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Giáo trình tiếng anh - Quản trị nhận lực | Trường Đại học Lao động - Xã hội
Giáo trình tiếng anh - Quản trị nhận lực | Trường Đại học Lao động - Xã hội được sưu tầm và soạn thảo dưới dạng file PDF để gửi tới các bạn sinh viên cùng tham khảo, ôn tập đầy đủ kiến thức, chuẩn bị cho các buổi học thật tốt. Mời bạn đọc đón xem!
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Nhóm biên soạn:
Th.S Phan Thị Mai Hương – Th.S Trịnh Thị Thủy – Th.S Kiều Linh – Th.S Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương
Th.S Đàm Lan Hương – Th.S Phạm Thị Hồng Hạnh – Th.S Trương Thị Tuyết Hạnh TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH QUẢN TRỊ NHÂN LỰC
(ENGLISH FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT)
H À N Ộ I , T H Á N G 9 N Ă M 2 0 1 2 ULSA
ENGLISH FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Lời nói đầu
ESP – ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
Tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Quản trị nhân lực - English for Human Resource
Management là giáo trình dành cho sinh viên năm thứ hai và thứ ba Khoa Quản
trị Nhân lực, Trường Đại học Lao động Xã hội. Giáo trình bao quát những lĩnh
vực quan trọng nhất trong quản trị nguồn nhân lực.
Mục đích của giáo trình này là:
+ Về kiến thức: nhằm trang bị cho sinh viên các thuật ngữ tiếng Anh cơ bản
về chuyên ngành Quản trị nhân lực, đồng thời giúp sinh viên có khả năng
tự đọc tài liệu chuyên ngành bằng tiếng Anh trong quá trình học tập và
phục vụ chuyên môn sau này.
+ Về kỹ năng: nâng cao kỹ năng đọc hiểu và viết bằng tiếng Anh về chuyên
ngành Quản trị nhân lực.
Giáo trình được biên soạn gồm 20 bài học với các chủ đề khác nhau.
Trong đó mỗi bài học đều gồm một văn bản đọc cung cấp thông tin mang đến
sự khái quát về một chủ đề cụ thể, giới thiệu những khái niệm về quản trị
nguồn nhân lực then chốt, và bao gồm một lượng lớn từ vựng chuyên ngành
tương ứng, cùng với nhiều dạng bài tập từ vựng và đọc hiểu khác nhau. Phần
ngữ pháp với các hiện tượng ngữ pháp đặc trưng có bài tập áp dụng đính kèm.
Giáo trình do nhóm giảng viên thuộc Khoa Ngoại Ngữ - Trường Đại học
Lao động Xã hội biên soạn, gồm: Th.s Phan Thị Mai Hương, trưởng khoa
Ngoại Ngữ (Chủ biên) – Th.s Trịnh Thị Thủy – Th.s Kiều Linh – Th.s Nguyễn
Thị Thanh Hương – Th.s Đàm Lan Hương – Th.s Phạm Thị Hồng Hạnh – Th.s Trương Thị Tuyết Hạnh
Do đây là lần đầu tiên ra mắt giáo trình nên khó tránh khỏi nhiều thiếu sót,
nhóm biên soạn rất mong nhận được sự đóng góp của các đồng nghiệp trong
trường, bạn đọc gần xa. Cuối cùng, nhóm biên soạn xin được cảm ơn Ban
giám hiệu Nhà trường, Ban lãnh đạo Khoa Quản trị nhân lực, Ban lãnh đạo
Khoa Ngoại ngữ và đặc biệt xin cảm ơn Phó giáo sư, Tiến sỹ Lê Thanh Hà –
Phó hiệu trưởng Nhà trườn , đã ủng hộ, hỗ trợ và giúp đỡ chúng tôi hoàn thành giáo trình này. Hà Nội, tháng 9 năm 2012 ULSA
ENGLISH FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Nhóm biên soạn TABLE OF CONTENTS
LỜI NÓI ĐẦU...................................................................................................1
UNIT 1: MANAGEMENT STYLES ................................................................3
UNIT 2: STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT...................13
UNIT 3: MANAGEMENT SKILLS................................................................25
UNIT 4: RECRUITMENT...............................................................................36
UNIT 5: LABOUR CONTRACT....................................................................46
UNIT 6: LABOUR PROTECTION.................................................................58
UNIT 7: INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS.............................................................70
UNIT 8: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS...............................................................81
UNIT 9: REWARDS AND REMUNERATION...............................................92
UNIT 10: BONUSES.....................................................................................103
UNIT 11: JOB EVALUATION.......................................................................114
UNIT 12: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.....................................................123
UNIT 13: WORK AND MOTIVATION........................................................132
UNIT 14: STAFFING....................................................................................142
UNIT 16: COMPANY STRUCTURE............................................................161
UNIT 17: TEAM-BUILDING - A KEY TO SUCCESS.................................172
UNIT 18: PERSONNEL................................................................................184
UNIT 19: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE..................................................195
UNIT 20: EXECUTIVE TRAINING.............................................................205
APPENDIX 1: COVER LETTER, APPLICATION FORM AND
CURRICULUM VITAE IN ENGLISH........................................................215
SAMPLE COVER LETTER 1.......................................................................215
SAMPLE CURRICULUM VITAE...............................................................216
APPENDIX 2: CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.......................................219
REFERENCES...............................................................................................233
UNIT 1: MANAGEMENT STYLES Pre-reading
1. What are the differences between a manager and a leader?
2. How can a company find good people for their management/leader position?
I. READING COMPREHENSION
The Big Three Management Styles 1. Directing style:
Managers using this style tell people what to do, how to do it and when to have
it completed, they assign roles and responsibilities, set stands and define expectations.
Communicating: The manager speaks, employees listen and react. Managers
provide detailed instructions so employees know exactly what to do. The
ability to communicate in a clear, concise and complete fashion is critical. The
only feedback manager asks for it, “Do you understand what needs to be done?”
Goal-setting: Your goal is to sell 15 cars per month. The manager establishes
short - term goals. When goals are specific and time bounded, employees are
clear on what is expected of them. Goals and deadlines often motivate people.
Decision-making: “I want you to stop what you are currently doing and help
Sue set up the room for the seminar”. The manager makes most if not all
decisions. When problems arise the manager evaluates opinions, makes
decisions and directs employees as to what actions to take.
Monitoring performance and providing feedback: Managers establish
specific control points to monitor performance. “Get back to me at 11:a.m to 3
brief me on what you have accomplished”. Managers provide frequent
feedback including specific instructions on how to improve performance. 2. Discussing style:
Managers using this style take time to discuss relevant business issues. What
happens in a good discussion? People present ideas, ask questions, listen,
provide feedback, challenge certain assumptions and coach as needed. It’s
important to make sure ideas are fully discussed and debated. Managers often
perform the role facilitator, making sure the discussion stays on track and
everyone has a chance to contribute.
Communicating: Two-way communication is the norm. Let’s go around the
table and give everyone a chance to discuss their ideas. Managers spend as
much time asking questions and listening as they do talking and sharing their
ideas. The right question focuses the discussion and draws out people’s ideas.
Goals-setting: What do you think our sales target should be for the fourth
quarter? After adequate discussion, goals are then established. Utilizing a
participatory style generally, helps to increase employees commitment to achieve their goals.
Decision-making: We have a problem with the amount of inventory we are
currently carrying. What action do you think we should take? Decisions are
made collaboratively. Both manager and employee play an active role in
defining problems, evaluating options, and making decisions.
Monitoring performance and providing feedback: The manager and
employee monitor performance and discuss what actions need to be taken. This
works best when both parties are open and make adjustments. 3. Delegating style:
Managers using this style usually explain or get agreement on what has to be
accomplished and when it must be complete. The how-to-do-it part of the
equation is left up to the employee. Responsibility and authority are given to employee to get the job done. 4
Communicating: Regarding what has to be accomplished, communications
may be one way: ‘I want you to deliver a 15- minute presentation on our new
compensation program at Tuesday’s meeting. In other situation it may be two-
way: “Let’s discuss what needs to be accomplished in the marketing brochure
you are designing. Additional communication takes place to review what has
been accomplished and obstacles preventing progress.
Goal setting: As stated above, specific goals may be established by the
manager or may evolve after a discussion between manager and employee.
Failures in delegation can often be traced back to a lack of understanding of the
desired output or deliverable. I “I thought you only wanted recommendations, not an implementation plan”.
Decision making: Decisions as to how the task will be accomplished are left
to the employee. Employees have the power to take appropriate actions to
achieve the desired goals. Managers must avoid reverse delegation when
employees try to give back decisions that they should be making.
Monitoring performance and providing feedback: “I want a weekly update
on plan accomplishments”. Managers decide how much monitoring is
necessary. The amount of monitoring depends on the priority of the task and
the person doing it. Providing feedback is responsibility of the employee.
Keeping the manager informed, especially when the plan is off track, is critical.
(Adapted from Logistics Management)
Exercise 1. Comprehension questions:.
1. If you are a manager, what sort of style do you have?
2. Which of the three management styles would you prefer to? - use as a manager? - experience as an employee?
Exercise 2. Read the passage and then decide which of the following
statements are True (T) according to each type of management style 5
1. It is up to employees to keep the manager up to date on progress.
2. Managers set strict time limits.
3. Managers encourage staff to put forward their ideas.
4. Managers and employees decide together what needs to be achieved.
5. Decisions are made by managers and their staff.
6. Employees get precise instructions.
7. Managers do not want employees to avoid making decisions which employees should make.
8. Managers have tight control of employees’ movements and work schedules.
9. When employees are given tasks, they decide how to complete them.
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Present Simple vs Present Continuous
Put the verbs in brackets into the present simple or the present continuous.
1. Could I ring you back in a few minutes? I ……………….. (talk) to someone on the other line.
2. I need to speak to Gina about this new publicity brochure. ……………….. (you/do) where she is?
3. We ……………….. (not/send) out any orders this week because we’re waiting for the new lists.
4. The stock market can be risky because the price of shares ………………..
(vary) according to economic conditions.
