Analyse the relationship between the environment, strategy and systems of reward management

Learning Outcomes:

1. Analyse the relationship between the environment, strategy and systems of reward management
3. Critically discuss traditional, contingent and knowledge bases for transactional and relational rewards.
4. Design internally consistent reward structures that recognise labour marker and equity constraints

Assessment brief/activity

In your organisation or one with which you are familiar, identify an area of employment where employees who do similar work are paid differently. Differences in pay for similar work arise for a number of reasons – status, performance, age (over 25 and under 25), competency, experience, etc. For the purpose of this assessment, pay means ‘all contractual terms under which a person was employed whether concerned with pay or not’. It covers both transactional and relational rewards that are specific to the contract of employment. 

When you have chosen the area of employment for consideration produce a 3000 word written report that includes the following tasks (each task is equally weighted):

1. Justify your choice of area of employment in relation to environmental change and/or organisational strategy and compare and analyse the differences in pay between these employees within the area of employment (this should include data on all contractual rewards).
2. Considering your Reward Strategy and Equal Opportunities Policy, evaluate how the differences in pay between employees in the employment area can be defended taking into consideration HR processes and practices and legal compliance.

In conclusion, outline and justify your defence for the difference in pay providing clear evidence to support your case. Where the differences in pay cannot be defended, explain the potential discrimination in pay and how it should be resolved.  Your report should be cogent, articulate and focused, yet draw on as many sources of worthwhile and authoritative evidence that you can find.  All such sources should be properly identified.