In order to carry out effective workforce resourcing within ImportantParcel, a strategic match of contractual arrangements in relation to operational variability is required with compliances to the UK employment law. The dynamic dynamics of the logistics requirements, especially on a peak season, further makes clear the fact that can be bound by only relying on permanent full time contracts, which may limit the organizational adaptiveness. A mixed-contract strategy does not only increase responsiveness in an organization, but it also allows dynamic labor distribution.
There is also a range of benefits, such as job security and continuity, and an increased rate of employee engagement, which are provided by permanent and full-time contracts, as Taylor (2021) elucidates. These types of contracts are best suited in case of large, fixed-route deliveries and management posts where knowledge about institutions, trust, and dealing with customers are key. Nevertheless, the rigidity inherent in such contracts presents difficulties in non-peak times, which frequently lead to the rise of a compulsory fixed labor cost inconsistent with the change in demand which Marchington et al. (2020) are concerned with.
On the contrary, temporary and fixed-term agreements give ImportantParcel the required flexibility to cope with short-term changes in workload, especially, when there is a festive season or an advertising campaign. Such arrangements are in line with the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 and they meet the flexibility and retain the standards of the law. However, the increased use of temporary workers may result in losing knowledge in the organization and hamper the forming of a dedicated workforce, as researchers describe (Sokol and Tarulli, 2024).
Part-time contracts will not only be a long-term solution to sustaining service delivery at night or weekends but it will also help in inclusiveness to employees who desire part-time employment. They guarantee pro-rata working rights as well as having the capability of adjusting workload during long operating hours (Taylor, 2021). Part-time work is able to boost workforce resilience and motivation when handled properly.
On the one hand, zero-hours contracts are of great flexibility; on the other hand, they attract ethical aspects. These contracts have been criticized since they are sources of income insecurity although in the UK it is permitted provided it is non-exclusive. We should use them carefully when there is a sporadic or emergency need at ImportantParcel and declare openly our management methods that aim to prevent reputational and legal consequences (Marchington et al., 2020).
The fact that the gig economy is becoming more popular contributes to further diversification of resourcing models that organizations can access. Use of the self-employed delivery drivers can allow a cost-efficient scalability, but as the Uber v Aslam (2021) case demonstrates, the gig workers can require various worker entitlements such as minimum wage and paid holidays so the consideration should be done with caution. In this way, the strategic workforce planning must pay attention to legal, ethical, and operational consequences (Altman et al., 2023).
ImportantParcel would also have the advantage of hiring a multi-level contracting system. In order to ensure continuity of services, major functions ought to be supported on permanent contracts with secondary part-time and ad-hoc or temporary contracts based on the level of demand unpredictability, and non-core or peak-period work correspondingly allocated to gig-based or zero-hour contracts. The synergistic mix as enabled by an effective strategic workforce planning, facilitates agility, regulatory compliance and long-term sustainable employee sustainability (Sokol and Tarulli, 2024).
References
Altman, E.J., Kiron, D., Schwartz, J. and Jones, R. (2023) Workforce ecosystems: reaching strategic goals with people, partners and technologies. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. and Kynighou, A. (2020) Human resource management at work: the definitive guide. 7th ed. London: CIPD Kogan Page.
Sokol, M. and Tarulli, B. (eds.) (2024) Strategic workforce planning: best practices and emerging directions. New York: OUP USA. (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Professional Practice series)
Taylor, S. (2021) Resourcing and talent management: the theory and practice of recruiting and developing a workforce. 8th ed. London: CIPD and Kogan Page.
