Abstract
HR policies define the company’s work environment, reflected in the employee satisfaction and motivation rates. There are numerous HR policies, each addressing the significant challenges affecting companies. Therefore, The policies are meant to balance these challenges and the employees, ensuring a professional presence within the workplace. The paper discusses four significant HR policies that should be included in the HR manual to help employees address some critical challenges yet to be addressed through the available HR policies. The first policy is Confidentiality, which promotes employees’ privatization of personal information. Confidentiality in a workplace is crucial because it enhances trust among employees and involved clients, enabling a healthy relationship. Another policy is the fraternization policy, which addresses the types of relationships recommended in a workplace. The fraternization policy ensures that employees always share a professional relationship and frowns upon sexual or romantic relationships among employees. This enhances better work relationships, minimizes bias, and promotes equality. Harassment policy addresses the challenges employees face due to the various forms of harassment in companies. The policy offers guidelines on managing and reporting harassment cases in workplaces, thereby promoting safety in companies. Lastly, technology has become a significant part of the daily activities in companies, hence the need for a comprehensive policy addressing the use of technology. This promotes safety and avoids legal and ethical violations, enhancing company productivity. Including these policies in employee handbooks is essential because they protect the employees’ rights and provide them with a suitable work environment..
HR Policies
Human resource policies guide how employees should organize and conduct themselves and how other issues should be organized within an organization. Therefore, they serve majorly as every employee’s guiding principles and responsibilities. When written in an employee handbook, it communicates to the employees directly and offers them the proper channel and opportunity to share their propositions and concerns. This paper will discuss four significant policies to be included in an employee handbook to promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, thereby improving work performance and the work environment. The four policies to be discussed include Confidentiality, fraternization, harassment, and use of technology. The paper will discuss why these four policies should be included in an employee handbook, especially in a small organization or company with fewer than 25 and fewer than 15 employees.
The Bible encourages teamwork and unity, which is a great addition to the workplace. 1st Corinthians 1:10 says I appeal to you, O brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. The verse encourages unity, and given the nature of the workplace, the HR policies to be included require a team that is understanding and believes in better outcomes through unity. The HR policies, once implemented, can only work successfully when there is unity among employees within divisions for the considerable growth of the company.
Confidentiality
The first policy is Confidentiality. Confidentiality is a vital HR policy that assures the employees of the employer’s ability to keep personal information private (West & Bowman, 2020). Personal information such as sex, age, race, and religion, among others, should always be treated as confidential information that should not be violated unless otherwise necessary. It is, therefore, an ethical and legal obligation to ensure employees keep personal data confidential during their employment period (Malik et al., 2020). As indicated in the Bible Proverbs 11:13 “He who goes about a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter” Confidentiality in companies enhances trust and as indicated in the Bible makes a person trustwothy. It makes safeguarding other employees’ data and the client’s information possible (West & Bowman, 2020). This policy should be included in an employee handbook because of its heavy legal and ethical implications, making it privy for employees to learn earlier during their employment, regardless of the company’s size.
The policy should be included in an employee handbook as an HR policy because of the legal implications (West & Bowman, 2020). Numerous laws on data privacy enhance the safety of information within companies. Including this policy as part of the employee handbook informs the employees of the importance of showing the company as ethical and their commitment to protecting and privatizing personal information. Furthermore, the company’s commitment to personal information translates to the consumers and clients as a trustworthy company, boosting employee morale and motivation. Trust is essential to having a healthy and meaningful relationship in the business world (West & Bowman, 2020). Therefore, the employee’s integrity and ability to safeguard personal information increases the trust between employees and their involved clients. This also boosts employee morale and keeps them motivated always to follow the legal and ethical considerations as employees. Another important reason to include Confidentiality in the employee handbook is that it enables the company to promote the safety of personal information. Being a company with a relatively small number of employees, the policy on Confidentiality enhances relationships between employees (Malik et al., 2020). Any personal information received will also be secured because of the guidelines indicated in the employee handbook.
One law that mandates organizations to follow these guidelines is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This regulates sharing of personal information in the health sector, safeguarding personal information, and ensuring privacy. Healthcare institutions are, therefore, regulated to protect personal information by following a stringent confidentiality law whose consequences are dire. Trade laws are a set of laws that are highly responsible for Confidentiality and ensuring personal information is safeguarded during trade. These laws cut across different trades and, therefore, cover small businesses (West & Bowman, 2020). They ensure that personal information is kept confidential to avoid use by competitors. Employers, therefore, can engage their employees, ensuring they protect and safeguard personal information and handling such information with discretion. A case that has established a precedent for this policy to be addressed clearly in an organization’s employee policy manual is the Google corporation case versus Oracle America Incorporation. The case stipulated the importance of keeping information proprietary information confidential. The verdict from the Supreme Court ruling proved the importance of companies including Confidentiality in their HR employee handbook. This is to avoid legal cases but, most importantly, ensure Confidentiality and privatization of personal information within a company.