5. I ……………….. (deal) with Mr Jarman’s clients this week because he’s away.
6. We ……………….. (spend) a great deal on phone calls due to a postal strike.
7. She will be excellent as a European sales rep if she ……………….. (speak) French fluently.
8. I ……………….. (phone) to tell you that your account is overdrawn by $224.
9. Jane’s upstairs with Anne and Roy. They ……………….. (have) a meeting about the catalogue. 6
10. Go down this road, turn right, and the road ……………….. (lead) straight to the industrial estate.
11. Because of the high cost of sterling, exports ……………….. (no/do) very well.
12. At the moment, we ……………….. (carry) out a survey to find out what
sort of after-sales service our customers ……………….. (want).
13. Could you help me? I ……………….. (try) to translate this letter from a
Spanish client and I don’t know what this word ……………….. (mean).
14. Their new “Own brand” instant coffee ……………….. (taste) very good,
so it’s not surprising that it ……………….. (become) more and more popular.
15. James ……………….. (work) for an investment magazine. Every month he
……………….. (write) articles about new investment opportunities. III. WORD-STUDY
Exercise 1. Read the article again and match the word partnerships in two columns. A B 1. establish a. feedback 2. monitor b. goals 3. provide c. decisions 4. set d. performance 5. make e. role 6. assign f. standards A B 1. present a. action 2. achieve b. employees 3. direct c. ideas 4. take d. performance 5. improve e. goals 7
Exercise 2. Select the best answer to complete the sentence. Effective Leadership
As we all know, effective leadership is hard to define and even harder to fine.
Like parenthood, says a Harvard psychologist, “leadership will never be an exact science.
(1) ………………, research can help business leaders get a clearer (2)
……………… of what it takes to lead effectively, in the same way as it has
helped parents in recent years.
One may (3) ……………… to what extent such an analogy is helpful. In fact,
research on parenting provides very (4) ……………… results, and there
seems to be a theory to (5) ……………… every opinion. In the (6)
………………, the majority of parents work things out for themselves through
a process of trial and (7) ………………
But what about leadership? Different styles have been identified: democratic,
coercive, coaching, authoritative, pacesetting, etc. A “coercive” leader, for
instance, would expect you to do as you were told, whereas a “coaching” one
might simply make a suggestion.
(8) ……………… one is talking about parenting or leadership, the trick is of
course to know which style to adopt when, and unfortunately research is not
very useful in this respect. So it seems that for both parents and leaders, it is
back to trial and error and ……………… (9) instinct. 1 a. although b. however c. but d. despite 2 a. photo b. picture c. scene d. sketch 3 a. imagine b. criticize c. think d. wonder 4 a. contradictory b. antagonistic c. consistent d. anticipated 5 a. adopt b. suit c. adapt d. change 6 a. final b. summary c. conclusion d. end 7 a. failure b. fault c. error d. mistake 8 a. whether b. as c. if d. since 8 9 a. gut b. human c. stomach d. heart
Exercise 3. Complete the chart 1. Adjective 2. Opposite adjective 3. Noun form considerate Inconsiderate consideration/ considerateness creative decisive diplomatic efficient flexible inspring interested logical organised rational responsible sociable supportive
Exercise 4. Select the best answer
1. Ineffective planning of workforce would be highlighted by
A. Recruitment and selection problems.
B. The need to outsource some of the production.
C. A need to offer retraining to current employees.
D. An opportunity to increase the use of mechanisation.
2. Which of the following is one of the factors that might influence the
style of leadership used by a firm?
A. Accepting that employees who agree are favoured.
B. Workers should be left to be more in control of their own working environment.
C. Offering profit sharing as part of employees remuneration package.
D. The skills expected from each employee. 9
The more a company’s employees have contact with customers, the more
its morale and organisational policies affect customers satisfaction.
The theory holds that the customer is king and needs superb treatment by
service staff. Staff at the customer interface need to be supported, trained and
directed by their supervisors to ensure high-quality service. All people in the
organisation should be directed to this end. So the Chief Executive’s job is to
help, support and advise the board, whose job is to help, support and advise
senior managers. Thus all employees are support staff, attempting to support
those vitally important staff who come into contact with the people who pay the salaries: customers
All service organisations invest in trying hard to get excellent customer service.
Airlines, hotels, restaurants and so on conduct serious selection and training to
get the sort of person who thrives in customer service. Stable extroverts of
sufficient – though not sparkling – intellect seem ideal. Managers rely on many
courses, feedback and incentives to keep up standards. And they are aware of
the role of demonstrating good behaviour.
But managers in the service industry also know that other factors beyond their
control affect staff moral, mood and service. Irascible, demanding, downright
rude customers can sap the morale of staff, no matter how well they are treated
by their managers. Customers service may be emotional labour on a par with
physical labour. There is the same level of exhaustion. And as customers
demand more and more for less and less, the customer-facing staff bear the brunt.
(Adapted from the Financial Times)
Exercise 1. Below are summaries of each of the paragraphs in the article.
Put the summaries in the correct order
1. There are three key issues in employee-customer relations
2. Studies have shown that the way staff are managed will affect the way they are seen by customers 151
3. Some factors in customer service are beyond managers’ control
4. Companies have lots of ways of improving service staff performance
5. All staff are support staff, directly or indirectly
Exercise 2. Find expressions in the article that mean:
1. The different ways in which people think about something (11letters)
2. How happy you feel about your job and your results (12 letters)
3. How much a person or a group produce in a particular time ( 12 letters)
4. The ways in which things are done in a particular organisation (8, 3, 9 letters)
5. The way employees in an organisation feel at a particular time (6 letters)
Exercise 3. Look at the expressions in italics as they are used in the article. True or false?
1. When you say the customer is king, you mean that the customer is more important than anyone else.
2. Super treatment is not very good.
3. If you come into contact with someone, you avoid meeting them.
4. If you conduct serious selection of staff, you do not care who works for you.
5. If you thrive in a particular place you enjoy being there and perform well.
6. A stable personality is one that is always changing.
7. Extroverts are confident, they are interested in other people and like meeting them.
8. Someone with sparkling intellect is extremely intelligent.
9. You use incentives to demotivate people.
10. Standards are particular, usually good, levels of quality and service.
Exercise 4. Complete these statements with the correct form of the
expressions from the article.
1. When something happens that you cannot stop or change, it is
……………….. (6, 4, 7 letters) 152
2. The way that someone feels at a particular time is their………………….(4 letters)
3. Another word for “angry” is …………………………(9 letters)
4. If something destroys morale, it …………………..it. (4 letters)
5. Farm workers and construction workers are involved in …………………….. (8, 6 letters)
6. The writer compares the expression in part e. to ……………….., which he
says is just as tiring. (9, 6 letters)
7. Extreme tiredness is ………………… (10 letters)
8. If you …………………………….. of something bad, you are the one who is
most directly affected by it. (4, 3, 5 letters)
Exercise 5. What is the key message of the article? Choose the best alternative.
1. In the end, organisations have to control over what happens between employees and customers
2. Some studies say that the better managed employees are, the better they will
interact with customers, however, there will always be situations where
customers can be extremely difficult
3. With the right policies, managers can have 100 percent control over employee-customer interaction.
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Gerund vs Infinitive
Put the verb into correct form, -ing or to... Sometimes either form is possible.
1. They denied stealing the money. ( steal)
2. I don’t enjoy.......................very much. ( drive)
3. I don’t want........................out tonight. I’m too tired. (go)
4. Has it stopped..........................yet? (rain)
5. .................is my favourite sport. ( swim)
6. I’m absolutely sure I lock the door. I clearly remember .................it. (lock)
7. The boy’s father promised ....................for the window to be repaired. (pay) 153
8. Ann was having dinner whn the phone rang. She didn’t answer the phone.
She just carried on....................(eat)
9. I’ve never been to America but I’d like.......................there. (go)
10. It was late, so we decided .........................a taxi home.(take)
11. He tried to avoid.....................my question.(answer)
12. Have you finished........................your hair yet? (wash)
13. Don’t forget........................the letter I gave you. ( post)
14. Sarrah gave up..........................to find a job in this country and decided to go abroad. (try)
15. I was wery tired. I tried ..............my eyes open but I couldn’t. (keep) III. WORD-STUDY
Exercise 1. Match the words or phrases (1-10) to their definitions (a-j). 1.
Performance a. is taking a percentage of a company’s annual management
profits and then dividing the pool of money
generated across all employees using a formula for distribution 2. Variable pay
b. is paid time off from work that an
organization voluntarily provides employees as a benefit 3. Temporary employees
c. refer to how the organization will value
customers, suppliers, and the internal community 4. Sick leave
d. are hired to assist employers to meet business
demands yet allow the employer to avoid the
cost of hiring a regular employee 5. A signing bonus
e. is used generally to recognize and reward
employee contribution toward company
productivity, profitability, team work, safety, quality. 6. Value statements
f. is the process of creating a work environment
or setting in which people are enabled to 154
perform to the best of their abilities 7. Profit sharing
g. The advancement of an employee from one
position to another position that has a higher salary range maximum 8. The organizational chart
h. is a lump sum of money that an employer
provides a prospective employee, most often
used with executive level positions or to recruit
employees with special, hard-to-find skills or
high potential students out of college 9. Networking
i. is building a web of interpersonal relationships
for mutually beneficial purposes such as
customer acquisition, complementary product
offerings, and sharing information 10. Promotion
j. allows employees and other stakeholders to
see the reporting relationships in an organization
Exercise 2. Use the suitable phrase from the box to fill in the gaps
a) and how well employees perform
b) and know their own role in achieving that purpose
c) and what exactly do managers manage
d) and that this work also gives them personal satisfaction and fulfillment
e) are constantly changing and evolving
f) determine the success and profitability of the business The Role of the Manager
In the past, many people believe that managers were there just to provide
support for frontline staff. However, our understanding of the manager’s
function has improved. We know that managers contribute to performance.
But how do they do that (1) ………………? Some experts argue that the day-
to-day work of the manager consist of managing three things: organisation,
communication and people. Let’s consider organisation to begin with.
Everybody knows that businesses (2) ……………… One of the purposes of 155
the manager, those experts believe, is to manage this change for the benefits of
both the business and its people. Secondly, managing communication is
necessary to make everyone in the business share a common purpose (3)
……………… . Finally, individuals need to be managed to ensure that they
are motivated to do their work well, (4) ……………… . In conclusion, we can
see how the three elements of organisation, communication and motivation in
turn (5) ……………… . The third element is particularly important. Indeed,
there seems to be a strong link between how well managers carry out their
motivations tasks (6) ……………… . If the managers fail, then the company
fails, if the managers do well, then the company prospers.
