u1 Assessment

Business and Administration

Unit one: Principles of personal responsibilities and working in a business environment

Assessment

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Please note that this Assessment document has 15 pages and is made up of 7 Sections.

Name: Tender Catalin Victor

Section 1: Rights and responsibilities at work

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 1: Know the employment rights and responsibilities of the employee and employer

Learning objective Place in Assessment

1.1 Identify the main points of contracts of employment Question 1 Page 1

1.2 Identify the main points of legislation affecting employers and employees

Question 2 Page 2

1.3 Identify where to find information on employment rights and responsibilities both internally and externally

Question 3 Page 3

1.4 Describe how representative bodies can support the employee

Question 4 Page 3

1.5 Identify employer and employee responsibilities for equality and diversity in a business environment

Question 5 Page 3

1.6 Explain the benefits of making sure equality and diversity procedures are followed in a business environment

Question 6 Page 3

1. Identify four main points that would be included in a contract of employment. If possible, use an example contract to support your answer (feel free to obscure any confidential information). [1.1]

Job title, Employee's name, Hours of work and Duties and Responsibilities

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2a) List three key points of legislation that affect employers in a business environment. [1.2]

Health and Safety, Statutory Employment Acts, The National Minimum Wage Act 1998

2b) List three key points of legislation that affect employees in a business environment. [1.2]

Contractual Employment Acts, The Equality Act 2010, The Working Time Regulations

3. Identify a range of places where a person can find information on employment rights and responsibilities. You should identify at least two internal and two external sources of information. [1.3]

A person can find information on employment from internal sorces like the manager or Human Resources Department and from external sources like websites including directgov.co.uk, hse.gov.uk and representative bodies including Citizens Advice, trade unions.

4. Describe how representative bodies can support employees. [1.4]The representative bodies cand support employees by giving them clear information and assistance about their current rights at their place of employment and by representing their interest in different organisations.The representative bodies cand help employees by giving them information and consultation representation and they can help them in Health and Safety, Pensions.

5. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for equality and diversity in a business environment. You should give at least two employer responsibilities and two employee responsibilities. [1.5]



If possible, provide relevant equality and diversity procedures from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents should be annotated to highlight the relevant sections.

Employers have the responsibility to ensure that the employees have acces to the most relevant information and that the correct policies and procedures are in place to adress the relevant areas of legislation.

The employees should treat others with respect and they should follow company policies regarding equality and diversity.

6. Explain the benefits of making sure equality and diversity procedures are followed in a business environment. Your answer should include one benefit for the employer, one benefit for the employee and one benefit for the overall organisation. [1.6]

The employer cand rely on the service and expertise of a larger number of people by not discrimnating any race, sex and religion.The employees have a safe environment where they feel valued and supported that mekes them more competent and motivated.The overall organisation gains experienced staff and economical benefits and they also protect themselves from laws that punish discrimination.



Section 2: All about health, safety and security

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 2: Understand the purpose of health, safety and security procedures in a business environment


2.1 Identify employer and employee responsibilities for health, safety and security in a business environment

Question 1 Page 4

2.2 Explain the purpose of following health, safety and security procedures in a business environment

Question 2 Page 4

2.3 Identify ways of maintaining a safe and secure environment in a business environment

Question 3 Page 5

1a. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for health and safety. [2.1]

The employer must provide employees with information regarding Health and Safety, they must maintain the equipment and asses the risks in the workplace.The employee must follow the employer's polices for health and safety, they must asses risks for themselves and they must take responsibility for their own health and their colleagues.

1b. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for security. [2.1]

If possible, provide relevant health, safety and security policies / documents from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents should be annotated to highlight the relevant sections.

First of all the employer must follow all of the safety procedures. They must protect the staff, their information, the information stored in the company as well as the goods of that organisation. They should ensure that the business is compliant with relevant legislation.

The employees must know what are the workplace policies, they must apply safe working policies for their role, know the suppliers and manufacturer's instructions, asses and reduce the risks in the workplace. They must also report anything that isn't in order with their supervisors.



2. Explain the purpose of following health, safety and security procedures in a business environment. [2.2]

The purpose of following health, safety and security procedures is to ensure that the welfare of the employee and others is maintained at all time and that the organisation is compliant to relevant legislation. But also, depending on the company, they will be working to ensure that any visitors, customers, clients, and even members of the public are not put at risk by anything the company does, produces, sells, hires out, builds, constructs.A simple reason for following health and safety procedures is that it often costs the company less money to be safe. If your procedures reduce absenteeism or accidents, you have reduced out of work time, so potentially lower workers' compensation insurance premiums (or payouts if you're self insured), you have lower training costs because you don't have to keep hiring replacement people either temporarily or permanently, and if your employees think the company actually cares about them you often get better motivation in the work they do for you.

