A hospital requires employees to work long and often unsociable hours. Discuss why and how the hospital should assist its employees to achieve a good work-life balance.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2017). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Work-life balance is where employees choose to and are allowed to attain a good balance between the time and effort given to work and that given to life outside of work e.g. family, leisure etc.
2. Why
3. [Why] a duty of care for a business.
4. [Why] to protect staff from over-stress and mental health issues.
5. [Why] it is about employee morale and welfare.
6. [Why] in a more positive way it is the practice of caring for staff.
7. [Why] this may well lead to more loyalty, productivity and commitment.
8. [Why] this increases employee efficiency.
9. [Why] it requires investment but can reap rewards.
10. How
11. [How] company will need to regularly review structures and processes that put too much pressure on employees.
12. [How] introduce more flexible working e.g. more working from home; job sharing; sabbaticals.
13. [How] regular consultation with employees.
14. [How] ensure management support for employees.
15. Evaluative comments could be:
16. [Evaluation] A significant role for HRM but WLB cannot be achieved by company action alone (though this may be very helpful and necessary). It also requires individual employee recognition of the dangers of working too hard and too long. It may well be a shared responsibility.
17. [Evaluation] Good context discussion will recognise that the nature of this organisation often requires long and unsocial hours and high stress levels can result from hospital work. Hence an HRM department should have real policies to encourage WLB.
18. (17-20 marks) Effective evaluation of why and how a hospital should assist its employees to achieve a good work-life balance.
19. (13-16 marks) Good analysis and limited evaluation of why and how a hospital should assist its employees to achieve a good work-life balance.
20. (11-12 marks) Analysis of why and how a hospital should assist its employees to achieve a good work-life balance.
21. (5-10 marks) Limited analysis with application of why and/or how a hospital/organisation should assist its employees to achieve a good work-life balance.
22. (1-4 marks) Some understanding of the work-life balance concept.
23. (0 marks) No creditable content