The board of ‘Flybe’ and Managing Directors can’t take every decision needed. They delegate, pass down the chain of command to their managers who have the responsibility of making day-to-day decisions. These managers will, in turn, delegate the more routine tasks to their own staff.
For instance delegation of duties must be accompanied by giving the member of staff the authority to do these duties. The member of staff will then have the responsibility of doing the job.
If managers don’t delegate properly, they may end up carrying out the more routine tasks that their staff should be doing: Their time is not being used as efficiently as it should be. The other extreme is for the manager to delegate too much responsibility to staff, which then carries out tasks for which they should not be responsible.
‘Flybe’ employ many people to do certain jobs, these jobs can be highly paid jobs that consists of lots of work and responsibility, or some job roles are given to a certain person to do once or twice a week, still important but doesn’t need so much attention. For example:
Manager
Key responsibilities
- To delegate jobs to other members of staff
- Work as a team and have responsibility for problems that occur
- Control there management area/department
Tasks/activities
- To keep their routines the same
- To ensure that the staff are happy
- To check the departments are work and happy
- Organises training programs for untrained staff
Job security
- To follow laws such as ‘Data Protection Act’
- Not to give personal information that the manager has. E.g. staff records, wages slips and personal information.
- Help keep all staff safe, plus give out some sort of ID card that allows staff in certain areas, so no strangers can get in protected areas around the airports or planes.
- Also employ people to keep airport security as high as possible, such as policeman on site, police car, CCTV cameras and other high Tec equipment.
Decisions/ problem solving
- The manager’s duties in the airport are to help customers and relate to any problem that occurs in the airport.
- Not only customers but also staff and problems that the employees have over the period of time.
Qualifications
- The qualifications in being a manager, is to have highly personal skills, proof that you have good attitude in working in the environment.
- Most companies such as ‘Flybe’ look for someone who is bright and ready for a challenge.
- Other businesses like someone who they can trust and have been in that business for a while, as the companies say ‘worked themselves up’.
- Having a degree in anything related to management skills shows the employers that you really can work towards something if you wanted it bad, and tells your employers that you can achieve it if you really want to.
Pay and Benefits
- You have three sorts of pay flat rate, time rate, and piece rate.
- Managers are on piece rate this means they have a set amount of money a year and get a percentage of that every month.
- Some companies give benefits to their employees when they retire and this is called a pension. Other companies aren’t so generous; this means some people struggle when retired.
- Other benefits are, holiday pay, bonuses if you meets aims, or if the company does really well.
Airhost
Key responsibilities
- To make the customers happy, by providing a quality standard of service.
- Work with a team and have responsibility for problems that occur in the air.
Tasks/activities
- To go through a video provided by the airline, this video is a safety video that goes through stages of safety when flying.
- Deliver an onboard meal or film if in your flying package.
- Also to help customers when travelling with the company, such as serve drinks and functions of the aeroplane.
Job security
- To follow policies written by the company such as no weapons and bomb on board.
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New EU policies of closing the pilots door and not letting anyone in, due to September 11th
- Make aware the safety points of the plane. E.g. exits and life jackets.
- To report any incident that happens on the plan to the company and the air traffic control.
Decisions/ Problem solving
- Some decisions come naturally by an airhost but other decisions have to be consulted by the airline or assistance on the aircraft.
- Some time airhost have problems with drunk people on the plane, they have to report this to their destination, and then police decide what will happen to the passengers depending on what went on.
Qualifications
- The qualifications of an airhost are very simple that takes some small tests. For example they all need to pass a fitness test and a first aid test to be able to work on board.
- Airhost also have to be a certain height, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to open and close the bag holders.
- Most companies employ people who have a good sense of communication and helpful, this includes helping the clients in all possible ways.
Pay and Benefits
- The three types of pay don’t really apply for the Airhost employee’s, because they are set on a rate per a year; this involves the number of hours they do a month and the number of days they work.
- The benefits that some companies allow an Airhost to have are the ability to train, and have some free flights through the company as a thank you and a bonus.