Exercise 3. Complete the following text with an appropriate form of the work in brackets
Happy employees are any business’ best asset. However, keeping them happy
in any economy is hard work. If the workplace is stressful, (1) ………………
(employ) production goes down. Happy employees are satisfied and feel a
sense of (2) ……………… (accomplish) in their work. They like themselves
and what they do, and find (3) ……………… (satisfactory) from their work.
The best employees prefer to work for companies that provide the type of
exceptional value that creates customer (4) ……………… (loyal), thus,
creating loyalty has become the toughest test for leadership.
Great customer service depends on the people providing that service. They
have to be willing to serve well. They have to be (5) ……………… (inspire)
to go beyond what is their responsibility, in other words, they have to be treated
well. When workers feel that they are a dynamic and essential part of the team,
they are more (6) ……………… (productivity) and willing to go the extra
mile for customers and co-workers. A positive work environment is (7)
……………… (criticise) no matter how many employees you have. Therefore,
give praise openly, set goals appropriate to the work, and always take your
employees’ needs seriously. It is (8) ……………… (manage) that fosters the 156
work atmosphere so they are responsible for conducting things in a way that
helps raise people’s spirits.
Exercise 4. Parts of speech Nouns
Look at the verbs bold in the first sentence of each pair, and change them to
nouns in the second sentence by changing the end of the word. There is an
example at the beginning.
1. The company will compensate the
worker for the burns he suffered in the accident.
The worker will receive compensation for the burns he suffered in accident.
2. The supervisor keeps a record of whether or not staff attend meetings
The supervisor keeps a record of staff ……………… at meetings
3. Does the contract we have produced satisfy the client ?
Does the contract we have produced meet the client’s ………………?
4. The negotiations failed because neither side would compromise.
The ……………… of the negotiations was due to neither side reaching a compromise.
5. They are negotiating his new contract
His new contract is under ……………….
6. We haven’t received his letter the job we offered him. accepting
We haven’t received his letter of ……………… for the job we offered him.
7. She asked the union to intervene on her behalf.
She asked for the union’s ……………… on her behalf.
8. The employees have claimed that they were dismissed unfairly.
The employees claim unfair ……………….
9. The factory consumes a lot of water.
The factory is a heavy ……………… of water.
10. We contend that the decision of the tribunal is wrong.
It is our ……………… that the decision of the tribunal is wrong.
11. All companies should insure against loss of earnings. 157
All companies should have ………………against loss of earnings.
12. Unless your work improves, we will have to review you position in the company
Unless we see an ……………… in your work, we will have to review your position in the company.
13. By offering higher salaries, we might entice workers from other companies to join us.
Offering higher salaries might be an ……………… for workers from other companies to join us. IV. TRANSLATION
In light of today’s economic setting, it’s more important for companies to have
happy and productive employees. Your business is only as successful as its
staff; therefore, it is of the most importance that you develop a positive work culture in your business.
A company will have strong customer service if it has strong leadership, and
the commitment that this leadership conveys. When you have a happy and
productive workforce that is eager to contribute, your company can weather any storm.
So true! But we cannot forget that Happy employees = Happy customers =
Happy profits, and in real life the last part of this statement is the most
important for the employers! So by accessing higher levels of discretional
efforts in their employees, employers can improve the service delivered to
customers and in so doing, improve the operational performance of the business. V. OVER TO YOU
Do senior managers really understand the everyday problems of low-level
employees, for example the ones in direct contact with customers in service
organisations? Why/why not ? Work in small groups and discuss about this! 158 WORD LIST brunt /brʌnt/ (n)
gánh nặng chủ yếu, sức mạnh chính compromise /'kɔmprəmaiz/ (v) dàn xếp, thoả hiệp discretional /dis'kreʃnəl/ (adj)
được tự do làm theo ý mình, được tùy ý hành động downright /'daunrait/ (adj,
thẳng thắn, thẳng thừng, adv) không úp mở, đích thực exhaustion /ig'zɔ:stʃn/ (n)
sự làm kiệt; tình trạng mệt lử, tình trạng kiệt sức extrovert (n)
người có tinh thần hướng ngoại irascible /i'ræsibl/ (adj)
nóng tính, dễ cáu, dễ nổi giận lump sum /lʌmp sʌm/ (n)
số tiền phải trả một lúc, trọn gói on a par with ngang hàng với 159
UNIT 16: COMPANY STRUCTURE Pre-reading
1. Which department do you want to work in a company?
2. What do you think your first position will be?
I. READING COMPREHENSION Company Structure
Most organizations have a hierarchical or pyramidal structure, with one person
or a group of people at the top, and an increasing number of people below them
at each successive level. There is a clear line or chain of command running
down the pyramid. All the people in the organization know what decisions they
are able to make, who their superior (or boss) is (to whom they report), and
who their immediate subordinates are (to whom they can give instructions).
Some people in an organization have colleagues who help them: for example,
there might be an Assistant to the Marketing Manager. This is known as a staff
position: its holder has no line authority, and is not integrated into the chain of
command, unlike, for example, the Assistant Marketing Manager, who is
number two in the marketing department.
Yet the activities of most companies are too complicated to be organized in a
single hierarchy. Shortly before the First World War, the French industrialist
Henry Fayol organized his coal-mining business according to the functions that
it had to carry out. He is generally credited with inventing functional
organization. Today, most large manufacturing organizations have a functional
structure, including (among others) production, finance, marketing, sales, and
personnel or staff departments. This means, for example, that the production
and marketing departments cannot take financial decisions without consulting the finance department. 160
Functional organization is efficient, but there are two standard criticisms.
Firstly, people are usually more concerned with the success of their department
than that of the company, so there are permanent battles between, for example,
finance and marketing, and marketing and production, which have incompatible goals.
Secondly, separating functions is unlikely to encourage innovation. Yet for a
large organization manufacturing a range of products, having a single
production department is generally inefficient. Consequently, most large
companies are decentralized, following the model of Alfred Sloan, who
divided General Motors into separate operating divisions in 1920. Each
division has its own engineering, production and sales departments, made a
different category of car (but with some overlap, to encourage internal
competition), and was expected to make a profit.
Businesses that cannot be divided into autonomous divisions with their own
markets can simulate decentralization, setting up divisions that deal with each
other using internally determined transfer prices. Many banks, for instance,
have established commercial, corporate, private banking, international and investment divisions.
An inherent problem of hierarchies is that people at lower levels are unable to
make important decisions, but have to pass on responsibility to their boss. One
solution to this is matrix management, in which people report to more than one
superior. For example, a product manager with an idea might be able to deal
directly with managers responsible for certain market segment and for a
geographical region, as well as the managers responsible for the traditional
functions of finance, sales and production. This is one way of keeping authority
at lower levels, but it is not necessarily a very efficient one. Thomas Peters and
Robert Waterman, in their well-known book in Search of Excellence, insist on
the necessity of pushing authority and autonomy down the line, but they argue
that one element = probably the products – must have priority; four
dimensional matrices are far too complex. 161
A further possibility is to have wholly autonomous, temporary groups or teams
that are responsible for an entire project; and are split up as soon as it is
successfully completed. Teams are often not very good for decision-making,
and they run the risk of relational problems, unless they are small and have a
lot of self-discipline. In fact they still require a definite leader, on whom their success probably depends.
(Adapted from Market Leader, Upper-intermediate Business English)
Exercise 1. Comprehension questions:.
1. How many ways of organizing companies are there in the text? What are they?
2. In which type of organization do all the laborers have to follow line authority?
3. What makes the departments in a functional organization differ from each other?
4. What is meant by “decentralized” in paragraph 5?
5. Which type of company is considered the help to the problem of hierarchies? How does it work?
Exercise 2. Read the text about different ways of organizing companies, and
then label the diagrams, according to which of these they illustrate: line structure matrix structure functional structure staff structure A B C D 162
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Concession clauses (although/in spite of/ despite/ but/ however)
For each of the following sentences, paying attention to the structure of the
sentence, fill in the blank with either the conjunction or the preposition given in brackets.
1. We stayed up late, ……………… we were tired. (although, despite)
2. They went swimming, ……………… the coldness of the water. (although, despite)
3. I enjoy the course, ……………… the professor is a good teacher. (because, because of)
4. She looks ……………… your sister. (as if, like)
5. Please wait ……………… I make a phone call. (during, while)
6. Did you hear any noises ……………… the night? (during, while)
7. It looked ……………… we would not be able to leave until the next day. (as if, like)
8. We all felt tired ……………… the hot weather. (because, because of)
9. I read a book ……………… I was waiting. (during, while)
10. Her eyes shone ……………… stars. (as if, like)
11. They managed to work together, ……………… their differences of opinion. (although, despite)
12. I left home early, ……………… I had to do several errands. (because, because of) 163
13. He speaks about the subject ……………… he were an expert. (as if, like)
14. We rested ……………… the hottest part of the day. (during, while)
15. ……………… she lost her way twice, she arrived safely. (Although, Despite)
16. ……………… their interest in comets, they decided to study astronomy. (Because, Because of) III. WORD-STUDY
Exercise 1. Read the text in which someone is describing the different people
who work in her company, then match the names of the different people with
their positions. The first one has been done for you. Company Positions
Welcome to the Bristol division of Compuflop plc. My name is Marion Smith,
and I am responsible for the company’s productive use of its workforce. This is
Alice Ranscombe, who works in my department typing letters, filing
documents, arranging meetings and so on. And this is Jessica Hopkins, who
does lots of small jobs in and around the office. If you need some filing done,
some letters posted, or want a cup of tea, she’s the one to ask. The man in the
office over there wearing the Versace suit and the Rolex is Eddie Rolfe. He
controls the company finances. You probably saw his Ferrari parked outside
when you arrived. The man over there sweeping the floor is Reg McEnery.
Reg, when you’ve finished, could you empty the bin, please?
