Definition of Job Transfer

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF TRANSFERS OR JOB TRANSFER :

In business organisations, employees are shifted from one post to the other or from one department to the other or from one unit/plant/branch of the company to the other. This is called job transfer or transfer of an employee. This. brings internal mobility of human resources within the organisation. Such transfers are quite common in the case of banks, government departments manufacturing companies  and other business and service organisations. Transfer of employees is normally at the initiative of the employer/management.

A transfer is defined as “a change in job where the new job is substantially equal to the old in terms of status and responsibilities Yoder and associates have defined transfer as “a lateral shift causing movement of individuals from one position to another usually without involving any marked change in duties responsibilities, skills needed or compensation.

Management has a right to transfer the services of its employees for various reasons and employees have to accept such transfers. Service rules normally give such power of transfer to the management However, this right should be used for meeting the organisational needs and not for punishing the employees. Similarly, transfers should be made as per certain rules and also by following the necessary procedure.

Transfers of employees do create some resentment from concerned employees. This is natural as transfers may create certain personal and family problems. In addition, an employee has to adjust with the new situation. Finally it maybe pointed out that transfer is neither promotion nor demotion but merely a horizontal or lateral movement of an employee from one job, to another at some other place where the salary, status and responsibilities are more or less the same.

A transfer differs from a promotion. In promotion, there is an increase in responsibility, status and income of an employee. These elements are absent in transfer. Secondly, transfers are regular and frequent but promotions are infrequent. Thirdly, employees normally welcome promotion as the monetary and other benefits are clearly visible. On the other hand, transfers are not easily acceptable as they create new problems and inconveniences before employees transferred.