from home.

Any one of: communication is harder because teams are not in the same place, so mistakes or delays happen; staff may feel isolated, so motivation falls; it is harder to supervise staff.

What is 'working whilst mobile'?

Working away from a fixed workplace using technology such as a laptop or phone, e.g. while travelling or at customers' sites.

Give four ways of working a business can offer its staff.

Any four of: full-time; part-time; flexible working; temporary work; working from home; working whilst mobile; self-employed.

Give one way employees working from home can reduce a business's costs.

The business needs smaller premises, so rent, heating and lighting costs fall.

Give one disadvantage to a business of employing part-time workers.

Any one of: more people must be recruited and trained to cover the same hours, raising costs; managers spend more time organising and supervising more staff; communication with staff is harder.

Give one drawback to a business of offering flexible working.

Any one of: staff may meet less often, so communication is harder; some staff need more supervision to work well; rotas are harder to plan.

Give one advantage to a business of using self-employed workers.

Any one of: they are paid only for the work done; the business does not pay their National Insurance, pension, holiday or sick pay; they often supply their own tools and equipment.

Give one drawback to a person of being self-employed rather than employed.

Any one of: no holiday pay, sick pay or employer pension contributions; income is uncertain; they often work longer hours.

Give one benefit to a business of employees working whilst mobile.

Staff can work while travelling, e.g. on a train, so they get more done in their working time, raising productivity and lowering costs.

Give one cost to a business of employees working from home.

Any one of: it may have to buy technology, such as laptops, for them; they may need training to use the technology.