3. Describe three different ways of maintaining a safe and secure business environment. [2.3]

The employer must install different security systems like cameras to protect from thieves and from unauthorised people and they must protect the information stored in their computers and their employee's personal data.The employees must have a safe personal conduct, like not showing up under the influence of drugs and alcohol at work.



Section 3: Communicating effectively with others

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 3: Understand how to communicate effectively with others


3.1 Describe different methods of communication Question 1 Page 6

3.2 Explain how to choose the most appropriate method of communicating with others

Question 2 Page 6

3.3 Describe ways of actively listening Question 3 Page 7

1. Describe three different methods of communication. You should include two verbal, two non-verbal and two written methods of communication. [3.1]

In the workplace, people discuss by having face-to-face meetings, by written communication, by having other person-to-person communications and by non-verbal communications.

Face-to-face communications are more personal and they can happen during a meeting or during discussions in a small group. There are a lot of subjects that can be discussed, ranging from personal issues to more important administrative problems.

Written communication in a workplace is formal and almost always regarding a company issue. You can receive an e-mail or a letter regarding a new development, a new deadline or an issue that has risen in your company.

Other way people communicate is by telephone or video-conference. You are never close to all of your colleagues or customers, so sometimes you have to communicate something very fast without having to write e-mails and letters.

We can also communicate using our body language, by making eye contact or by verbal tone. These are very important because they show authenticity and they send the message more clearly to the people we are speaking to.

2. Using two specific examples, explain how to choose the most appropriate method of communication to meet your needs and the needs of others. [3.2]

For me, in my workplace, the most appropriate way of communication is verbal, face-to-face discussions and meetings. Because we all work together and it



is the fastest and easiest way to fix different problems that occur. Working in a hotel also means that we communicate a lot with people, so we have to be able to understand their wishes and problems and resolve them as soon as we can.

But because we have a lot of departments, we also send e-mails and written notes to eachother in order to communicate while on different shifts.

3. Describe at least two ways of actively listening. [3.3]

First of all to actively listen to somebody you need to use all your senses on him and focus on the message. You need to look at him and not around the room and you need to give him feedback, like saying “Yes!”, “I understand”.

A different sign of active listening is asking for clarification where you didn't quite understand the topic. This makes the person who is communicating to you realise that he is heard.



Section 4: Working with others

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 4: Understand how to work with and support colleagues


4.1 Explain the purpose of agreeing standards for own work with others

Question 1 Page 8

4.2 Explain the purpose of taking on new challenges and adapting to change

Question 2 Page 8

4.3 Explain the purpose of treating others with honesty and consideration

Question 3 Page 8

1. Explain the purpose of agreeing standards for your own work. Give at least two reasons. [4.1]

Every business needs to know what it is doing and what it wants to achieve, so everybody involved in that process must work towards some standards. Without them no particular plan can be achieved and no improvement can be made.

Standards clarify the work process, allowing the worker to understand more easily what he is doing and what he can change what he is doing wrong.

Standards also ensure consistency in our company, so people meet their deadlines and demands.

2. Explain the purpose of taking on new challenges and being able to adapt to change at work. [4.2]

Everything changes around us, and the business environment is a very volatile place. Customers want different things, the markets change, fashion changes, so everybody needs to adapt to these changes and understand when they are happening. The employee needs to allow for constant improvements, checking for checking for consistent standards, ensuring methods are up-to-date, relevant and fit-for-purpose, meeting requirements of clients/ customers etc. Learning new things all the time and following the trends in your own field, makes everything more easy and gives the company the edge and profit it is seeking.



Constantly improving also makes you better at your current job, makes you meet your deadlines faster, easier. It is a plus both for the business, that gets a better product faster, and the employee, that has an easier job and more time with less stress.

3. Explain the purpose of treating others with honesty and consideration. [4.3]

The way you treat others is the way others treat you. When you are considerate, helpful and sincere you can expect the same from your colleagues and customers. This helps you advance and it helps the company by having a reliable person.

For exemple, you may cheat a customer once or maybe even twice, but you can win only so much before loosing that person forever and even getting negative feedback that can make you loose more business.



Section 5: Planning your own work

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 5: Know how to plan own work and be accountable to others


5.1 Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when completing tasks

Question 1 Page 10

5.2 Identify ways of planning own work Question 2 Page 10

5.3 Compare ways of keeping other people informed about progress

Question 3 Page 10

1. Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when completing tasks in a business environment. [5.1]

A task has to be done in a certain amount a time and every worker is a part of this mechanism, that is the organisation. So if a single person is taking to long, or does a bad job, the whole task is failed or delivered badly.

Meeting work standards and deadlines improves productivity, work relationships, reputation of the business, organisation, employee confidence and their career advancement, and it also reduces customer complaints.

