Employment Relations from a Global Perspective
Assessment Type: Individual Report
Due date:17 August 11.59PM (AEST)
Length: 1200 words (+/– 10%)
Weighting: 20% of total assessment
Overview
This assessment asks you weigh up the HRM benefits and risks of employing international students in the Australian hospitality industry within the context of the Australian ER system
Learning Outcomes
This assessment is related to CLOs 3 and 4
- Critically analyse the implications of employment relations models to formulate strategic practices appropriate to organisations.
- Evaluate the influence of stakeholders and policies on international employment relations, to develop relevant organisational policies and practices.
The Scenario
You are the HR manager of a company that runs a chain of pizza outlets in Melbourne, Australia. The chain is owned by your boss. With ongoing business uncertainty because of COVID19 in 2020, your boss was forced to temporarily close several of the outlets and let a number of staff go.
But with prospect for higher vaccination rates and better quarantine measures, your boss is seeking to fully open up again. She is aware, however, that employing staff in the hospitality industry, particularly at this time, is problematic (Links to an external site.). So she is considering employing international students who have remained in Australia to work as kitchen assistants and delivery staff.
However, your boss has some concerns. She has been reading about exploitation and wage theft that is rife in some sectors of the economy (eg hospitality, retail, agriculture); and particularly for some groups of workers including international students. She knows you have industry experience and a postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management, so she has asked for your help.
Assessment details: Report to Management
Your boss has asked you to provide her with a report. Specifically, she would like a report that:
- Proposes, with evidence to support your claims, three possible benefits to the company and/or to other stakeholders of employing international students in her pizza outlets; and
- Analyses two risks to the company including how or whether these risks can be managed.
You understand that whatever you recommend, it must comply with laws on employing temporary migrants, and in general with the requirements of the Fair Work Act 2009 and any other relevant legislation.
Sources & Reference Material
Your boss gave you a folder with some information to get you started and help you understand the current debates/issues and the context of the situation, which included:
- Two academic journal articles on the experience of international students at work in Australia:
- Clibborn, S. (2021). Multiple frames of reference: Why international student workers in Australia tolerate underpayment. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 42(2), 336-354.
- Clibborn, S., & Wright, C. F. (2020). COVID-19 and the policy-induced vulnerabilities of temporary migrant workers in Australia. Journal of Australian Political Economy, (85), 62-70.
- Some topical news stories and policy blogs on temporary migrant workers at the following links:
- https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/we-are-literally-desperate-restaurants-desperate-for-staff-amid-skills-shortage-20201016-h1rgd0 (Links to an external site.)
- https://theconversation.com/weve-let-wage-exploitation-become-the-default-experience-of-migrant-workers-113644 (Links to an external site.)
- https://theconversation.com/2021-is-the-year-australias-international-student-crisis-really-bites-153180 (Links to an external site.)
- https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-policy-lab/news-and-analysis/news-commentary/the-future-of-enforcement-for-migrant-workers-in-australia.html (Links to an external site.)
- https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/abattoir-boss-threatens-chinese-workers-visa-status-in-abusive-tirade-20210625-p58470.html (Links to an external site.)
- A link to Australian government websites providing details on the temporary student visa, on the implications of COVID-19 on visa conditions for international students and working while studying:
- https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500 (Links to an external site.)
- https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/international-students (Links to an external site.)
- https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/work
This assessment also assumes you have carefully read the Chapter on ‘Employment relations in Australia’ by Chris Wright & Sarah Kaine in Bamber et al. 2021 International and Comparative Employment Relations, Sage.
You must include at least 12 quality references in your report (scholarly, reputable consulting company or law firm recent reports), including the 2 academic journal articles above.
Referencing guidelines
Harvard Style
Length & format of your report
Your report should be 1,200 words (maximum– not including the executive summary and references)
The format for this assignment is a business report. For some excellent guidance on writing Business Reports see: https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/reports-0
Answer
Order to get the full Answer for this.
