Hcs 341 Legal Safety And Regulatory Analysis
Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements
Human Resources in Health Care
HCS 341
July 14, 2013
Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements
Human resources is impacted by the legal, safety, and regulatory requirements because they are to ensure the employees are treated equally and fairly. Agencies that help employees and employers understand their rights are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Labor Relations Board,. The United States Government has established these departments to help protect employee and employer, establish workplace rules and regulations, and help protect either side from unfairness in the workplace. The effects of legal, safety, and regulatory …show more content…
requirements, the question of whether “Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation,” and the effect the government has had on human resources will be explored in the following paragraphs.
Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements
The employees who make up the Human resources department must be educated in the laws and regulations that have been established by the United States Government.
The Human Resources staff is employed to ensure that the company and the employees abide by these laws and regulations. Employment creates a relationship between employee and employer that has rights protecting each party. “When an employee accepts a position with a new company, a company will draw up an employment contract. The purpose of the contract is to detail the requirements and specifications of the position” (Francis, 2013, p. 1). Equal rights and responsibilities are afforded to each party that has entered the employment agreement. The Department of Labor has rules to protect employees regarding wages, hours that can be worked, breaks, and employing minors. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, “sets and enforces protective workplace safety and health standards. OSHA also provides information, training and assistance to workers and employers” ("Safety," “n.d.,” p. 1). The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, regulates the relationship between employee and employers to enforce federal laws against discrimination. The EEOC investigates claims of discrimination and tries to help resolve the matter. If they are not able to resolve the matter they may file a lawsuit to protect the party experiencing the discrimination. Human Resources is responsible for …show more content…
maintaining the company’s rules and regulations so there is no violation of the laws set forth by the governing agency.
Common Sense and Compassion
The statement “Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation” (Common Sense, “n.d.,” p.
5) seems to be a true statement for the current work environments in today’s society. It is commonplace to hear or read about a new lawsuit filed because of workplace discrimination, either perceived or realistic. The ease and ability to sue over misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and true discrimination have made some people start looking for situations to sue over. Companies have started approaching this from the stance of protecting themselves primarily with employee/employer contracts, documented training, and documented coaching so that a historical trail is available to prove their side. Compassion seems to have been replaced with a Human Resources team that overlooks the true ‘human’ side of their job. Rare are the stories of employees who have been with their employer for 20 or 30 plus years or the employee who needs help and got more than a form to fill out to be considered for the help they need. Taking the time to be compassionate has become rewarded with a lawsuit. Human Resources has learned how to protect the company with documentation and coaching instead of taking the time out of the situation to get to the root of the problem and help. It seems that litigation has replaced common sense and compassion, which can make the workplace a difficult place to
be.
Employee-related Regulations
To briefly look into the Department of Labor will be just that, brief. There are many events that have happened to help shape the 100 years history of the United States regulatory department. President Taft created the Department of Labor on March 4, 1913 based on statistics collected on employment and labor starting back in June 1884. Because its creation, the Department of Labor has created many Acts that have affected employees and employers throughout its 100 years of service to the United States of America. The Immigration Act helps protect the working rights of immigrants coming to America. The Federal Compensation Act helps protect workers injured on-the-job from losing their job and not getting the proper care for their injury. In May 1915 the commissioner of the Department of Labor Statistics published the first monthly labor review still in use today. The monthly report “includes information about the labor force, the economy, employment, inflation, productivity, occupational injuries and illnesses, and wages” ("Labor History," “n.d.,” p. 5). The monthly report, when reported in the news, has direct correlation to the President of the United States. Democrats and Republicans use this information to show their interpretation of how the presidential office is handling the unemployment situation. Vital information and regulations are generated from the Department of Labor and employees and employers would know a very different workplace environment if the agency had not been created.
Conclusion
Human Resources are a vitally important process within any company. Human Resources help maintain the rules and regulations set forth by many federal agencies to ensure that both the employee and employer rights are protected. Although common sense and compassion have been replaced by litigation, there is room to take a step back to regain some of that lost connection between the employee and employer. Creating several federal agencies that directly affect rules and regulations in the workplace has shaped the workforce in the United States for the past 100 years. Knowing, creating, and training employees and employers on the law, rules, and regulations is the responsibility of Human Resources.
References
Francis, K. A. (2013). Terms & Conditions of an Employment Contract. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/terms-conditions-employment-contract-4784.html
Human Resources in Health Care. (“n.d.”). In (Comp.), Human resources in health care syllabus (pp. 4-9). Lonetree, CO: University of Phoenix.
