1. Why do organizations and individuals enter into employment relationships?

Organizations and individuals enter into employment relationships primarily for mutual

benefit. Companies need people with skills to perform activities and ensure that goals set in

an organization are achieved thus enhancing productivity and success. On the other hand,

employers employ to receive wages, gain practical experience, and meet the goals of

employers and workers (Laing, 2021).

This mutually beneficial relationship benefits the organizations through the utilization of

human skills and abilities, the employees get wages, promotions, and satisfaction among

other benefits. Also, these relationships are bound by legal and social contracts which clearly

outline the expectations and obligations of each partner thus creating a stable environment for

their working relationships (Ho & Kuvaas, 2019).

2. What does the word resource in the term human resource management suggest about

the nature of the employment relationship?

The term "resource" in human resource management implies that employees are viewed as

assets essential to the operational success of an organization. This perspective underlines the

value of the concept of human capital management, highlighting the role of increasing

productivity, providing personal growth, and satisfying the needs of the employees within the

company. Using the people resources term emphasizes that employees are assets that require

additional investment in the form of training, personal development, and company policies

that would increase efficiency and commitment to the organization’s goals (Ozkeser, 2019).

However, it also provided an ethical concern to the likelihood of dehumanizing individuals

and converting them into products for sale where profitability should equally go hand in hand

with humane and fairness.

3. In what ways are women typically disadvantaged in employment relationships? What

factors explain this disadvantage?

Women are typically disadvantaged in employment relationships due to a variety of

structural, cultural, and organizational factors. These include gender biases that affect the

hiring and promotion of women and result in limited female employment and remunerative

occupational positions. Inequality is also evident in wages for women who are paid

significantly less than their male counterparts for the same job and effort (Kulich &

Chipeaux, 2019).

Further, the social construct of gender roles can disadvantage women, especially in regards to

jobs and family responsibilities where chaos leads to women receiving promotions and

manageable part-time jobs that hinder their career advancement. Solving these dilemmas

entails proactivity toward policies and practice changes that would support gender equality in

the workplace.

1. What worker and employer rights and obligations flow from common law and from

statutory law?

Ans:- Worker and employer rights and obligations stemming from common law and statutory

law are fundamental to the employment relationship. On the other hand, rules that are created

out of court through decisions made by the courts are known as the common law and include

breach of contract, duty of care, and negligence.

For example, employers are under the common law obligation to ensure that workplaces are

safe and free from hazards, whereas employees are under a corresponding obligation not to

undermine their employer’s business. Statutory law, on the other hand, refers to laws that

originate from government bodies and cover areas such as wages and hours, discrimination,

and health and safety regulations among others (Galvin, 2019). These laws prescribe certain
responsibilities and grant specific rights to both employers and employees, thus giving the

basic level of safety and justice in the course of labor activity.

2. How is the issue of workplace health and safety both technical and political?

Ans:- The issue of workplace health and safety is both technical and political, intertwining

practical challenges with broader policy considerations. In the technical aspect, it means

integrating science, and engineering in the identification, evaluation, and control of risks and

hazards in the workplace (Brocal et al., 2019). This involves aspects of ergonomics along

with proper dealing with hazardous substances, for example.

From a political perspective, workplace health and safety is a policy issue based on political

decisions to settle between government departments, employers’ organizations, trade unions,

and employees (Lucio, 2020). Policies are formal resolutions made based on political power

struggles, by stakeholders with vested interests in economic rationality, labor, or public well-

being.

3. Why are employers increasingly organizing work in non-standard ways? What effect

does this trend have on women?

Ans:- Employers are increasingly organizing work in non-standard ways, such as gig work,

remote work, and flexible schedules, primarily to increase agility and reduce costs. This trend

enables organizations to convene labor under the current trends, and cut costs associated with

full-time employment (Wheatley, 2022).

As for women, this shift can produce both beneficial and adverse consequences. Non-

standard employment on the one side is less restrictive and may help women to manage

working and family responsibilities (Giordano & Meraviglia, 2024). However, such

arrangements provide little to no employment protection, benefits, and possibilities to

advance within a career, which can lead to widening the gender gap in long-term employment

and financial prospects within a given occupation.

 References

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