Introduction
The human resource is the most valuable asset in an organization since it is responsible for the daily activities that take place in a business entity. Failure to acknowledge the contribution made by employees implies that an organization is likely to encounter a culture based on low staff morale as well as forms of individualism that negatively affects the operations in a company. Any human resource department needs to place major priority on key aspects such as minimum wage for employees, ensuring health and safety standards comply with OSHA standards and protect the health of employees throughout their interaction with the company.
Wrongful discharge is considered illegal such that employees whose services are wrongfully terminated are at liberty to sue the company so that they can be reinstated or compensated for the damages caused by the management decision. Managers ought to consider the circumstances surrounding a particular course of action such that in case the employee is not at fault, there is need for practices that are not based on victimization of the employee. Corporate ethics require that organizations do not engage in forms of discrimination and victimization of workers where employees are sacked or denied employment opportunities in spite of them having right qualifications and experience.
Keeping a healthy workforce is important to achieving long term success in an organization. Business entities need to involve employees in pre-employment and post-employment health checks to determine the health condition of the employees. Employers are required by law to ensure they have a safer workforce that is insured such that in the case of work related injuries, the employees can be compensated by the company. Safety at work place is also among key priorities that organizations need to focus on.
Record keeping and reporting of work related injuries is important since they help management in reviewing policies such that there are minimal hazards that expose workers to injuries. OSHA standards require organizations to fully comply with the need for maintaining a safer work place whereby representatives from OSHA inspect places of employment to determine whether there are health hazards and safety violations. Employers need to provide adequate personal protective equipment to employees depending on the task such that different jobs need to have the recommended equipment. Work safety is important because it ensures workers are in the right mental and physical state as they go through their daily work experiences. Those injured are also able to be compensated by the employer. Failure to comply with need for appropriate personal protective clothing warrants huge fines as well as closure of the company if the situation is worse.
Incidences of child labor in developing nations continue to face scrutiny from the public and relevant regulations since child labor is to a leger extent illegal. Organizations need to be clear on their minimum age required of an employee to avoid any cases where children below the age of eighteen are employed in various firms due to their limited demands in terms of pay and incentives. To be able to make efforts in promoting corporate social responsibilities, businesses need to support communities in which they operate in to improve their socio-economic status. Child labor is as a result of poverty in communities such parents at times force their children to look for employment in spite of the fact that they are below the age required for employment. The minimum wage given to employees also acts as a motivator and an ingredient for long term growth and sustainability. The wage given to employees need to be desirable if organizations are to have the best employees and retain them.
Management needs to offer remuneration packages that reflect the economic hardships in the society such that employees need to be able to adequately finance their needs. Failure to comply with the minimum wage requirements lead to organizational conflicts that in turn cause a reduction in production from disgruntled workers. Overtime hours worked should be compensated appropriately while at the same time adhering to legal standards such that employees are not required to work for more than 40 hours per week. Overtime hours should not be forced on employees such that they work for longer hours reluctantly. Overtime pay needs to be enough such that employees are motivated to work the extra hours due to attractive incentives.
Conclusion
Employees are key assets for organization creating the need for management and employment regulations Acts to continuously monitoring the situations in work places. Modern business environment call for organizations to design and implement policies dealing with compensation, health of employees and other incentives such as insurance and bonus payments. Human resource managers have a responsibility to ensure justice prevails in the work place by ensuring that employees are in the right mental and physical state to continue driving the organization to achieve the set objectives. Fairness, honesty and respect are among the corporate ethics that need to be considered as part of the organizational culture.
Modern business operations need to, therefore, consider treating their employees according to legal requirements as well as the needs identified through consultation with employees. It is only through holistic approach to managing activities that any organization will be able to achieve higher levels of efficiencies and effectiveness.
References
International Labor Organization. (2013). Marking progress against child labour: Global estimates and trends 2000-2012. Geneva: ILO.
Khan, W., Mustaq, T., & Tabassum, A. (2014). Occupational Health, Safety and Risk Analysis. International Journal of Science, Environment and Technology, 1336 – 1346.
Mphil, A., Ramzan, M., & Zubair, H. ( 2014). Impact of Compensation on Employee Performance (Empirical Evidence from Banking Sector of Pakistan). International Journal of Business and Social Science, 302-310.