Fraternization
Fraternization policy regulates employees from engaging fellow employees in a romantic and sexual relationship in a company (Cameron, 2022). The rules also prevent employees from having a sexual or romantic relationship with their subordinates or superiors. The policy, therefore, defines differences between romantic relationships and personal friendship relations within the company. The policy, thus, only allows employees to share friendships to enhance productivity and promote healthy work relationships.
A policy manual should include the fraternization policy because it maintains a healthy and professional work relationship among employees. The professional relationship shared in a company is essential, especially when avoiding conflict of interest, and ensures workers stay professional (Anderson et al., 2020). The policy should also be included in the manual because it avoids cases of favoritism from superiors. It offers employees equal opportunities to showcase their skills and provide the company with the best quality (Anderson et al., 2020). Cases of fraternization in companies can harm the company’s image and brand, which may be a competitive advantage to other organizations. The Bible in Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The verse encourages professional relationships that benefits each other within a workplace setup avoiding unwholesome talk that may be brought along by sexual relationships in wokrplace.
Additionally, the policy protects the company from unnecessary legal cases such as sexual harassment. These are legal liabilities that are detrimental to a company and affect the normal operations of the company, especially when handling cases such as sexual harassment. The policy also enhances the preservation of rights and interests shared by each employee. A professional relationship within the workplace makes it possible to produce conclusive and fair judgments, thereby maintaining employee rights (Von Bergen, 2020). These reasons make the policy important, and its inclusion in the employee HR manual is approved, promoting a healthy workplace relationship.
Principles shared by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission protect employees by ensuring everyone within the company is privy to equal opportunities issued without bias. Fraternization in the workplace violates the principle, mainly when the involved parties include a superior and a subordinate (Cameron, 2022). The lack of professionalism when there is a sexual or romantic relationship in a workplace makes it possible to violate the principle when a subordinate is employed, regardless of the recommendations. Additionally, the principle also addresses cases of harassment in companies (Cameron, 2022). The fraternization policy avoids sexual harassment cases in workplaces and ensures every employee receives equal opportunities. A professional relationship avoids significant conflict of interest cases and legal charges and, most importantly, improves employee productivity, enhancing company growth. The principle of equal opportunities promotes respect within the workplace. Including the policy in the employee handbook makes it easier for employees to promote healthy and professional relationships within the workplace, reflecting the company’s success (Von Bergen, 2020). Miller versus the Department of Corrections is a significant case that establishes a precedent for addressing the policy in an organization’s employee policy. An employee was terminated for having a romantic relationship with an inmate, Miller, while conducting supervision. It affected the integrity of the correctional facility, which could have led to dire consequences for the inmates and the supervisors. This case shows the importance of having a clear ground between employees by promoting professionalism while at work.
Harassment
Harassment in companies has affected the reputation and work of various people due to a lack of guidelines on handling harassment cases in companies and organizations (Clarke, 2020). Harassment policy is, therefore, a policy that offers employees the chance to communicate on matters dealing with bullying and harassment, the actions that can be taken to prevent harassment, and the procedure to be taken (Clarke, 2020). There are various forms of harassment in companies. Therefore, having a policy that covers all forms of harassment is an advantage to employees because they are provided the opportunity to discuss their cases properly and professionally. The anti-harassment policy helps employees feel dignified and valued, avoiding antagonistic circumstances. The Bible clearly states the need for love, kindness and compassion among people in the book of Ephesians 4:32 that says, “Be kind and compassionate to sone another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.” By being kind and compassionate as employees, the Bible encourages an atmoshphere ruled by love and forgiveness among each other.
An employee policy manual should include the anti-harassment policy because it ensures organization safety (Rayner & Lewis, 2020). The policy provides employees with the necessary guidelines to report harassment, thereby giving employees the power to handle such cases professionally and prevent future occurrences. The employees can also gain help when such cases happen, thereby protecting their dignity and ensuring the company remains safe and the work relationships are respectable (Rayner & Lewis, 2020). Additionally, the policy enhances the safety of employee rights. By preserving employee rights, employees will be protected from harassment (Rayner & Lewis, 2020). It builds trust and a healthy relationship in a company. It needs to be included in the policy manual because employees will always feel valued, and that, in turn, boosts their morale and productivity. Employee retention rates can be higher when employees are satisfied and feel valued within their companies (Tessema et al., 2022).
