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
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
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