These professionals are tasked with frequent on-the-spot decisions that can have severe legal consequences, so knowledge of common HR-related laws gives these industry workers the confidence to make these decisions or know when to contact outside counsel.
Human resource management must also comply with applicable laws and regulations such as sexual harassment laws, affirmative action, and equal employment opportunity. Learn about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and their role in upholding worker rights and safety.
HR professionals with legal expertise also have a competitive advantage in the workplace, as they are able to proactively minimize a company’s exposure to legal risk.
They are made up of laws spanning local, state and federal levels. Their importance cannot be overstated – employment (or labor) laws provide the foundation for our economic system! Over the years they have grown to reflect the values we hold as a society and in our ideal of the equality of all people.
Through continuous education, we can become legislative subject matter experts and compliance leaders. By setting goals and committing to a disciplined approach to educating ourselves, then utilizing a variety of SHRM competencies to do so, HR professionals can stay on top of evolving laws and regulations that affect the workplace.
Read, write and give presentations. Work to become a subject matter expert in the laws and regulations that affect your organization. Do the research into such legislation, then regularly write memos to inform and update your organizational leadership and managers and supervisors. (The more time you spend writing about laws and regulations, the better you'll get—practice makes improved!) Summarize the information, communicate the impacts of the changes, and present the material at high-level meetings or training sessions. HR professionals who become experts on legislation can make tremendous impacts on their organizations. Use the competencies of Communication and Relationship Management for guidance.
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, which prohibits employers from discriminating against covered employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender or national origin.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, is a federal agency that enforces the rules of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII. The EEOC handles employee claims of discrimination and implementing new anti-discrimination laws.
He was looking for a few good pizza makers, a sous chef, a bookkeeper and a server. He wasn't very familiar with the Civil Rights Act, so prior to holding his job fair, Nick took a class on human resource law. When it came to making the hiring decisions, Nick knew he had to do the right thing. He hired a diverse staff.
Affirmative action, which is a set of policies that address the inclusion of all people, mainly minorities, in the workforce. After viewing this lesson, you will be able to describe the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment and affirmative action.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against covered employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender or national origin. This means human resource managers must be fair in hiring qualified employees without discrimination. Nick, owner of Nick's Pizza, held a job fair at his pizzeria.
The EEOC does not only handle violations of the Civil Rights Act. The commission also handles the:
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1. Workplace Discrimination Laws. Among the most important legislation for HR professionals to know, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws protect against the discrimination of any individual based on age, disability, genetic information, national origin, race/color, sex, pregnancy, or religion. HR professionals should be familiar with ...
The law touches every profession that falls under the HR umbrella in some way.”. These professionals are tasked with frequent on-the-spot decisions that can have severe legal consequences, so knowledge of common HR-related laws gives these industry workers the confidence to make these decisions or know when to contact outside counsel.
HR professionals with legal expertise also have a competitive advantage in the workplace, as they are able to proactively minimize a company’s exposure to legal risk. With working knowledge of current laws and their real-world applications, they help companies remain compliant and avoid unnecessary claims while also protecting the rights of valued employees.
This category of laws helps protect employees’ access to benefits. The most prominent laws include: 1 The Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” which was enacted to increase access to affordable healthcare for those living below poverty levels. 2 The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) stipulates that any organization offering pension plans must meet certain minimum standards. 3 The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) mandates insurance programs must provide eligible employees access to continued health insurance coverage for a period of time after leaving employment. 4 The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) affords employees and their dependents protection and privacy from the release of personal medical records. This law also protects employees from discrimination based on medical condition or history.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) mandates insurance programs must provide eligible employees access to continued health insurance coverage for a period of time after leaving employment.
If an organization violates these complex and ever-changing regulations, it exposes itself to risk, including lawsuits, financial losses, and reputation damage. Since non-compliance can result in such serious consequences, there is a strong demand for industry workers who possess knowledge of HR laws and common legal issues in the workplace.
Another critical statute in this category is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, which entitles eligible employees to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons, with a continuance of healthcare coverage and job protection. In 2010, this act was amended to incorporate increased flexibility for veterans and active military in order to offer them additional protections under the law.
The HR representative should have excellent communication, be able to handle difficult situations, have great writing skills, and be aware of rules and processes for anything related to employees and any possible situations that could affect the employee.
The overall goal for HR is to make sure that employees are in the right position, are in a good and safe environment, have all the rules and training needed to be capable of working, and can speak to HR when needed.
Communication of company rules and laws are sent out on a regular basis to make sure the employees are well informed. HR finds potential employees and screens them to make sure they are a good fit. Employees are provided tools for career progress. Any type of wage issue the employee has will be handled by HR. HR and the employee should have a good relationship. The HR representative is a resource for the employee to consult.
In conclusion, human resources is a vital arm of a company. The overall goal for HR is to make sure that employees are in the right position, are in a good and safe environment, have all the rules and training needed to be capable of working, and can speak to HR when needed. The human resources management department is the place to go to ...
She interned at a business for one year. During her internship, Nicole was asked to receive employee calls for complaints. One day she received a call from an employee in an office nearby. The employee told her that the manager had tried to have her work on her vacation day.
The HR department or team is charged with finding the right people to work in the company. An HR representative has the pleasure of dealing with any kind of employee or labor issue, such as employee welfare; offering advice on work situations to employees and management; educating the employees on the rules of the company;
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