Reservations
Training Officer
Key responsibilities
- Delivery of current training programme to all levels of call centre staff
- Preparation and administration of training courses
- Updating current training courses to internal and external standards as required
- Complete ad-hoc projects and reports as required by reservation manager
- Analysis of staff skills, reviews and performance coaching
- Liasing with internal and external bodies on behalf of reservations manager
Experience needed
- Possess shares reservations and ticketing knowledge to advanced level
- Possess strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate organisational and time management skills
- To be energetic, hands on and quick to learn
- To be self motivated
- Demonstrate influencing skills to others
Contract of employment
The contract of employment at 'Flybe' is very detailed and contains many clauses. I have received a universal contract of employment for all 'Flybe' employees, in which it states that each employee gets paid a yearly salary paid equally over 12 months on the 20th of each month, and includes a pension plan for the employee.
Hours of work are dictated by the operational requirements of the company, and employees are entitled to 28 days annual holiday entitlement. 'Flybe' have a strict system as far as sick pay is concerned, with the maximum entitlement being:
If a 'Flybe' employee wishes to terminate their employment with the company, they are required to give four weeks notice in writing to the cabin crew manager.
There are a number of different types of employment that Flybe use:
Here are some examples:
- Casual Work
- Contracts Fixed term/permanent
- Permanent full-time employment
- Temporary work
- Work under a fixed term contract
For example an air host employed by Flybe would most likely be on a permanent full-time employment, rather than casual work or temporary work.
Permanent full-time employment means the employees work for a set number of hours per week under a contract, which has a start date but no definite end, date. The contract will end when the employee leaves, retires or is dismissed.
Flybe can and will put people on trial, or also known as temporary work, this allows Flybe as a company to decide weather the person under temporary work is able to meet the demands of the job. This has both advantages and disadvantages for Flybe. Temporary work means the employees are given full or part time work for a limited number of weeks, months or years.
So offering an air host a job with Flybe means it would be in Flybe’s best interest to arrange for a permanent full time contract available for the air host to sign. Rather than a temporary contact as Flybe will be able to control their staff and stick to a certain lay out of jobs required.
Terms and conditions in the contract
When a company offers you a job, this will be subject to certain terms and conditions, which will be specified at the interview and may also be repeated in the letter, which offers you the job. When you agree to accept the job then you are also considered to have agreed to those terms and conditions. Within two months of starting work, you will then receive your contract of employment, which sets these out in writing. As with all contacts, both parties (i.e. you and your employer) then have a legal obligation to comply with the terms laid down.
In any contract there must be the three basic elements:
- The offer – your employer offers you the job
- The acceptance – you accept the offer
- Payment – you agree to do some work in return for some pay
Contact of employment
Once the applicant has been selected by the interview panel and has accepted the position offered a contract of employment is drawn up. This contract of employment contains the following information:
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
Job title…………………………..
Employer’s name…………………. Employee’s name…………………………….
Starting date………………………. Hours of work………………………………..
Pay and pay intervals……………... Holidays and holiday pay……………………
Sickness and sickness pay………… Pension details……………………………….
Length of notice required…………. Disciplinary rules…………………………….
The contact of employment for both the company and the employee involved is a compromise between them both. For this instance Flybe has employed an air host to work for them in a long-term view. This meets the needs of the business as this employee has a long term contract with the company and cant just quit at any time with out breaking the contract agreement that both Flybe and the employee have made, also giving Flybe some security about that employee.
This is the same with the employee; he or she has some security that the company will stick to the agreement making the job more reliable than jobs without contract agreements.
I would only recommend a few changes to the contract and one of these are that if the company i.e. Flybe comes under new ownership or sells apart of the company to the London stock exchange the employee will have good authority to demand or cancel the contract of employment.
Having this in the contract will force some businesses to respect their employees more and allow the employees to have a say. This would be a bonus and more involvement for the employers of the company and only the employers, not the owner or the company as a whole.
Section C
Rights of employers and employees
When an employee starts work they will have several expectations from their employer.
