Employment Strategies for a Tough Economic Climate

摘要

Labour costs invariably come under review during an economic downturn. Despite the urgency and stress that often accompanies these reviews, architectural firms should implement strategies to reduce labour costs with care to ensure they comply with their legal responsibilities as an employer and employees' legal rights and entitlements. A number of strategies are available to firms needing to reduce labour costs in a time of economic downturn. They can reduce the size of the workforce, which raises process and redundancy pay issues. They can also consider asking employees to agree to reduce their hours of work, their leave accruals or remuneration, or increase their working hours. Other options such as unpaid internships are discussed later in this article and have inherent risks involved.