Effective labor rationing is one of the conditions for increasing the competitiveness and profitability of an enterprise, and giving additional incentives to the dynamics of its development. By what methods can it be carried out? What legal acts regulate the work of enterprises in the field of development of various norms?
Definition of labor standards
What is labor rationing? According to a common interpretation, this phenomenon can be understood as a mechanism for establishing measures that reflect the amount of labor costs for the production of a unit of goods, the provision of a certain volume of services, or the performance of work within the framework of specified technical or organizational criteria.
It can be noted that the rules and norms of labor protection in the general case do not apply to the considered category of indicators. The fact is that they are not directly related to the optimization of production. However, it is possible that their nature will in one way or another affect the costs of the enterprise. For example, in those cases when the rules and norms of labor protection require additional investment in funds that provide comfortable conditions for employees to perform their functions. In this case, the relevant criteria form production costs. For the same reason, labor safety standards are usually not included in this category, but they can also be a factor in profitability.
Interconnection of norms of various nature
Thus, we can observe a large number of interpretations of the term “norm”. Therefore, it should be used carefully, carefully studying the context. Labor protection standards are, rather, an administrative legal category. In turn, the indicators discussed in the article relate more to technological ones.
Wage rates, however, can be included in the range of those that determine production costs. But on this score among experts there is no consensus. There is a thesis according to which the salary at different enterprises can be the same, but labor efficiency and dynamics of cost reduction can be very different. Therefore, the level of labor compensation established for employees cannot be considered the determining criterion in this case.
Rationing of labor is recognized by many experts as a branch of economic science, closely associated with technological disciplines, psychology, physiology, and sociology. This area studies a person in order to optimize his labor investments in solving production problems in the economy.
Many researchers prefer to combine quantitative principles of optimization of labor costs and organizational approaches. That is, not so much the numbers are important as, for example, the manager’s ability to correctly coordinate the actions of a team of specialists in the process of solving a production problem. Therefore, modern concepts of labor standards can include not only technological approaches, but also those that are characteristic of humanitarian disciplines - as we have already noted above, sociology or, for example, psychology.
Why is labor rationing necessary?
Labor standards are needed primarily in order to calculate production costs associated with the payment of salaries to employees of the enterprise in relation to a specific period of time. Also, the regulation of labor is designed to ensure the calculation of planned indicators of labor intensity in relation to the release of certain goods (parts, spare parts, units).
The appropriate mechanism can be used in calculating the optimal number of personnel in the enterprise as a whole or in any of its structural units. The system of labor standards can be used if it is necessary to make an objective assessment of the quality of personnel in the company, to determine the criteria for accruing bonuses to employees in various positions. The mechanism under consideration is useful in terms of analyzing the effectiveness of introducing new technologies in production, determining the optimal number of fixed assets of an enterprise.
Labor Rationing: Theoretical Concepts
Labor standards as a phenomenon related to the sphere of economy, in one form or another, have been used for quite some time. But they became the subject of full-fledged theoretical research only at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. A huge role in the development of the very first concepts related to labor standards belongs to the American engineer Frederick Taylor. Under the guidance of the scientist, various timing observations were carried out at the plants, after which the obtained data were analyzed and interpreted. Frank Gilbert, who also worked in the USA, did a great job in the field of labor standards research. Analyzing operations related to production functions the scientist determined the amount of costs required to carry out certain actions of employees in the enterprise. As a result, Frank Gilbert determined the most optimal ways to carry out work. Over time, the theoretical achievements of American researchers were supplemented by a large number of other concepts. Labor standards gradually evolved from the status of scientific research to the elements of legal acts adopted by the national parliaments of developed states.
The relevance of labor rate theories
Obviously, the knowledge that reflects the optimization of the mechanisms for engaging labor resources in production is especially relevant today. The economies of many countries, even developed ones, are in recession. The way out of the crisis largely depends on how efficiently companies can reduce costs and optimize their business model. Labor standards can be one of the most effective tools for adjusting the production strategies of modern corporations. This usefulness of the theoretical concepts in question is also relevant for Russia, which, in all likelihood, will have to significantly rebuild the national economic system, getting out of dependence on oil exports and other types of raw materials.
Many of the successful modern economies, for example, Japanese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, have achieved the corresponding achievements largely due to the effective implementation of concepts that allowed for continuous optimization of production processes in terms of labor costs. The methods used in the countries of Southeast Asia, as modern researchers believe, can be adapted also to the Russian economic model.
Labor rationing in legal acts
We noted above that the norms of labor organization, appearing in the studies of individual talented engineers, gradually flowed to the level of official sources of law. This trend can be considered fully relevant for the Russian legal system. The main legislative source of the Russian Federation in the field of labor relations - the Labor Code, contains a whole chapter that talks about labor standards. Her number is 22, she has 5 articles. Consider the main provisions that they contain.