Equally, 'Flybe' will have expectations of their employees, they will expect them to arrive on time, be a willing and co-operative worker, be prepared to learn new skills or tasks, be sociable with other employees and relate well to customers. 'Flybe's' staff will be expected to obey company rules and regulations and to follow standard procedures, for example notifying your boss if you are off sick. These are all things that 'Flybe' expect from their employees and rely on the trust from each other to be able to run the company smoothly.
'Flybe' right a contract of employment to all of their employees, a contract is a legally binding agreement between 'Flybe' and the employee.
A contract of employment means that a person offers to work for an organisation. In return the employer must pay that person to do the work. Employees are generally given a written statement of the 'Terms and Conditions of Employment' setting out terms of the employees contract of employment.
Some of the things that are in a contract of employment are:
- employer
- employee
- starting date
- job Title
- place of work
- hours of work
- remuneration
- holidays and sick pay information
- plus notice information
In many of these areas both staff and 'Flybe's' bosses are affected by legislation. This means that in some of these areas the staff have a legal right for the expectations to be met. And so does 'Flybe'! The two main areas of legislation, which affect employee and employer rights and responsibilities, are:
- Employment law
- Health and safety legislation
In these areas the law imposes certain obligations on both the staff of 'Flybe' and 'Flybe' which must be followed.
'Flybe' has certain rights i.e.
- To expect their employees to work to the terms of their contract
- To be able to take disciplinary action against the employee if they do not.
- To expect they employee to co-operate with measures taken to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Lack of discrimination in employment
There are two main types of discrimination:
- Direct discrimination – e.g. “I am never going to employ a woman,” or “I don’t want a male secretary.”
- Indirect discriminations – i.e. Where it is far more difficult for members of one sex than the other to meet the requirements e.g. “I am only going to employ someone who is over six foot tall and who has a beard.”
The Sex Discrimination Act – The Sex Discrimination Act started in 1975, this forbids discrimination – i.e. treating men and women differently from each other, in areas such as employment. It also specifically forbids discrimination against married women. Amongst other things it covers:
- Selection for jobs
- Promotion
- Job training
- Dismissal
- Fringe benefits
An employee of Flybe does not have to accept training if it is after working hours or they do not get paid extra/overtime, which means Flybe’s staff has the choice, but training is a advantage not really a disadvantage to any member of staff. Accepting training and completing the course may mean the trained employee will be capable of take on different types of work or do their existing job more efficiently. The employee has the right to accept or decline the offer from a company such as Flybe but declining the offer may be looked at in a strong way by any company, and could cause a disadvantaged if the employee wanted promotion in the future.
Flybe pay overtime or a certain rate to any member of staff who is on training after their normal hours. If the member of staff has to stay over night and the training is a two day courses then Flybe also pay for expenses such as an hotel and a meal, this also includes petrol or a source of travel.
Pay rate
The pay rate is the amount due to the employee under the contract. Note that the employer must pay at least the minimum wage set by the government.
Equal pay – Under EU law ‘men and women should receive equal pay for equal work’ this law started in 1970. This is the same in Northern Ireland; the act that applies is the ‘Fair Employment Act’. These acts state that a woman must get the same pay as a man (or vice versa). 'Flybe' have to follow this rule or they could be sent to court.
Hours of work
'Flybe' must tell you the number of hours you are required to work and the times of starting and finishing work each day. Employees may be expected to vary their starting and finishing times and to work overtime.
Holidays and sick pay entitlement from 'Flybe'
At least four weeks paid holiday per year is a legal requirement. But 'Flybe' allows most employees 22-days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays. 'Flybe's' contracts to their employees must say if the employee is entitled to employer sick pay or whether 'Flybe' staff will get statutory sick pay (a far lower payment)
Notice periods
If any member of staff at 'Flybe' decide to leave or if 'Flybe' decides to dismiss the employee it is important to know how much paid notice is required. The standard notice is four weeks, but many high level professional company's such as 'Flybe' demand at least three months notice before leaving the job, reasons for this is so 'Flybe' can start interviews to replace the member of staff and sort out agreements in that period of time.
