Employers Needs to Be Prioritized
‘Given the current economic circumstances employers needs must be prioritised’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement, why?
It is no secret that Ireland is in considerable economic adversity but is our governments’ regulatory burden imposed on Irish firms further hampering their competitive advantage? The onerous amount of work involved in dealing with regulation such as employment standards and protection, can and will add to the costs of a business (ROBERT WATTAND DEREK SCULLY, 2007, p224). Known as the compliance cost it can adversely affect the productivity of the company as well as diverting resources away from fundamental business activities. Ireland, being a nation of small businesses, has been hit hard with these costs. Research suggests that the burden of these costs fall disproportionally on small businesses so it is clear that the policy makers need to strike a balance. In an attempt to do this the government has set up a Better Regulation Group to help advise towards policy regulation (ROBERT WATTAND DEREK SCULLY, 2007, p224-225).
Having said that, after identifying the costs and disadvantages inflicted on Irish firms through regulations, it is hard to see why the employer needs should be prioritised ahead of employee protection.
Rationale arguments can be made for both sides but if the needs of employers are prioritised, even if the economy is suffering, then we could expect heavy industrial action such as what we have seen emerge from Croke Park II. Lesser regulations could see companies introduce mass lay-offs and discrimination all under the caption of economic survival. An extreme view maybe but, in my own opinion, the costs being inflicted now on businesses and the Irish economy do not come close to the inevitable costs suffered by prioritising employers. None the less a balance must be
It is no secret that Ireland is in considerable economic adversity but is our governments’ regulatory burden imposed on Irish firms further hampering their competitive advantage? The onerous amount of work involved in dealing with regulation such as employment standards and protection, can and will add to the costs of a business (ROBERT WATTAND DEREK SCULLY, 2007, p224). Known as the compliance cost it can adversely affect the productivity of the company as well as diverting resources away from fundamental business activities. Ireland, being a nation of small businesses, has been hit hard with these costs. Research suggests that the burden of these costs fall disproportionally on small businesses so it is clear that the policy makers need to strike a balance. In an attempt to do this the government has set up a Better Regulation Group to help advise towards policy regulation (ROBERT WATTAND DEREK SCULLY, 2007, p224-225).
Having said that, after identifying the costs and disadvantages inflicted on Irish firms through regulations, it is hard to see why the employer needs should be prioritised ahead of employee protection.
Rationale arguments can be made for both sides but if the needs of employers are prioritised, even if the economy is suffering, then we could expect heavy industrial action such as what we have seen emerge from Croke Park II. Lesser regulations could see companies introduce mass lay-offs and discrimination all under the caption of economic survival. An extreme view maybe but, in my own opinion, the costs being inflicted now on businesses and the Irish economy do not come close to the inevitable costs suffered by prioritising employers. None the less a balance must be