In the 159th article of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation it is determined that the established labor standards for workers in the enterprise are administered not only by the employer, but also by the state. Also in this part of the Code it is said that the application of appropriate standardization systems should be carried out taking into account the views of the trade union body or be consistent with the terms of the collective labor contract.
The 160th article describes what labor standards are, and their definition is given. We bring him. Under the labor standards, the legislator understands the indicators related to production, number, and also time and other criteria, which are established in relation to the available level of technology and organization of production processes. The parameters in question can be revised as new technical solutions are introduced or in the process of carrying out work at the enterprise to optimize staff productivity.
Article 161 says how labor standards should be developed. As for homogeneous works, the legislator recommends the establishment of standard criteria for them. Which may be industry or professional. Standard labor standards in this case should be developed and approved in accordance with the provisions of the Government of the Russian Federation.
AT 162nd article The Labor Code of the Russian Federation contains provisions regarding the introduction, adjustment, and revision of the criteria in question. The Code says that local sources of norms at an enterprise should be adopted taking into account the views of the trade union body. The law also contains a provision requiring the employing company to warn employees that new types of labor standards will be introduced at least 2 months before they are approved.
The 163rd article of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation says that an enterprise is obliged to provide comfortable conditions for employees to perform their functions so that the required indicators are achieved. In particular, the employer must keep in good condition various premises, equipment, and construction. Workers should be provided with the necessary documentation for instruments and machines, access to quality materials and tools.
The role of regulations
There is a term “normative", which is sometimes identified with the concept of a norm. But this is not always correct. What is the difference between these categories? First of all, the standards are characterized by indicators that have scientific validity. Their effectiveness should be confirmed in the process of experiments or in the practice of the factories. As a rule, standards become the basis for the subsequent development of standards. This is not the only criterion for distinguishing between these concepts.
Norms, as a rule, are developed at the level of competent structures, and are often included in legal acts. Norms, in turn, are already determined at the level of specific enterprises. Moreover, if the norm has not been adjusted and applied in the form in which one or another legal act includes it, then it can actually be understood as a synonym for the norm. But how does such an “evolution” take place? What is the logic for building standards based on standards?
A widespread algorithm, within the framework of which the optimal norms of labor costs are determined - when some averaged criteria characteristic of a particular production process at most factories are taken as the basis. For example, if an enterprise needs to calculate how much working time it takes to move a worker from one end of the workshop to the other, then the average pedestrian speed of 3-5 km / h will be taken as the basis.
Classification of labor standards
Consider what types of labor standards are in Russian practice. Their classification can be carried out for various reasons. For example, correlation with the processes of performing production tasks.
Among the most common here are time-based norms. They reflect the duration of the manufacture of a unit of goods, work, the provision of a certain amount of services. There are production standards that determine the number of products that an employee must complete in such and such a time. There are criteria reflecting the volume of necessary work or services in relation to a given period of time.Standards of numbers are identified that determine how many people should perform a production task. Often, certain criteria are applied simultaneously.
We noted above that the term “norm” should be used very carefully, having previously studied the context. For example, norms of working conditions will not generally relate to the category in question, since they do not directly determine the increase or decrease in production costs. Indirectly, of course, yes.
Norms for automation
Some experts single out a specific group of norms specific to automated production. Their peculiarity is that human participation in the production process, as a rule, is very indirect. The main task of employees is to ensure that there is no failure. It is not easy to optimize their actions in order to reduce costs, since the tasks for people can be very different. But even in automated industries, there are areas that can be investigated to improve the efficiency of personnel. This may reflect, for example, how quickly employees respond to emerging problems with the equipment and how quickly they are resolved - by repairing devices or replacing parts.
Labor rationing methods
Consider by what methods the regulation of labor. There are two of their main types - analytical and total. The first include methods based on a preliminary study of the production resources of a particular workplace, as well as on determining the costs associated with the implementation of a particular operation on a factory line.
Analytical methods are usually built in the framework of a sequential algorithm. First, the production process is divided into several stages. Then, factors that affect the duration of each are recorded. Next, the optimal composition of operations typical for a particular stage is projected. Next, the calculation of time costs for work within each section of the production chain is carried out, after which the corresponding indicators are summarized.
Analytical methods are presented in two main varieties. Firstly, it is a calculation that assumes that time costs will be calculated on the basis of existing, scientifically sound, concepts (or standards). Secondly, this is a study involving direct measurements, the result of which may differ from the data that had ever been recorded before in production. It can be noted that the calculation method in any case appears on the basis of the study.
When using summary methods, it is not supposed to analyze the production process and calculate some rational parameters. The main tool of the engineer here is statistics. It collects data obtained at various production sites, which can then become the basis for subsequent analysis at the level of full-fledged research. Therefore, from the point of view of business practice, methods of the first type are usually more useful - analytical. Within them various tools can be involved.
For example, it may be timing - determining the duration of the implementation of certain production operations over time. It is also possible to use photographing in order to fix the visual state of factory lines at various stages of operations.