National minimum wage act 1998
It is the legal requirement of a business to pay its employees a minimum hourly rate of pay. At least present date in time the minimum wage is £4.50 per hour for those aged 22 and over (The Adult Rate) and £3.80 per hour for those aged 18 - 21 (The Development Rate)
Pay can be in the form of
- A weekly or monthly salary
- Piecework - payment for the number of items produced on a production line.
- Commission - payment based on the number of products sold
- Bonus - an additional payment that may be made when the business is doing well and working efficiently.
Access to information
All employees including 'Flybe's' staff now has the right to see their employment records, in return for a small fee. This means that employees can see their disciplinary records and any job references that have been written. Employers now have to be very careful about what information they keep about their employees.
Disagreements at work
Of course there are always fallouts about the laws with employer and employee but there are many ways of resolving them. 'Flybe' use the same system as any other business in resolving a disagreement.
There are two types of disagreements at work:
- Collective disagreement
- Individual disagreement
Collective disagreement
Collective disagreement occurs when there is a dispute with the employer and some or all of the employees.
Cause of disputes:
- Pay settlements
- Redundancies
- Changes in ways of working
Normally disagreements are sorted out before any more action accrue but if this happens 'Flybe' are in a very bad situation, due to the employees are in the driving seat and have one up from 'Flybe'. There are only two main types of action that the employees can take these are:
- Overtime ban - This is a real nuisance in any large company such as 'Flybe' because most employees rely on doing overtime for extra cash. An overtime ban means that businesses can be very badly hit and they may lose orders from customers.
- Strike - Again this causes big problems for any company including 'Flybe', mainly because of lost business, but from 'Flybe's' point of view an overtime ban is better than a strike because a least they still get their basic weekly pay. Employees on strike get absolutely nothing. This is one reason why strikes do not usually last very long.
Staff associations
Out of 27 million employed people in UK, only 8 million belong to trade unions. Most businesses do not have significant union representation and many employees are not interested. In these cases the employer ('Flybe') may discuss changes in pay and conditions with a staff association. This is a group of employees elected by the workforce to represent its interests. It has less power than a union representation and does not normally call strikes.
Individual disagreements
Employees have their own individual problems at work. There are two main areas where this can happen:
-
Disciplinary problems - where the employee is in trouble with the employer, could be a member of staff doesn't like the hours they have to work and 'Flybe' wont change them.
-
Grievance problems - where the employee has a complaint about the employer for a variety of reasons.
Both problems are dealt with by what is called procedures.
Section E
Staff training
New staff at ‘Flybe’ go through a induction training, this mainly involves ‘Flybe’s’ Human Resources Department, they have the task of making sure that new employees at ‘Flybe’ start working efficiently as soon as possible. To do this an induction training programme is set up. As the new employees become settled in their jobs, Human Resources may offer further training. This training will either be internal (run within the firm ‘Flybe’) or external, (taking place outside of ‘Flybe’).
There are two types of staff training:
- Internal training
- External training
Internal training
Also know as ‘on the job’ training, this is the most popular form of training provided by firms like ‘Flybe’, the employees learn as they work.
Because internal training usually takes place in the employee’s normal place of work, it is fully related to the firm’s needs in this case ‘Flybe’, and also quick and inexpensive to organise. It does have the disadvantage that the training is only as good as the trainers, who may possess poor training skills and also find that their own work is delayed.
External training
This ‘off-the-job’ training involves employees attending local colleges or other training providers, and studying to improve their skills. Since training specialists are employed, there should be a high standard of training. This form of training also introduces new ideas and techniques from outside into ‘Flybe’ and it is likely to be more highly regarded by the trainees if they are studying for a qualification.
Appraisal and performance review
Appraisal is an examination of an employee’s performance over a period time. ‘Flybe’ use appraisals as a goal and something for the staff to aim towards even though it could be seen as a good or bad thing to employers and employee’s in any company. ‘Flybe’ carry out appraisals usually every six months but other smaller companies carry them out every year.
The jobholder’s immediate boss normally carries out performance appraisals. The person who appraises is called the appraiser and the person being appraised is the appraisee.