Let me tell you about some of the other people who are currently working in
my company. First of all, there’s Anne Kennedy, who is appointed by the
shareholders to help run the company. She spends a lot of time working with
Ronald Anderson, who makes sure the company is running effectively, and he
has to answer to Elizabeth Watkins, who is the most important director in
charge of the company. Susie Farraday works for Ms Watkins, and she 164
performs various secretarial and administrative duties for her. Alan Johnson
presides over the company’s board meetings, and Brian Larrs attends the
board meetings only to give advice.
Our company makes computer components, and we need to make sure that
production keeps up with demands. Stephen Bird is the man who supervises
the production process, and he is helped in this job by Ray Harrison. In
addition to our Bristol office and factory, we also have an office in
Birmingham: Mary Myers is responsible for the company’s work there.
Richard Giddings is the one who makes sure people know about our products
and services. To tell you the truth, I don’t think he’s doing a very good job; the
company doesn’t seem to have made much money for quite a long time now.
On the factory floor we have Harry Rampling. He’s a highly skilled worker,
so he’s in charge of all the workers on the factory floor. Andy Kelly represents
the workers in discussions with the managers about things like wages and
conditions of employment. At the moment, there is a dispute between the
workers and the management about money. The workers want more, and the
management say the company can’t afford to give a pay rise. Anyway, the
company has brought in Jennie Wilkinson to help sort things out (she doesn’t
work for our company and isn’t concerned with the dispute, so hopefully she will be able to settle it.
We also have a few other people who are here on a temporary basis. Tabitha
Bradley is one of them. She finished university last month, and she’s learning a bit about the company.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Tony Preston. Nice to meet you Mr
Preston. And why are you here? You’re here to take over the company and
close it down?! Oh dear, I didn’t realize we were in that much trouble! 1. Marion Smith A. area manager 2. Alice Ranscombe B. chief executive officer 3. Jessica Hopkins C. foreman 4. Eddie Rolfe D. production manager 165 5. Reg McEnery E. company director 6. Anne Kennedy F. Girl Friday 7. Ronald Anderson G. Human resources manager 8. Elizabeth Watkins H. trade union representative 9. Susie Farraday I. personal assistant 10. Alan Johnson J. arbitrator 11. Brian Larrs K. assistant manager 12. Stephen Bird L. chairman 13. Ray Harrison M. managing director 14. Mary Myers N. graduate trainee 15. Richard Giddings O. secretary 16. Harry Rampling P. non-executive director 17. Andy Kelly Q. advertising manager 18. Jennie Wilkinson R. caretaker 19. Tabitha Bradley S. accountant 20. Tony Preston T. official receiver
Exercise 2. Read the text below and choose the word from the box which best fits each space decisions allowed supervisors departments impersonal pyramid discipline line report tasks work structure
Bureaucratic organizations are (1) ……………… places to work. Individuals
are valued by the (2) ……………… they perform, and these tasks are specific
and detailed. Formal structures exist that limit individual and personal (3)
………………, and policies allow for little deviation from the norm.
Regulations are in place for every job title, and little creativity is (4)
………………. Titles for positions are prevalent, and everyone is expected to
behave according to company policy. Formality at all times is valued and strict
(5) ……………… is essential for success. 166
Many layers of management are typical for a bureaucratic organization. With a
(6) ……………… in mind, the leader or president is at the top of the company,
and all other (7) ……………… cascade underneath that leader. Vice presidents
report to the president or chief executive officer, and in turn, directors (8)
……………… to the vice presidents. Managers of departments are underneath
the directors and these managers typically have numerous (9) ………………
reporting to them. Finally, the workers in a bureaucratic organization report to
the supervisors. (10) ……………… is important for a bureaucratic company.
Exercise 3. Parts of speech 1. Verbs
Complete these sentences with a verb from the box. In some cases, more than
one answer may be possible. You will need to change the form of the verb in
many cases. The first one has been done as an example. adapt demote enforce redeploy relocate adjust deteriorate expand reduce renovate alter downgrade increase relax replace decrease downsize promote release retire
1. Because of her excellent work, she will be promoted from sales person to manager.
2. The company will close for two weeks while the offices are being ………………
3. The good news this year is that company profits have ……………… faster than the rate of inflation.
4. His contract was initially for five years, but it has recently been
……………… for another three years.
5. When I wanted to leave the company early, the management refused to
……………… me from my contract.
6. Older staff are being encouraged to ……………… early.
7. We closed the design department and ……………… the workforce to the publicity department. 167
8. We have ……………… our sales force in order to cope with the extra demand for our products.
9. The company has decided to ……………… the company rules on dress
codes: from now on, office staff are not required to wear suits.
10. Our share of the domestic market has been much bigger since imports ………………
11. The company has decided to ……………… the rules on smoking: from
now on, anyone caught smoking on company premises will be fined.
12. He was ……………… from manager to salesperson because of his poor handling of the department.
13. Over the next two years, we will ……………… all our salaried staff with freelancers.
14. The quality of work in the office has ……………… badly since the old manager left.
15. Salaries will be ……………… to bring them in line with the higher rate of inflation.
16. We must ……………… expenditure if we want to stay in business.
17. When the company closed its London offices, the staff were ………………
to other offices around the country.
18. Until recently the most senior position in the company was European Sales
Manager, but this was ……………… when the new post of International Sales Director was created.
19. In order to make the company more profitable, we have to ………………
the workforce from 108 to about 60.
20. We need to ……………… some of the term of the contract before we make a final decision. 2. Nouns
The verbs in the first box can also be nouns, or they can be made into nouns by
changing the end of the word. Match the verbs with the instructions in the
second box so that they become nouns. There is an example in the second box. 168 1. adjust 5. deteriorate 9. expand 13. reduce 17. renovate 2. alter 6. downgrade 10. increase 14. relax 18. replace 3. decrease 7. downsize 11. promote 15. release 19. retire 4. demote 8. enforce 12. redeploy 16. relocate A No change (for example: decrease) B Add -ation
C Remove e and add -ing
D Remove e and add -ion E Add -ment
F Remove d and add -sion
G Remove e and add -tion IV. TRANSLATION
Aims of Finance Department
The finance department of a business takes responsibility for organizing the
financial and accounting affairs including the preparation and presentation of
appropriate accounts, and the provision of financial information for managers.
The main areas covered by the financial department include: book keeping
procedures, creating a balance sheet and profit and loss account, providing
management information, management of wages, and raising of finance.
There is an important distinction between management accounts which
involves the provision of information to managers for ongoing decision
making, and financial accounting which is concerned with the preparation of
financial statements outlining the financial health and performance of a
company in previous time periods. V. OVER TO YOU
Would you prefer to work for a big or a small company or organization? Why?
What are the advantages of each? 169 WORD LIST administrative [əd'ministrətiv]
(adj) thuộc về hành chính appoint [ə'pɔint] (v) ch¨ định authority [ɔ:'θɔriti] (n) quyền lực autonomy [ɔ:'tɔnəmi] (n)
quyền tự trị, tự quản battle ['bætl] (n) cuộc tranh đấu bureaucratic [,bjuərə'krætik] (adj) thuộc về quan liêu cascade [kæs'keid] (v) truyền lệnh, thừa lệnh chief executive [t∫i:f ig'zekjutiv] (n) giám đốc điều hành criticism ['kritisizm] (n) sự ch¨ trích decentralization [di:,sentrəlai'zei∫n] (n) phân quyền demote [di'mout] (v) hạ cấp, giáng cấp division [di'viʒn] (n) đơn vị, bộ phận downgrade ['daungreid] (v)
giáng chức, đánh giá thấp downsize [daun saiz] (v)
giảm kích cỡ, cắt giảm filing document ['failiη 'dɔkjumənt] (n)
lưu giữ tài liệu văn ph§ng, văn bản hierarchical [,haiə'rɑ:kikl] (adj) có thứ bậc, tôn ti incompatible goals [,inkəm'pætəbl goul] (n) mục tiêu không phù hợp integrate ['intigreit] (v) kết hợp, sát nhập market segment ['mɑ:kit 'segmənt] (n) phân khúc thị trường matrix ['meitriks] (n) ma trận overlap ['ouvəlæp] (n,v) chồng chéo pay rise [pei raiz] (n) tăng lương preside [pri'zaid] (v) chủ trì redeploy [,ri:di'plɔi] (v)
bố trí lại (vị trí của ai) renovate ['renəveit] (v) nâng cấp, cải tiến self-discipline [,self'disiplin] (n) kỷ luật tự giác subordinate [sə'bɔ:dinət] (n) cấp dưới superior [su:'piəriə] (n) cấp trên 170
UNIT 17: TEAM-BUILDING - A KEY TO SUCCESS Pre-reading
1. Think of at least two advantages and disadvantages of working in teams.
2. What can you do to build a good team? Are there any team building
activities that you have done in your studying or your life? Were they effective? Why or why not?
I. READING COMPREHENSION
None Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us
A good team player has the key to success. Being the smartest, being the
brightest, being the hardest; all of these attributes that worked so well in
business in years gone by, now will not push you up the ladder quickly. How
good a team player you are and how well you share your knowledge with your
colleagues is the all-important factor in growing your career today. If you can
build a company culture that does not worry about who gets the credit for
something, think about what you could achieve! To survive in the big bad
tough working environment of today you don’t need to have your own people
competing with each other. It is the commercial “enemy” against whom all
their energy should be focused.
It’s not always easy to be a good team member and compromise your own
views for the good of the whole, but it works for the betterment of the
company. You have to believe in the workings and power of the team and
recognize where your own strengths and contribution fit in. You have to be
honest, both with yourself and with your team members. You will have conflict
within the team and as long as this is controlled then it can be a very healthy
element for both the team and the development of the business. Research into
high-performing teams shows that each member cares for the development of 171
his team mates. This appreciation of each other’s learning and development is
key to the success of a team and the commitment of each member to the other.
Over 70% of a manager’s time is spent in some form of group activity, often in
meetings with others; relatively little time is spent in the supervising of single
individuals or on one-to-one discussions, thus the need for team building.
Indeed, the success of individual managers depends on how well that
manager’s team or teams improve in quality and productivity on a continuous
basis. In reality, group productivity is more important than individual task
accomplishment. The most effective teams are able to solve complex problems
more easily than one person can, for many capable minds are brought to bear
on an issue. However, all teams must be managed well by a capable facilitator
who understands that every team is unique, dynamic and ever-changing.