2. Identify two different methods that you can use to plan your own work in a business environment. [5.2]

You have to know what you are doing in order to plan your day and prioritise your tasks to have the most effective workflow. Wasting time on unimportant tasks and not using your time effectively can mean failing your assignment.

Of course nothing is set in stone, so you must be very flexible to adapt your plans according to changes.



3. Describe ways of keeping other people informed about progress and compare their effectiveness. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach? [5.3]

All the people involved in the task need to know the plan and what is the deadline. Everyone needs to know their responsibilities and their schedule.

If you allocate responsibilities and something goes wrong you know exactly who to talk to and who to call to fix them. This also makes further planning easier by understanding the process and its weaknesses, but gives individuals responsibilities, instead of the whole group and it can mean added pressure on them.

Having a schedule keeps peope from procrastinating and makes the problems easier to spot. But it is very hard to respect it because a lot of unplanned problems can arise.

Face to face is very personal, very detailed, very thorough. However, it can be time consuming. If you need to be in more than one place in a very short space of time, this can be a hindrance.

Talking on the phone is a personal and direct way of keeping peope informed. It is short and can be flexible, but if you need to talk to more people at once it can be hard.

Letters/traditional mail can be very thorough. You send original articles, it is personal, shows effort. If you have a lot to send out, this can be very costly and it can be very slow.



Section 6: Improving your performance

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 6: Understand the purpose of improving own performance in a business environment and how to do so


6.1 Explain the purpose of continuously improving own performance in a business environment

Question 1 Page 12

6.2 Describe ways of improving own performance in a business environment

Question 2 Page 12

6.3 Identify different types of career pathways that are available

Question 3 Page 13

1. Explain the purpose of continuously improving your performance in a business environment. [6.1]

Every person shouldn't stop improving, and by doing this in the workplace you can get many benefits. You can get promotions and a pay raise, but you also feel better and more satisfied about your job and your life.

You can go past your limitations and achieve personal goals and grow stronger as a worker and as an individual.

By always being better everyday you become an indispensable team member and a person who is always chosen to advance in his career by the management.

2. Describe at least two ways of improving your performance at work. Where relevant, illustrate your answer with specific examples from your own experience. [6.2]

First of all you must make mistakes in order to learn, because this is one of the easiest way to understand what you did wrong.

During work hours you can ask your colleagues and managers for feedback, so this way you can improve your performance by using the experience of others. At my work we are always learning, talking and sharing useful tips in order to make each customer more and more happy about the services.



And you need to pay attention on your reviews because they give you the best feedback and a plan to further develop the areas where you are lacking.

3. Identify at least two different types of career pathways or options that may be available to you. [6.3]

Working in the Food and Beverage Department of the Worcester Whitehouse Hotel gives me a number of different options in order to advance my career.

A supervisor position can be available by learning all of the details of the job. This leads to a restaurant manager position, which would mean a very good future for me.

But I can also move to different departments, like the Reception or Bar, because I have received training for both of them.

It is my choice what path I should take, but because I am working just for a month here, first I need more experience.



Section 7: Problems at work

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 7: Understand the types of problems that may occur in a business environment and how to deal with them


7.1 Identify the types of problems that may occur in a business environment

Question 1 Page 14

7.2 Explain ways of dealing with problems that may occur in a business environment

Question 2 Page 14

7.3 Explain how and when to refer problems to relevant colleagues

Question 3 Page 14

1. Identify at least two different types of problems that can occur in a business environment. [7.1]

A lot of problems can occur in a business environment, ranging from small to major problems.

A deadline can be passed or shortened and a piece of work can be unacceptable and the whole process must start over again, losing time, money and even customers.

2. Describe at least two specific problems that can occur at work and explain how they can be dealt with. [7.2]

In my work if a customer's meal doesn't meet his standards, I have to apologise, take it back, talk to the chef to redo the plate to the different specifications and then take it back to the customer.

If an architect is working on a project and someone from the city hall sends a letter telling him something is wrong with the paperwork, he needs to redo the project, making changes and even changing the drawings in order to get the proper consents.



3. List at least two problems you are able to deal with yourself and two problems you would need to refer to others to deal with. Explain how and when you would refer these problems to others. [7.3]

If I find a place that is dirty in my workplace it is my duty to clean it, in order to conform to the Health and Safety regulations. And also if a customer has any problem with the food and the drinks, it is my responsibility to fix it.

But for example, if a customer eats something that he is allergic to, I have to help him as much as I can, but in the end I have to call the ambulance to save his life.

If by any means I feel discriminated or harrased in the workplace, I have to tell my manager so he can fix this problem.

When the problem is out of my reach not telling anyone makes it even worse, then is the time to get someone else who is in a better position to help.

Once you have completed all 7 Sections of this Assessment, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your work to your tutor for marking.


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