The appraiser will first write an appraisal report of the appraisee. It will mention so points such as:
- Strength of the employee
- Weaknesses of the employee
- Some advice to the employee
- An action plan for the next year or next six months
The benefits of a performance appraisal
- It helps to identify training and development needs
- It may reveal other problems – for example, there may be some difficulties with work mates at ‘Flybe’.
- It may reveal useful new skills in the appraisee
- It improves communications between employees and managers, a few words of encouragement and praise for doing a good job will really please many staff at ‘Flybe’.
- It helps in fixing pay rises – more and more employees not just ‘Flybe’s’ now get performance linked pay rises which may be based upon their appraisal report.
Retraining for new technology or work methods
Retraining for new technology is essential for any businesses like ‘Flybe’, main reason is that technology is moving on. Because ‘Flybe’ deal mainly with travel and this way of travel are aeroplanes means high standards must be met to deal with on coming laws and regulation that the government and other organisations set.
There would be a worry if ‘Flybe’ failed or even wasn’t up to date with the latest technology in their line of business. To keep up to date doesn’t just mean the systems and the technology it means that the staff have to be informed and aware of the new systems being placed by older ones. ‘Flybe’ can cut corners in this area, if there is no one trained to use certain areas of the company even equipment then ‘Flybe’ can not only danger themselves of going out of business, but also other peoples life’s as lots of there remaining business is delivered to the customers when on the aeroplanes.
This sort of training ‘Flybe’ will pay for, mainly because this is in ‘Flybe’s’ interest. Normal situations the staff would be sent away to some sort of training camp or short courses set up by the government. All training is good and this would look good on a persons CV, as they are update with the latest technology.
Retraining for work methods could be from advising the company or staff, to simply selling them that retraining is necessary. The work methods are normally help full and again show up well with other employers, the company can sometimes set up these work methods. In this case it is ‘Flybe’ do what they call ‘open learning centre’, this involves ‘off the job’ training, where ‘Flybe’s’ employees can study in their free time. The aim for ‘Flybe’ is to get the employees to realise the importance of getting up to date with new technology and developments in the industry and other particular areas of work. As you might expect this ‘open learning centre’ can’t teach you the new technology aeroplane information, this just allows you to be taught the basics or advanced about a certain area for example, business communications.
National training initiatives
They’re an organisation called ‘Investors in people’ this is the national standard which sets a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals. ‘Flybe’ are apart of this, meaning that they are trying to help their staff to become better trained and something to aim and look forward too. There are national training awards, where businesses and their employees can be granted awards for achieving excellence and success through training. This would be good for any company to receive one of these awards, as it means free and excellent publicity with rewards as well.
The ‘National training’ includes things like:
- Online learning
- NVQ’S (National vocalically qualifications)
- Open university Degree
Online learning is simply a self-motivated learning progress that allows you to learn your own time and at your own pace.
NVQ’S have three stages: 1, 2 and 3. Employers have a guideline saying that stage 2 is GCSE level.
Open University Degree involves more work and has achieved great things by getting there. Some courses that a person who was interested in working with a company such as ‘Flybe’ would take some sort of management schemes or business and administration, but this isn’t specific to ‘Flybe’.
Health and safety training
Health and safety is a main part of any company but with ‘Flybe’ this is apart that has to be looked at closely. The airhost all have to be highly trained before being allowed to enter inside a real plane, they get training for this of course and normally a company like ‘Flybe’ would pay for this.
‘Flybe’ also train up people who work with mechanical items and planes; this has proven that it helps people’s common knowledge about accidents. People that work with machinery are at a higher risk of getting physically injured than a people who works as an assistant at ‘Flybe’.
‘Flybe’ train most of their staff up to the health and safety laws, this is normally done outside of ‘Flybe’ (external training).
Improvements
I believe that having regular updates and even a course once every other year would help the staff remember certain points about health and safety.
Also it would be cost effective for all companies to appraisal and performance people in groups rather than individually, this means that other members of staff know what each other have to aim towards and improve on. Meaning that the whole company will act as more of a group and not try and achieve individually. I think that this is a good idea and the employer would be about to set both individual targets and group/department targets.