discussion

Answer

HEALTHCARE

Discussion 5.1

Topic: Managing Staff Time and Incentive

Fixed working hours are soon to be a thing of the past in the technologically revolutionized 21^st Century. In the past, the ‘9am to 5pm work day’ was commonly in place for employees (Conte et al, 2018). The same could be monitored through manual means. Times have, however, changed and employers can now monitor their employees’ work hours through new technologies such as biometrically-enabled time and attendance systems, which use the employee’s unique fingerprint or facial features to check them into or out of work (Jain et al, 2007). This helps to keep paper-trail free tabs on the working hours of the employee. The acquired results can then be used to establish the employee’s pattern of behavior thereto. In the field of healthcare, set working hours and schedules are important since the work of the healthcare providers work involves caring for other people. In this regard, attention must be directed towards shift changes to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are met.

Flextime is a form of temporal flexibility system that involves allowing the employees to choose their own working hours provided they achieve their specified number of work hours per week. There are two more categories of flextime; the gliding or variable time “where arrival and departure times can be altered by the employee as long as they are present during the core time period” and the flextour wherein an employee can choose their arrival and departure time but has to specify one or two weeks in advance and must cover the core time period (Conte et al, 2018, p. 47). The advantage of flextime is that it allows employees to decide on their most comfortable working hours, making it easier for them to produce better results compared to the fixed working hour system. Flextour is particularly convenient for working parents who have to schedule their hours to fit into their family time.

Job sharing is another effective time management tool. It involves pairing up two or three employees for a part-time employment on the same post (Kunders, 2004). It is a form of flextime system but differs in this way; the employees must agree on the times in which they will cover their shifts without necessarily involving their employer (Conte et al, 2018). This system is very effective for people who are looking for work-life balance. Job sharing also helps in retention of employees since they work in different and overlapping shifts and hence more employment opportunities are created.

The compressed work week system on the other hand, involves the reduction of the standard five eight-hour days of work per week to fewer days, depending on the employee’s preference (Conte et al, 2018). It basically involves the willingness of an employee to work longer days for its benefits of free days. It can be a three ‘twelve-hour’ days plan or a four ‘ten-hour’ day’s one or nine ‘nine-hour’ days within a span of two weeks.

Based on the foregoing, it is important to note that the illusion of choice plays a major role in a person’s willingness to do anything (Bear and Bloom, 2016). Most people like the feeling of freedom and to an extent it brings the best out of individuals. Flexibility in working hours is no different. The illusion of freedom that this flexibility creates is a major motivational tool. Moreover, the fact that it allows employees time to deal with their personal issues reduces the chances of burnout which further helps in retention of employees (Woodhead, Northrop, and Edelstein, 2016). Besides, the job satisfaction that arises from the flexibility helps in the retention of result-bearing employees. Employees resultantly feel valued and supported and this fosters a sense of belonging.

A major disadvantage of the flexibility, however, falls on the management. Flexibility of the workforce usually means more work for the management since they have to keep monitoring the attendance of every individual employee to ensure that the working hours are met (Kunders, 2004). For the employees, on the other hand, the disadvantage is that the usual full-time employment benefits are scrapped off, especially for the part-timers who are usually in need of the benefits since they have families thus inescapably their spare time and money are consumed (Kunders, 2004).

Discussion 5.2

Topic: Case Study - Phone Coverage

Phone coverage, particularly in the healthcare department, is vital to the proper management of health (which is basically what healthcare providers do). This is because it is important in follow ups and feedback after the patient is discharged; and for emergency response too. Proper phone coverage is also useful to employees who need to call in sick or take a vacation leave. This means that for the flexibility of working hours and for easier management of the same, proper phone coverage is needed. Poor telephone coverage could result in unprecedented deaths and/or injuries that could lead to defamation of the healthcare institutions.  All things considered, employment of phone operators is the most recommendable option. The importance of a good phone operator at a hospital cannot be emphasized enough. Their job involving telephone coverage and response initiation alone, they are the first and sometimes only line of hope for the person at the other end of the line. Therefore, their ability to get to the doctors, nurses and other employees is vital to the Hospital’s daily activities. They must be reliable and effective communicators and must be able to handle all matters with the sensitivity that is required (Kunders, 2004).