The U.S. Department of Labor Historical Timeline. (“n.d.”). Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#5
You have the right to a safe workplace. (“n.d.”). Retrieved July 14, 2013, from https://www.osha.gov/workers.html
Human Resources in Health Care
HCS 341
July 14, 2013
Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements
Human resources is impacted by the legal, safety, and regulatory requirements because they are to ensure the employees are treated equally and fairly. Agencies that help employees and employers understand their rights are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Labor Relations Board,. The United States Government has established these departments to help protect employee and employer, establish workplace rules and regulations, and help protect either side from unfairness in the workplace. The effects of legal, safety, and regulatory …show more content…
requirements, the question of whether “Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation,” and the effect the government has had on human resources will be explored in the following paragraphs.
Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements
The employees who make up the Human resources department must be educated in the laws and regulations that have been established by the United States Government.
The Human Resources staff is employed to ensure that the company and the employees abide by these laws and regulations. Employment creates a relationship between employee and employer that has rights protecting each party. “When an employee accepts a position with a new company, a company will draw up an employment contract. The purpose of the contract is to detail the requirements and specifications of the position” (Francis, 2013, p. 1). Equal rights and responsibilities are afforded to each party that has entered the employment agreement. The Department of Labor has rules to protect employees regarding wages, hours that can be worked, breaks, and employing minors. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, “sets and enforces protective workplace safety and health standards. OSHA also provides information, training and assistance to workers and employers” ("Safety," “n.d.,” p. 1). The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, regulates the relationship between employee and employers to enforce federal laws against discrimination. The EEOC investigates claims of discrimination and tries to help resolve the matter. If they are not able to resolve the matter they may file a lawsuit to protect the party experiencing the discrimination. Human Resources is responsible for …show more content…
maintaining the company’s rules and regulations so there is no violation of the laws set forth by the governing agency.
Common Sense and Compassion
The statement “Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation” (Common Sense, “n.d.,” p.
5) seems to be a true statement for the current work environments in today’s society. It is commonplace to hear or read about a new lawsuit filed because of workplace discrimination, either perceived or realistic. The ease and ability to sue over misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and true discrimination have made some people start looking for situations to sue over. Companies have started approaching this from the stance of protecting themselves primarily with employee/employer contracts, documented training, and documented coaching so that a historical trail is available to prove their side. Compassion seems to have been replaced with a Human Resources team that overlooks the true ‘human’ side of their job. Rare are the stories of employees who have been with their employer for 20 or 30 plus years or the employee who needs help and got more than a form to fill out to be considered for the help they need. Taking the time to be compassionate has become rewarded with a lawsuit. Human Resources has learned how to protect the company with documentation and coaching instead of taking the time out of the situation to get to the root of the problem and help. It seems that litigation has replaced common sense and compassion, which can make the workplace a difficult place to
be.
Employee-related Regulations
To briefly look into the Department of Labor will be just that, brief. There are many events that have happened to help shape the 100 years history of the United States regulatory department. President Taft created the Department of Labor on March 4, 1913 based on statistics collected on employment and labor starting back in June 1884. Because its creation, the Department of Labor has created many Acts that have affected employees and employers throughout its 100 years of service to the United States of America. The Immigration Act helps protect the working rights of immigrants coming to America. The Federal Compensation Act helps protect workers injured on-the-job from losing their job and not getting the proper care for their injury. In May 1915 the commissioner of the Department of Labor Statistics published the first monthly labor review still in use today. The monthly report “includes information about the labor force, the economy, employment, inflation, productivity, occupational injuries and illnesses, and wages” ("Labor History," “n.d.,” p. 5). The monthly report, when reported in the news, has direct correlation to the President of the United States. Democrats and Republicans use this information to show their interpretation of how the presidential office is handling the unemployment situation. Vital information and regulations are generated from the Department of Labor and employees and employers would know a very different workplace environment if the agency had not been created.
Conclusion
Human Resources are a vitally important process within any company. Human Resources help maintain the rules and regulations set forth by many federal agencies to ensure that both the employee and employer rights are protected. Although common sense and compassion have been replaced by litigation, there is room to take a step back to regain some of that lost connection between the employee and employer. Creating several federal agencies that directly affect rules and regulations in the workplace has shaped the workforce in the United States for the past 100 years. Knowing, creating, and training employees and employers on the law, rules, and regulations is the responsibility of Human Resources.
References
Francis, K. A. (2013). Terms & Conditions of an Employment Contract. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/terms-conditions-employment-contract-4784.html
Human Resources in Health Care. (“n.d.”). In (Comp.), Human resources in health care syllabus (pp. 4-9). Lonetree, CO: University of Phoenix.
The U.S. Department of Labor Historical Timeline. (“n.d.”). Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#5
You have the right to a safe workplace. (“n.d.”). Retrieved July 14, 2013, from https://www.osha.gov/workers.html