Moreover, teams have behaviour patterns, just as individual do and, just as
children develop into adults, teams have developmental stages, being more
productive and efficient at one stage than another.
It is also extremely desirable for team members to have the following attitudes;
“I know what I have to do and the team’s goals are clear”, “I am willing to
share some responsibility for leadership”, “I am an active participant”, “I feel
appreciated and supported by others”, “Other team members listen when I
speak and I respect the opinions of others”, “Communication is open, new
ideas are encouraged and we are having fun working together”.
Teams soon develop a clear problem-solving approach that can be applied time
and again as long as their leader initially creates a common purpose and vision,
pointing the team in the right direction.
Cross-cultural issues can assail and impact the working of teams, but it is well
to remember that, despite culture, most team members have similar objectives
in life - objectives that relate to happiness and health, to success and
recognition, to love and being well-accepted by others. The clever team leader
recognizes and plays upon these similarities while moulding the cultural
differences to benefit the team. 172 (Adapted from Internet)
Exercise 1. Comprehension questions:.
1. What is the difference between the past and the present in terms of the key to success in a career?
2. What does the article say about competition in the first paragraph?
3. In the second paragraph what does the article say you need to be a good team player?
4. What three points does the article make about effective teams in the third paragraph?
5. According to the article, which of the following attitudes should team members have?
a) We know exactly what we are trying to achieve. b) I will lead when necessary. c) People value my work.
d) I speak when invited by the team leader.
e) I am encouraged to be very critical of colleagues’ opinions.
6. Why is it mentioned in the article that cultural differences do not have a big influence on teams?
Exercise 2. Complete the missing letters in the following words. Which of
these qualities do you possess that would be useful when working in a team? 1. p _ t_ _ n c_ 6. t_ _ g h n _ s s 2. f _ r _ s _ g h t 7. s t _ m _ n _ 3. c r _ _ t _ v _ t y 8. d _ p l _ m _ c y 4. _ r g _ n i s _ t _ _ n 9. h _ n _ s t y 5. _ n t _ _ t _ _ n
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Both...and, neither...nor, either...or
Choose the best words to complete the sentences
1. I don’t like this book . It is ______ interesting ______ cheap . A. both – and B. either – or 173 C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
2. Neither Linda nor I _____ classical music. A. liking B. liked C. like D. likes
3. The baby is only two months old . He can ____ speak ____walk . A. neither / nor B. either / or C. both / and D. not / nor
4. He _______ a teacher or a doctor . A. is neither B. neither is C. is either D. either is
5. She is ______friendly _____intelligent so I can’t help admiring her . A. not only / but also B. either / or C. both / and D. A&C are correct
6. John is very poor. He has ______ house ______ money. A. both – and B. either – or C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
7. ______ Linh ______ her sister like listening to pop music . A. Both – and B. Either – or C. Neither – nor D. Not only – but also
8. Neither my friend nor I _____ that movie. A. don’t like B. likes C. doesn’t like D. like
9. Who wrote you this love letter? - I'm not sure. I think it was ___ Michael ___ Paul. A. both – and B. either – or C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
10. ___ Linda ___ Helen called to say sorry. I'm very sad and frustrated. A. Both – and B. Either – or C. Neither – nor D. Not only – but also
11. ___ Ryan ___ Susie have disappointed me. They didn't come to my birthday party. 174 A. Both – and B. Either – or C. Neither – nor D. Not only – but also
12. He hurt ___ her feelings ___ her dignity. This is unforgivable. A. both – and B. either – or C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
13. ___ loyalty ___ honesty are essential in a friendship. A. Both – and B. Either – or C. Neither – nor D. Not only – but also
14. You should ___ disrespect ___ deceive your friends. A. both – and B. either – or C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
15. I will take you ___ to the cinema ___ to the theatre. That's a promise. A. both – and B. either – or C. neither – nor D. not only – but also
16. Neither my brother ________________ my mother knows about this. A. both B. either C. and D. nor
17. I felt ________________ happy and sad at the same time. A. both B. neither C. either D. not only
18. ________________ of the girls know how to dance. ( = Both girls are bad dancers) A. too B. either C. neither D. nor
19. He ________________ has a cat or a dog. I can't remember. A. too B. either C. neither D. nor
20. Not only Lee but also his sons ___ chess very well. A. plays B. has played C. is playing D. play 175 III. WORD-STUDY
Exercise 1. Verb-phrases with relations
The verbs below are often used with the word relations. Use them to complete the table. break off build up cement foster cut off develop disrupt encourage establish endanger improve jeopardize maintain strengthen promote restore resume damage sour undermine Positive meaning Negative meaning Build up relations Break off relations
Exercise 2. Prefixes
1. Match the prefixes of the words 1-10 to their meanings. Prefix Meaning of prefix
1. mismanage a. not b. do badly
2. pro-European a. opposite b. in favour of
3. predict a. not enough b. against
4. post-merger a. after b. too much
5. dishonest a. very b. former
6. ex-boss a. opposite b. former
7. bilateral a. against b. after
8. reconsider a. again b. former
9. irresponsible a. again b. not
10. hypercritical a. not enough b. very 176
2. Complete the text below using some of the words in Exercise 1 in the correct form.
Our company went through a difficult period a few years ago. Bad decisions
were taken which caused us to lose a lot of money. Because the company had
been (1) ………………… , the chief executive had to resign. Last year, we
merged with a much larger company. During the (2) ………………… period
our future strategy was discussed. It was decided that we could consider
becoming a more global organization with a strong presence in Europe.
Most of us were (3) …………………, we liked the idea of expanding into
Europe. Indeed our (4) …………………. had been strongly in favour of doing
this. However the two new board members were strongly against the idea but
never said so openly. I think this was very (5) ………………… . Instead, they
behaved in an (6) ………………… manner during the meetings. For example,
they would be (7) …………………, raising stupid objections if someone came up with a good idea.
Because the meetings were so unproductive, the Board of Directors got cold
feet and asked us to (8) ………………… the decision to expand into Europe.
Exercise 3. Choose the words/phrases from the box to complete the
sentences. The first sentence has been done as an example generic knowledge indicators framework measurable briefing competency implementation reiterative element exemplary
1. Generic competences are those that are shared by many different jobs.
Key performance ……………… are the most important way of telling if a
person can do their job competently.
2. Underpinning ……………… is what a person needs to know in order to do their job.
3. An employee ……………… is a meeting where managers can explain a
new project to many employees at the same time. 177
4. A competence ……………… is a document which defines the actions and
performance standards required of each employee.
5. A ……………… process builds a complete picture by repeatedly learning
from new information and re-evaluating the process.
6. ……………… outcomes are those which can be described objectively in numbers.
7. ……………… defines excellence.
8. An ……………… plan helps you decide how to introduce a new programme.
9. ……………… performance is of an extremely high standard.
10. An ……………… is a smaller part of an overall skill area.
Exercise 4. Choose the best answer to fill in each blank.
Team-building Through Activities
Nowadays, company bosses are increasingly trying to find unusual team-
building events as part of their training programme. An activity park (1)
……… Fast-track has just opened to offer (2) ……… events. It specialises (3)
……… events to attract the corporate entertainment market, (4) ……… is growing all the time.
The park is situated just a few kilometres outside the city centre (5) ……… it
provides events that (6) ……… entertain as well as train. Clients can try
outdoor attractions such as sailing or climbing, (7) ……… availability clearly
depends entirely (8) ……… the weather. Activities of (9) ……… kind are perfect
team-building exercises. ‘I’d (10) ……… been to an activity park before,’
explained James Black, a company manager. ‘Before we came, I didn’t think
we (11) ……… enjoy ourselves so much and I didn’t expect the huge
difference that Fast-track’s programme has (12)……… to my team. Now we
work better together than we did before.’ 1 A calling B calls C called 2 A such B like C so 178 3 A at B for C in 4 A who B which C what 5 A and B but C or 6 A ought B will C shall 7 A because B although C since 8 A on B of C with 9 A a B these C this 10 A still B ever C never 11 A must B would C might 12 A made B had C done
Exercise 5. Match the terms of HRM with the definitions 1. e-HR
a. involves systematically preparing for the
replacement of senior managers. 2. Succession planning
b. is a paperless HR function in which
technology is used to offer self-service HR. 3. A feasibility study
c. is a report of what the staff in an organisation can do. 4. Knowledge management
d. is a report which finds out if it is possible to do something. 5. An implementation and
e. is a systematic approach to the acquisition, monitoring plan
storage and sharing of knowledge within an organisation. 6. A skills audit
f. is becoming a popular substitute word for ‘change
management’ as it is considered to be more positive and less threatening. 7. Transition
g. is the number of people leaving and joining a
company as a percentage of the total workforce. 179 8. A strategy
h. is the practice of paying another company to provide a service. 9. Labour turnover
i. is the process of managing and maximising
the talent, skills and knowledge of employees. 10. Human capital
k. is the salary, pension and other financial management
benefits that an employer gives to an employee. 11. Offshoring
l. is when responsibility for many HR activities
is given directly to managers in other departments. 12. A remuneration package
m. sets out the larger and long-term plans of an organisation. 13. Devolved HR
n. is a document which describes how a new
policy or process will be introduced and how
each stage in the process will be checked. IV. TRANSLATION
Organizations have traditionally rewarded people for strong qualities such as
rational thinking, ambition, and competitiveness. These qualities are important,
but their overemphasis has left many organizational leaders out of touch with
their softer, caring, creative capabilities, unable to make emotional connections
with others and afraid to risk showing any sign of weakness. In other words,
leaders can develop their capacity for the positive emotions of love and caring.
