The Law Side Of A Human Resource Department Essay

How do you conduct yourself as a ‘professional’, not just generally but with specific reference to ‘professionalism’ within the HR function? What improvements could you make?

In an era of organizational flux due to competition and globalization, companies and employees are faced with constant change. Leaders must be able to adapt to change as the environment shifts. HR has been known as the organizational change agent, administrative expert, and employee advocate. More recently they have been regarded as business strategic partners for many organizations. In order to be successful and remain competitive in today’s market, Human Resources (HR) must be considered a strategic partner if an organization wants to flourish. Top executives today commit significant resources to ensure that their company’s functions are capable of rapid change and achieving their

1. Ch 1, page 60-61, question 4: What is “evidence based HR”? Why might an HR department resist becoming evidenced based?

2. Give some examples of ethical issues that you have experienced in jobs, and explain how HR did or did not help resolve them.

Over the last several decades, workplace issues have become an area of controversy for most employers. This is because the regulations surrounding what practices are considered to be discriminatory have increased dramatically. To enforce these issues, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is playing a central role in making employers follow these provisions of the law. A recent example of this occurred, with the case EEOC v. HCS Medical Staffing Inc.

Employment law encompasses remedies that address employee grievances and discrimination that occur in the workplace environment. The foundation of this system is the United States Constitution, which provides two sources of laws and regulations. These two sources are individual state constitutions and the national constitution. Under this system of federalism, there is also the Bill of Rights, which provides the origins of the majority of employment law. The most widely known document is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000e et.seq.) The judicial, executive, and legislative branches of the government of the United States create and enforce rules and regulations as promulgated by the constitution. Individuals

Another important factor to consider is if each of the organization's employees is being treated fairly. An organization should ensure that they create and follow a code of ethics in which employees feel that both the employee and the employer are held accountable and encouraged to be ethical in treatment to one another. This translates as a feeling by employees that the employer trusts them in their jobs and professions and that all employees are treated fairly and justly in all actions and company pursuits. This means that each employee should be treated

Throughout the 20th century, one of the most controversial topics is the equality of men and women. From the workplace to the athletic fields, many activists have made it their life’s work in order to see women able to have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. In some cases, there has been legal action made in order to facilitate these reforms and ensure that they will be enforced. In most cases, these laws have accomplished exactly what they have set out to do. The nineteenth amendment allowed for the suffrage of women, and Executive Order 11246 prevents any employer from discriminating anybody in the hiring process and in employment, to include equal opportunity as far as advancement and salary are concerned. Both of these have

The original assignment in this module dealt primarily with employers trying to find wrongdoing by employees.  We now turn to the question of employee rights and employer obligations.  Using at least two (2) of the foundational ethical theories studied in Module 2, you should answer the following questions.   With each answer, you should discuss the issues and set forth and defend a clear position.

Ethical issues are a matter that every type of business and economy has to work on at some point. Companies, enterprises, agencies, universities, and schools, they all have to deal with moral and ethical matters, and since eventually most of us will enroll one of them, these issues should be a matter of concern to all of us. In a work environment, persecution, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying indicate an unethical conduct, and these types of behaviors are certainly difficult to manage in the workplace.

In the workplace as well as one’s personal life is essential for ethics to be maintained; often taking the right action is not always the most popular choice. It is important for maintaining an upstanding ethical code of conduct to be a productive individual as well as function as an employee in the workplace.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws have helped shape the workforce today and they have greatly contributed to the introduction of diversity in the working environment. No longer are people rejected of employment based on their race, gender, age, or disability. The labor force has increased from 62 million people in 1950 to over 159 million people in the labor force today (Toolsi). The passing of the EEO laws proved to be a great advancement in the diversity of the workforce and treatment of employees, but it was a tremendous battle to get where we are today. Before the passing of these laws, unequal treatment was normal and discrimination was common among the majority of employers. This made acquiring employment difficult and caused many people to be unemployed. Three Equal Employment Opportunity laws that helped diminish these discriminatory practices were Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. For each law, I will describe what it enforces and explain the actions that happened in society and the workplace that made these laws necessary. I will discuss important political figures that contributed to the passing of these laws. Lastly, I will examine how each law has improved human resources and has led to better management of employees overall.

Despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act has been law since 1963, many problems inevitably arise in the administration of equal pay laws (Fisher). It has been estimated that at this current slow rate of progression in closing the gender pay gap it will be 2068 by the time men and women’s wages are equalized. It is clear that the business case, as well as the legislative case, has a significant role to play (Commission Policy Report).

Three frequently problematic ethical issues within the workforce are harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Harassment and discrimination in the workplace occur in different methods. Workplace harassment in any manner of unwanted behavior toward an employee that leashes obstacles in performing job duties and/or making the employee feel he/she is working in an unwelcoming environment. Harassment can be a result of several factors such as, race, gender, culture, age, sexual orientation, national origin and/or religion. For the most part there are various countries that have laws in place to safeguard

The role of the human resources (HR) department can play a significant role in the success and achievements of an organization. The department, which has evolved from the