The HR department is responsible for ensuring that all company and government policies are followed. Two acts in particular are the Age Discrimination Act of 1978 and Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Both of these employment acts require that HR puts the best interest of the business and the employees first. The Age Discrimination act of 1978 protects individuals from being discriminated against because of their age. The HR department has to make certain that all employees are clear on this act, and everybody should know that the HR department documents all claims of discrimination. Ultimately is the responsibility of the HR department to ensure all laws are followed.
Furthermore, the HR department has to
guarantee that an employee can lawfully take a medical leave. HR has to ensure there are correct procedures, which follow government guidelines to protect the individual’s job. The employee should know of the procedures. In addition to this, the HR department has to ensure all paper work is completed and documented to protect both the employer and employee.
Employees have the right to whistle-blow if they know something that is happening within an organization. It is the HR department’s responsibility to ensure that the whistle-blower is not retaliated against once they tell something. HR also should also make sure that there is some procedure in place so an individual to ensure they can tell information confidentially (Watz, Dungan, & Young, 2013).
Ultimately it is the job of the HR department to ensure that all members of the organization are protected. It is imperative that all members of the HR department know the rights and acts that may arise within the workplace. By having a basic knowledge of these events, they may know how to address them if the situation arises within the business.
References
Watz, A., Dungan, J., & Young, L., (August 2, 2013). New York Times. Gray Matter The
Whistle-Blower’s Quandary. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/opinion/sunday/the-whistle-blowers-quandary.html?_r=0