Love as motivation is the force within that enables people to feel alive,
connected, energized, and “in love” with life and work. Western cultures place
great emphasis on the mind and the rational approach. However, it is the heart
rather than the mind that powers people forward. Motivation is reduced,
perhaps to the point of procrastination. There’s a growing interest in helping
people feel a genuine passion for their work. People who are engaged rather
than alienated from their work are typically more satisfied, productive, and successful. 180 V. OVER TO YOU
Describe a team you have been in that was either a) successful, b) unsuccessful and say why. WORD LIST accomplishment [ə'kɔmpli∫mənt] (n)
sự hoàn thành, thực hiện alienate ['eiljəneit] (v)
thờ ơ, xa lánh, không thân thiện assail [ə'seil] (v) gây khó dễ, tấn công a skills audit (n)
báo cáo về kết quả kiểm tra
trình độ của nhân viên, hoặc của một tổ chức betterment ['betəmənt] (n)
sự cải thiện, tình hình tốt lên bilateral [bai'lætərəl] (adj) song phương credit ['kredit] (n)
l§ng tin, sự tín nhiệm, tăng thêm uy tín competent ['kɔmpitənt] (adj) thành thạo, giỏi compromise ['kɔmprəmaiz] (n) dàn xếp, thỏa hiệp e-HR (n)
giải pháp nhân sự, phần mềm quản trị nhân sự energize ['enədʒaiz] (v)
làm mạnh mẽ, tiếp thêm năng lượng, sức mạnh feasibility [,fi:zə'biliti] (n) tính khả thi hypercritical [,haipə:'kritikəl]
(adj) quá khắt khe trong cách phê bình jeopardize ['dʒepədaiz] (v) gây nguy hiểm, hủy hoại ladder ['lædə] (n) nấc thang(thăng tiến) offshoring [,ɔf∫ɔ:riη] (n)
chuyển (tiền) ra ngoài (nhằm
giảm giá thành và nâng cao tính cạnh tranh) post-merger [poust 'mə:dʒə] (n) sau khi sát nhập 181 procrastination [prou,kræsti'nei∫n] (n) sự trì hoãn, chần chừ reiterative [ri:'itərətiv] (adj) lặp lại underpinning [,ʌndə'piniη] (n) trụ đỡ, trụ cột 182 UNIT 18: PERSONNEL Pre-reading
1. Please discuss with your partner about the functions of the personnel department?
2. How many ways of choosing the best candidate among the applicants for the position do you know?
I. READING COMPREHENSION
The Importance and Role of the Personnel Paragraph 1
Personnel refers to all the people who work for a firm. Most large companies
have special personnel departments which are responsible for employer-
employee relations. The personnel department is a staff department, which
means that it is not directly involved with production, but that it provides a
service to the managers. The most important services which the personnel
department provides are recruiting, that is, finding new workers or managers
for the company, deciding which applicants are most suitable for employment
by the firm, and developing and implementing personnel policies and
procedures for the benefit of the company as well as the employees. Paragraph 2
Most business continually need to recruit good personnel to replace workers
who retire or quit and to fill new jobs created when the company expands
management has determined the goals of the company and the positions
needed, the personnel department must find qualified people to fill those
positions. Depending upon management policy and the nature of the position,
recruiting may be done internally or externally. Internal recruitment means that
the person chosen for the position is selected from the current employees of the 183
company. This is either by promotion or transfer. Promotion means an
employee receives a job with more authority and responsibility than his present
job. The employee usually expects to receive an increase in salary along with
the new position. A transfer refers to a job or department charge for a worker.
A transfer without promotion is a lateral transfer. It may involve different
working conditions or different hours. Companies that recruit internally often
promote internally, which means that the managers have worked their way up
from lower positions. It may also mean that the company may hire new
employees only at lower positions. Paragraph 3
External recruitment means that the company is looking for new employees
from outside the firm. All companies do some type of external recruitment. If
they are looking for employees with special training or education, they will
often recruit at university campuses. They make arrangements with the
placement office at the campus to interview graduating students. Sometimes
they are seeking top level managers who they will recruit from other firms,
often from their competitors. Other methods of recruiting involve the use of
advertising in newspapers and professional publications, and even paying a fee
or commission to an executive placement service. Paragraph 4
Most recruiting involves a job announcement containing a description of the
job. The personnel department produces a formal job description. If the firm is
not well known, the job description may begin with some basic information
about the company and its products. This is usually followed by the title of the
position the company wants to fill, for example, Senior Design Engineer or
Vice President in Charge of Finance. Then the duties and responsibilities of the
job are given, as well as where that position fits in the organizational chart (that
is, who the person reports to and who the person supervises). Next appear the
qualifications for the job, such as the professional training or skills needed. The
salary and fringe benefits paid for by the company should also be mentioned. 184
Finally, the job description will tell the applicant exactly what to do if he is interested in the position. Paragraph 5
The personnel department should have a method for choosing the best
candidate from among the applicants for the position. In some companies this
may involve testing prospective employees. Civil service or government jobs
often require applicants to complete with each other on written tests. Those
applicants with the highest scores are selected for an interview. Other
companies may assign points for certain items on the application form, such as
experience or education. They may then total the points and select the
applicants with the highest totals. After the applications have been evaluated,
the best qualified applicants are invited to an interview. In the interview the
applicant’s personality and ability to work with others may be judged. Paragraph 6
Some people feel the most important function of the personnel department is
the development of personnel policies. For efficiency and fairness, a company
should have a specific formal written procedure for dealing with its employees.
Otherwise, decisions must be made on a case by case basis, and this could
adversely affect employee moral. These procedures should state working
conditions, salary scale, and fringe benefits such as paid vacation, paid sick
leave, group insurance, pension or retirement plan- all things received in
addition to pay. Part of the policy may also include a procedure for notifying
employees of openings or promotional opportunities. In addition, there is often
a procedure for handling grievances, which an employee can use if he feels that
he has been treated unfairly by the employer. All of these items may be part of
a union contract between the employer and the employees who are members of a union.
(Adapted from Cambridge English for Human Resources) 185
Exercise 1. Select the answer which best completes the meaning of the sentence.
1. The personnel department must decide which applicants are the most suitable for a. benefits c.employee b. employment d. promotion
2. To fill the vacancy in the accounting department, they are seeking the person who is the best a. promoted c. qualified b. competitive d. authorized
3. The person being promoted receives more a. authority c. salary b. responsibility d. all of these
4. Companies which recruit internally hire new workers a. at all levels c. at the beginning levels b. at the manage – level d. all of these
5. If a company is recruiting new employees, they might a. advertise in newspaper c. qualify for the job b. promote a new employee d. none of these
6. The job description tells about a job opening at a company. It would most likely state. a. the supervisor’s name
c. what the applicant looks like
b. the duties and responsibilities d. the applicant’s name
7. As personnel director, he is authorized to issue employee identification.
Issuing employee identification is one of his a. authorities b. requirements c. qualifications d. responsibilities
8. The personnel policies should provide a method for setting employee
grievances. An employee who has a grievance a. may be promoted
c. should fill out an application 186 b. will be fired
d. thinks he was treated unfairly
9. The committee will base their decision on the applicant’s qualifications. This means they will decide whom to a. apply c. authorize b. qualify d. hire
10. The personnel department announces a promotional examination next
week. This examination is intended for a. supervisors c. current employees b. new recruits d. competitors
Exercise 2. Comprehension questions.
Study the following questions about Paragraph 5 and 6. Then read the passage
and answer the questions. Write complete sentences and use your own word.
Do not copy sentences from the passage.
1. What two methods do employers use to select applicants for an interview?
2. What can interviews reveal about the applicants?
3. What is a prospective employee?
4. Besides recruiting and choosing new workers, what is another important
function of the personnel department?
5. Why does a company need to have a policy which is written down? What
could be the result of not having an established policy? 6. What are fringe benefits?
7. Under what conditions are there grievances?
8. According to the article, what is one function of a union?
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Clauses of purpose
Find the suitable clauses of purpose (a-o) to make complete following
sentences. The first sentence has been done for you. A
a) he (she) can be an executive secretary
b) generous payincreases and promotion 187
c) pay a bonus end of the year
d) get the goal we set in the first three months
e) meet the need of the company personel
f) they can recruit new employees
g) I could earn a salary of $35.000 per year h) receive a promotion
i) ask him for further increases in pay
j) making decisions about raises k) get a 5% increase in pay
l) replace workers who retire or quit
m) they can operate the machinary n) apply for a job o) dealing with its employees B
1. Our members will take industrial action in order to get a 5% increase in pay
2. The employers wanted to meet the manager so as to ………………………..
3. The company is trying to increase its productivity in order to ………………
4. We are looking for a person who has excellent skills as well as good
organizational ability so that ……………………………………………………
5. Generally, the supervior review their employees once a year for ……………
6. In Japan, the employees remain with their company for …………………….
7. Our company is trying to increase sales by ten percent to …………………..
8. She is trying her best so as to ………………………………………………..
9. Apply the personel department in order to …………………………………..
10. This parking lot is built ……………………………………………………..
11. New employees are given three week’s training so that ……………………
12. I should have been an accoutant for that company so that …………………
13. A company should have a specific formal written procedure for ………….
14. Most business continually need to recruit good personel to ……………….
15. That company might advertise in newspaper so that ……………………… 188
Exercise 2. Find words or phrases in the article with the same meaning as
the words in italic.
1. A limited number of employers have participated in the senior executive programme. (paragraph 1)
2. The aim of the course is to enhance their awareness and understanding of
management processes. (paragraph 1)
3. We are hiring a facilitator from a local business school. (paragraph 3).
4. Kate Lonergan supervises the outsourcing of training and development. (paragraph 4).
5. Many companies are choosing courses which provide a solid grounding in
practical skills. (paragraph 6)
6. An experienced facilitator is leading the course. (paragraph 6).
We rolled out our new training programme last September. (paragraph 9).
7. Following the course, participants will be able to put new skills into practice. (paragraph 10).
Exercise 3. Use the definitions to help you unscramble the phrases from the article
1. a course with accommodation at the training venue (paragraph 2) DEEATIRINLS EOSUR
2. training designed to meet the specific needs of the participants (heading / paragraph 4) EDTRIALO MGSMPRAREO IUSCODTEMS MGSMPRAREO
3. how executive identify their own strategies for achieving specific goals (by
receiving guidance rather than advice) (paragraph 7) UTEEEIVCX CNCAHGIO
4. learning by observing fellow employees performing a task (paragraph 8) ON-ETH-BOJ RIGINNTA
Exercise 4. Match these phrases (1-6) with their meaning (a-f) 209 1. off-the-job training
a) a learning process through which an individual
receives expert advice and guidance from a more experienced person 2. open courses
b) training which is recognised by an official organization 3. mentoring
c) training which is held outside the place of work
(developed and delivered by the company or an external training provider) 4. in-house programmes
d) an education programme which is delivered
through a combination of training approaches,
such as e-learning, e-mentoring, workshops and
on-the-job training to provide convenience and choice to employees 5. flexible learning
e) training which is held at the place of work
(developed and delivered by the company or an external training provider) 6. accredited training
f) courses and seminars which are available to the public
Exercise 5. Use words and phrases from Exercises III and IV to complete these sentences.
1. A ………. ………. allows people with similar training needs to live, learn
and network together outside the office environment.
2. Various professions require their members to undergo ………. ……….
programmes to ensure that a specific standard of training has been reached.
3. ………. ………. is a convenient way for employees with a variety of
learning needs or time constraints to develop their skills and knowledge.
4. ………. is often an effective way to pass on the benefits of years of
experience to junior talent in a personal and confidential way.
5. ………. ………. Usually have a specific learning goal, but they are not
tailored to one individual or organization. 210
6. ……….-……….-………. ………. Helps employees to gain deeper
knowledge by observing others performing different processes and procedures. IV. TRANSLATION Leadership Significance
We broadly define leadership as a social influence process. Leadership isn’t a
position, title, or privilege; it’s a responsibility and a process – an observable,
understandable, learnable set of skills and practices available to everyone,
anywhere in the organization. Leadership is he indirect ability to lead people by
setting an inspiring example – not just any sort of example, but one that
inspires people to pursue goals that benefit the organization. It is indirect
because true leaders don’t have to try to influence intentionally. Typically,
leadership involves creating a vision so that everyone understands and believes
in it. Leadership also entails providing an environment that will inspire and
motivate people to overcome obstacles. In this way leadership brings about change.
A debate in the popular management literature concerns whether leading and
managing are different behaviors. One view is that managers carry out
responsibilities, exercise authority, and worry about how to get things dome,
whereas leaders are concerned with understanding people’s beliefs and gaining
their commitment. In other words, managers and leaders differ in what they
attend to and in how they think, work and interact. A related argument
contends that leadership is about coping with change, whereas management is about coping with complexity.
Although the leader-manager debate has generated tremendous controversy in
the literature, there is little research to support the notion that certain people
can be classified as leaders rather than managers, or that managers cannot
adopt visionary behaviors when they are required for success. We maintain that
it is important for all managers to think of themselves as leaders, and 211
consequently, we use the term leadership to encompass both leadership and management functions. WORD LIST competence /'kɔmpitəns/ (n) năng lực, khả năng conduct /'kɔndəkt/ (v)
ch¨ huy, ch¨ đạo, điều khiển,
hướng dẫn; quản, quản lý, trông nom customize /´kʌstə¸maiz/ (v)
làm theo yêu cầu của khách hàng, tùy biến emerging
(adj) nổi lên, hiện ra, đang lớn lên, đang phát triển executive /ig'zekjutiv/ (n)
uỷ viên ban chấp hành, uỷ viên ban quản trị facilitator /fə´sili¸teitə/ (n) điều phối viên in-house /'in'haus/
(adj) tiến hành trong một nhóm hoặc một tổ chức institution /,insti'tju:ʃn/ (n) cơ quan, trụ sở cơ quan intensive /in'tensiv/ (adj) tập trung sâu launch /lɔ:ntʃ/ (v)
khởi đầu, khai trương, phát động opt /ɔpt/ (v) chọn, chọn lựa residential /,rezi'denʃəl/ adj) nội trú retain /ri'tein/ (v)
vẫn giữ, vẫn có, vẫn duy trì,
vân dùng, không bỏ, không thừa nhận segment /'segmənt/ (n) phân đoạn simulation /,simju'leiʃn/ (n)
sự đóng vai, sự thủ vai venture /'ventʃə/ (n)
việc mạo hiểm, việc liều lĩnh, sự đầu cơ 212
APPENDIX 1: COVER LETTER, APPLICATION
FORM AND CURRICULUM VITAE IN ENGLISH SAMPLE COVER LETTER 1 1234 Street Seoul, S. Korea May 12, 2006 David Smith Director of Personnel Bank of A ABC Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60222
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF ANALYST Dear Mr. Smith:
I am applying to your bank for your recently posted Analyst position in your Debt Capital Markets team.
I am especially interested in this position because my previous experience as an
intern for ABC Bank has prepared me for the many challenges associated with
working for your DCM team. I am looking forward to using this experience for
enhancing your team’s strength in the areas of asset-backed securities and other
related derivatives transactions.
I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my
experience will best meet your needs. My ideas on how to add value to your
team may be of particular interest to you. Therefore, I will call your office on
the morning of May 18 to inquire if a meeting can be scheduled at a convenient time.
I look forward to meeting you and your team members in the very near future. Sincerely yours, 213 Suzy Kim SAMPLE CURRICULUM VITAE PERSONAL DATA Name: Sex: Male/ Female Nationality: Date of Birth: dd/mm/yy Place of Birth: Marital Status: Single/married Postal Address: Telephone No: Email: EDUCATION BACKGROUND From 2004 to 2008
HANOI UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
Bachelor of International Studies WORKING EXPERIENCES Jan/2009- present HANOI UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. Job description:
- Assisting American lecturers at the faculty in
their lectures and doing tutorial sessions of the
subject “people and their cultures”
- Participating in writing researches on
preservation of an ancient village in the North West of Hanoi July/2007- July/2008
BAVI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Job description:
- Teaching ESL to Bavi’s children 214
- Doing research on Bavi Development to make their livelihood better May/ 2008 JATROPHA RESEARCH Job description:
- Interpreting from English to Vietnamese and vice versa
- Translating government’s documents from Vietnamese into English
- Writing reports after fieldtrips Dec/2007
DUONG LAM PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Job description:
- Teaching ESL to Duong Lam villagers to help
them have a good preparation for tourism in this ancient village. Sep/2007
ORANGE GUM SINGAPORE at Vietnam Comm 07 Exhibition in Hanoi Job description:
- Interpreting from English to Vietnamese and vice versa.
- Welcoming guests and new partners of the company.
- Contacting right people that the CEO needed to talk to. Aug/2007 JUNIOR TEAM CANADA Job description:
- Assisting Canadian students during their trip in Hanoi, Ha Long bay.
- Interpreting from English to Vietnamese and vice versa as required. 215
- Joining Canadian junior team to help them do their project in economic. Nov/2006
TIGER KOVI MOBILE COMPANY, HANOI Job description:
- Marketing for new services of the company.
- Creating working schedule for promotion girls.
- Writing reports on effectiveness of marketing days. Dec/2004 CRAFT LINK, HANOI Job description:
- Shop assisting and interpreting.
- Selling products to foreigners. KEY SKILLS Communication skills
The experience at work as well as organizing
outside activities has improved my ability to
communicate effectively with every body. It also
taught me the importance of listening, supporting and respecting the others. Computer Skills 216
APPENDIX 2: CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
SAMPLE LABOUR CONTRACT - UK Entered into between:
…………………………………………………………….
(herein after referred to as "the employer") Address of employer:
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………. and
…………………………………………………………….
(herein after referred to as "the employee") 1. Commencement
This contract will begin on ……………… and continue until terminated as set out in clause 4. 2. Place of work
……………………………………………………………. 3. Job description
Job Title …………………………………………………..
(e.g.. Domestic worker, child minder, gardener, etc)
Duties …………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
4. Termination of employment (See Guidelines 2 and 3)
Either party can terminate this agreement with four weeks written
notice. In the case where an employee is illiterate notice may be given by that employee verbally. 217
5. Wage (See Guidelines 4 and 5) 5.1
The employees wage shall be paid in cash on the last R………….
working day of every week/month and shall be: 5.2
The employee shall be entitled to the following allowances/payment in kind:
5.2.1 A weekly/monthly transport allowance of R………….
5.2.2 Meals per week/month to the value of R………….
5.2.3 Accommodation per week/month to the value of R…………. 5.3
The total value of the above remuneration shall be R………….
(The total of clauses 5.1 to 5.2.3)
(Modify or delete clauses 5.2.1 to 5.2.3 as needed)
5.4 The employer shall review the employee’s salary/wage once a year.
6. Hours of work (See Guideline 6)
6.1 Normal working hours will be from ………… a.m. to ………….
p.m. on Mondays to Fridays and from ……………a.m. to ………..p.m. on Saturdays.
6.2 Overtime will only be worked if agreed upon between the parties from time to time.
6.3 The employee will be paid for overtime at the rate of one and a half
times his/her total wage as set out in clause 5.3.
7. Meal Intervals (See Guideline 7)
The employee agrees to a lunch break of one hour/30 minutes (delete the
one that is that not applicable). Lunchtime will be taken from ………… to …………… daily.
8. Sunday work (See Guideline 8)
Any work on Sundays will be by agreement between the parties from time to time. 218
If the employee works on a Sunday he/she shall be paid double the wage for each hour worked.
9. Public Holidays (See Guideline 9)
The employee will be entitled to all official public holidays on full pay.
If an employee does not work on a public holiday, he/she shall receive normal payment for that day.
If the employee works on a public holiday he/she shall be paid double.
10. Annual Leave (See Guideline 10)
10.1 The employee is entitled to……….. days paid leave after every 12
months of continuous service. Such leave is to be taken at times
convenient to the employer and the employer may require the employee
to take his/her leave at such times as coincide with that of the employer.
11. Sick leave (See Guideline 11)
11.1 During every sick leave cycle of 36 months the employee will be
entitled to an amount of paid sick leave equal to the number of days the
employee would normally work during a period of six weeks.
11.2 During the first six months of employment the employee will
entitled to one day’s paid sick leave for every 26 days worked.
11.3 The employee is to notify the employer as soon as possible in case
of his/her absence from work through illness.
12. Maternity leave (See Guideline 12)
(Tick the applicable clauses in the space provided).
12.1 The employee will be entitled to …………. days maternity leave without pay; or
12.2 The employee will be entitled to ………… days maternity leave on ………… pay
13. Family responsibility leave (See Guideline 13)
The employee will be entitled to three days family responsibility leave during each leave cycle.
14. Deductions from remuneration (See Guideline 14) 219
The employer may not deduct any monies from the employee’s wage
unless the employee has agreed to this in writing on each occasion. 15. Accommodation (Tick the applicable boxes).
15.1 The employee will be provided with accommodation for as long as the
employee is in the service of the employer, and which shall form part of his/her remuneration package
15.2 The accommodation may only be occupied by the worker, unless prior arrangement with the employer.
15.3 Prior permission should be obtained for visitors who wish to stay the
night. However where members of the employees direct family are
visiting, such permission will not be necessary.
16. Clothing (Delete this clause if not applicable)
………… sets of uniforms will be supplied to the employee by the
employer and will remain the property of the employer.
17. Other conditions of employment or benefits
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………. 18. General
Any changes to this agreement will only be valid if they are in writing
and have been agreed and signed by both parties. 220
THUS DONE AND SIGNED AT ………………….. ON THIS …………
DAY OF …………………………. 199...
……………………………………………………………. EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE Witnesses:
…………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………. 221 GUIDELINES
Notice period and termination of employment
In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, any party to an
employment contract must give to the other written notice of termination as follows:
One week, if employed for four weeks or less
Four weeks if employed for more than four weeks.
Procedure for termination of employment
Whilst the contract of employment makes provision for termination of
employment, it must be understood that the services of an employee
may not be terminated unless a valid and fair reason exists and fair
procedure is followed. If an employee is dismissed without a valid
reason or without a fair procedure, the employee may approach the CCMA for assistance.
Pro-rata leave and severance pay might be payable.
In the event of a domestic worker being unable to return to work due to
disability, the employer must investigate the nature of the disability and
ascertain whether or not it is permanent or temporary. The employer
must try to accommodate the employee as far as possible for example,
amending or adapting their duties to suit the disability. However, in the
event of it not being possible for the employer to adapt the domestic
workers duties and/or to find alternatives, then such employer may
terminate the services of the domestic worker.
The Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 sets out the procedures to be
followed at the termination of services in the Code of Good Practice, in Schedule 8.
Wage/Remuneration/Payment
There is no prescribed minimum rate of remuneration. Additional
payments (such as for overtime or work on Sundays or Public Holidays)
are calculated from the total remuneration as indicated in clause 5.3 of
the contract. The total remuneration is the total of the money received by 222
the employee and the payment in kind (i.e. the value of food and
accommodation etc.). Payment in kind may not be less than R100.
Transport allowances, bonuses, increases
These are not regulated by Basic Conditions of Employment Act and are
therefore open to negotiation between the parties. Hours of work
Normal hours (excluding overtime)
A domestic worker may not be made to:
work more than 45 hours a week;
work more than nine hours per day for a five day work week;
work more than eight hours a day for a six day work week; and Overtime
A domestic worker may not work more than three hours of
overtime per day or 10 hours per week and must be paid at least
1.5 times the wage or may agree to receive paid time off. .
Daily and weekly rest periods
A daily rest period of 12 consecutive hours and a weekly rest
period of 36 consecutive hours, which must include Sunday,
unless otherwise agreed, must be allowed.
The daily rest period may by agreement be reduced to 10 hours
for an employee who live on the premises whose meal interval
lasts for at least three hours.
The weekly rest period may by agreement be extended to 60
consecutive hours every two weeks or be reduced to eight hours
in any week if the rest period in the following week is extended equivalently. Meal intervals
A domestic worker is entitled to a one-hour break for a meal after not
more than five hours work. Such interval may be reduced to 30 minutes, 223
by agreement between the parties. If required or permitted to work
during this period, remuneration must be paid. Sunday work
Work on Sundays is voluntary and a domestic worker can therefore not
be forced to work on a Sunday.
If the employee works on a Sunday he/she shall be paid double the daily wage.
If the employee ordinarily works on a Sunday he/she shall be paid one
and one-half time the wage for every hour worked. Public Holidays
The days mentioned in the Public Holidays Act must be granted but the
parties can agree to further public holidays. Work on a public holiday is
entirely voluntary and a domestic worker may not be forced to work on such public holiday.
The official public holidays are: New Years Day (1 January) Human Rights Day (21 March) Good Friday (varies) Family Day (varies) Freedom Day (27 April) Workers Day (1 May) Youth day (16 June)
National Woman’s Day (9 August) Heritage Day (24 September)
Day of Reconciliation (16 December) Christmas Day (25 December) Day of Goodwill (26 December)
Any other day declared an official public holiday from time to time should also be granted.
These days can be exchanged for any other day by agreement. 224
If the employee works on a public holiday he/she shall be paid double the normal days wage. Annual Leave
Annual leave may not be less than 21 consecutive days for full-time
workers or by agreement, one day for every 17 days worked or one hour for every 17 hours worked.
The leave must be granted not later than six months after completion of
the period of 12 consecutive months of employment. The leave may not
be granted concurrent with any period of sick leave, nor with a period of
notice of termination of the contract of employment. Sick leave
During every sick leave cycle of 36 months an employee is entitled to an
amount of paid sick leave equal to the number of days the employee
would normally work during a period of six weeks.
During the first six months of employment, an employee is entitled to
one day’s paid sick leave for every 26 days worked.
The employer is not required to pay an employee if the employee has
been absent from work for more than two consecutive days or on more
than two occasions during an eight-week period and, on request by the
employer, does not produce a medical certificate stating that the
employee was unable to work for the duration of the employee’s
absence on account of sickness or injury. Maternity leave
The employee is entitled to at least four consecutive months’ maternity
leave. The employer is not obliged to pay the domestic worker for the
period for which she is off work due to her pregnancy. However the
parties may agree that the domestic worker will receive part of or her
entire salary/wage for the time that she is off due to pregnancy.
Family responsibility leave
Employees employed for longer than four months and for at least four
days a week are entitled to take three days’ paid family responsibility 225
leave during each leave cycle when the employee’s child is born, or
when the employee’s child is sick or in the event of the death of the
employee’s spouse or life partner or parent, adoptive parent,
grandparent, child, adopted child, grandchild or sibling.
Deduction from the remuneration
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act prohibits an employer from
deducting any monies from the workers wages without his/her written permission. Other issues
There are certain other issues which are not regulated by the Basic
Conditions of Employment Act such as probationary periods, right of
entry to the employers premises, afternoons off, weekends off and
pension schemes, medical aid schemes, training/school fees, funeral
benefits and savings account, however the aforementioned may be
negotiated between the parties and included in the contract of employment.
Prohibition of Employment
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act prohibits employment of any
person under the age of 15 and it is therefore important for an employer
to verify the age of the domestic worker by requesting a copy of the
identity document or birth certificate.
Other conditions of employment
There is no provision, which prevents any other conditions of
employment being included in a contract of employment but any
provision which sets conditions which are less favourable than those set by the Act, would be invalid.
Please note: these guidelines are not meant to be a complete summary of the
Basic Conditions of Employment Act and/or legal advice. Should there be any
doubt as to rights and/or obligations in terms of the Act or terms of any clause
of the suggested Contract of Employment, such queries can be directed to the
local office of the Department of Labour, who will gladly assist 226
SAMPLE LABOUR CONTRACT - VIETNAM
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Independence – Freedom – Happiness ---oOo---
Employer: VNV Construction and Furniture Co., Ltd. Hanoi, 1st June 2011 Number: 03 LABOUR CONTRACT
(Enacted under Circular No. 21/2003/TT-BLDTBXH dated 22/9/2003 of
Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) We include,
One party is: Ms LUU KIM HUE Nationality: Vietnamese Position: Director Representing:
VNV Construction and Furniture Co., Ltd.
Address: 67 Ngo Dinh Tuong Thuan, Kham Thien Street, Dong Da, Hanoi Tel.:04.37326669
And the other party is Mr NGUYEN XUAN THANG Nationality: Vietnamese
Date of birth: June 16 1972
Place of birth: Hanoi Occupation: 0
Temporary address: Number 8 Lane 141, Truong Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
ID number: 011543387
Date of issue: 05/12/2002 In Hanoi
Number of labour record: 0 Date of issue: 0 In: 0
Agree to sign the labour contract and to conform to the following conditions: 227
Article 1: Term and contract work
- Type of labour contract: 1 year.
- From 6th January 2011
By the date: 30th June 2012 - Probation period from: to today: 30th June 2012
- Workplace: Inside the office and outside the market.
- Professional functions: Sales Management - Position (if any):
- Job to be done: Manage the system of sale, exploitation of projects.
Article 2: Working regulations - Working time 8 hours a day 6 days a week
- Be equipped with the tools including: All working tools
Article 3: Rights and obligations of the labourer 1- Rights
- Means of transport: Self support
- Main salary or wage: 12,000,000 VND/month
- Payment method: In cash
- Allowance: none
- Date of payment: 30th monthly - Bonus: - Salary increase:
- Equipped with labour protection clothes, including:
- Rest time (weekly, annual leave, holidays…):
According to the Company regulations on working
- Social insurance and health insurance (10).
According to the Company regulations on working - Training (11) 228
Based on actual demand of the Company, professional
training and development will be provided. - Other agreements (12)
Based on business situation, it is possible to discuss the
work and to adjust the salary. 2. Obligations:
- Fulfill the commitments in the labour contract.
- Conform to the order of production and business, regulations on labour discipline, labour safety…
- Compensation for violation and material (13)
Article 4: Obligations and rights of the labor user: 1. Obligations:
- Guarantee employment and fully perform the commitments in the labour contract.
- Make full and timely payment for rights and benefits of the labour user
under the labor contract, collective labour agreement (if any). 2. Rights:
- Direct the labourer to finish the contractual job (arrange, transfer, temporarily suspend).
- Temporary suspend, terminate the labour contract, and punish the
labourer in accordance with legal regulations, collective labour
agreement (if any) and regulations on labour of the enterprise.
Article 5: Execution provisions:
- The issues on labour not written in this labour contract will apply the
regulations of collective labour contract, in case there is no collective
labour agreement, the regulations of labour law is labour law.
- The labour contract is made into 02 originals of the same value; each
party keeps one original and comes into force since June 1st . When 2011
both parties sign the appendix to labour contract, contents of the 229
appendix to labour contract has the same value as contents of this labour contract.
This contract is made at VNV Construction and Furniture Co., Ltd. June 1st, 2011 LABOURER LABOUR USER (Signed) (Signed and sealed) DIRECTOR Nguyen Xuan Thang Luu Kim Hue 230 REFERENCES
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