The Civil Rights Act has a stringent policy on any form of discrimination in companies, including harassment. The Act, therefore, mandates organizations to follow the policy because it promotes work safety and avoids legal liabilities caused by violating stipulated discrimination laws (Mujtaba & Kazak, 2023). Employees can, therefore, feel safe within their areas of work when they are aware of the protection offered by both the company and the government in the case of discrimination (Tessema et al., 2022). The case between Burlington Industries and Ellerth is a significant case where the court ruled on workplace discrimination as an offense that can and should not be tolerated by any employer or employee. Therefore, this case offers precedence for the anti-harassment policy to be included in the employee handbook to promote safety and increase employee motivation.
Use of Technology
Rapid technological advancements call for stringent measures for employees and employers to promote safety and better use of technology for productivity (Falletta & Combs, 2020). Data is a key part of HR duties. With the current technological applications available, such as artificial intelligence (AI), it can be used in a small company for data input. In addition to AI, privacy is essential even for small-scale companies, and this can be effectively provided through technology. Policy on the use of technology in the company makes it easier to enhance safety in terms of employee data and safeguard valuable, essential company data (Tërstena et al., 2020).
The policy should be included in HR employee handbooks because it is a way of managing risks. Through the policy, employees will be able to be engaged in safe and unsafe practices, thereby enhancing the security of personal and company data (Falletta & Combs, 2020). Additionally, the employees can be taught essential guidelines on the safe and efficient use of technology, thereby increasing productivity within the company (Tërstena et al., 2020). The guidelines avoid time wastage by employees when navigating the technological world, offering employees the perfect opportunity to engage their market conventionally and conveniently. In 2nd Corinthians 5:17, the Bible says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone the new is here.” The verse encourages embracing of the nwe world that comes in the form of technology which should be embraced because of the constant changes occuring in the world.
Currently, various legal mandates encourage companies within the US to use technology. There are, however, reforms that are required to ensure every person is adequately represented. Data protection laws exist in states such as California through the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The law mandates companies and organizations to ensure data collected and used through technology are collected, processed, and protected, especially personal information (Tërstena et al., 2020). The law, therefore, requires companies to embrace technology in companies; however, following the stated rules otherwise, failure results in heavy fines for the companies. By adding this policy to the employee handbook, the company can assure its employees of safety and, therefore, provide better services for their clients. The legal mandates also ensure companies are protected, given they follow the stipulated rules on the use of technology in companies. The current laws, however, require an amendment to cover the smaller companies’ provision of consumer privacy legislation (Malik et al., 2020). This provides a divide between the consumers and their employment details safe and separate. Other than the CCPA, labor laws cover electronic data falling under technology in an organization. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulates work hours, including hours spent using technological equipment.
Even for smaller companies, the hours and time spent using this equipment have to be compensated equally. Including the policy in the employee handbook makes it easier for employees to know their rights and the safety regulations required by the government to avoid violations (Malik et al., 2020). Additionally, numerous cases have established precedents requiring the use of technology to be documented in the employee handbook. In the case between the National Relations Board (NLRB) and Pier Sixty LLC. In 2022, there was a violation of the National Labor Relationship Act (NLRA) on the employer’s social media policy. The company was involved in an unlawful restriction of employee rights to share opinions in a safe online activity. The violation, therefore, provides precedent to include the policy in the employee handbook.
In conclusion, the four policies discussed include Confidentiality, fraternization, harassment, and the use of technology. These four policies should be included in the employee handbook because they enhance professional relationships, ensure safety within the company, and avoid legal liabilities when these policies are not addressed adequately. These policies tackle crucial HR components that have affected employees physically, mentally and financially. Having a guideline that ensures employees are always aware of their legal and ethical obligations enhances perfromance and protects employees rights regardless of the situation.
Reference
Anderson, B., Chen, C., Virick, M., & Whaley, G. (2020). Not Keeping Things” Zipped Up”: A Study of Fairness Regarding Employee Policies in Zip Tech Corporation. Journal of Case Studies, 38(2), NA-NA.
Cameron, E. (2022). Managing Performance Issues. Human Resources Management-2nd Ontario Edition.
Clarke, H. M. (2020). Organizational failure to ethically manage sexual harassment: Limits to# metoo. Business Ethics: A European Review, 29(3), 544-556.
Falletta, S. V., & Combs, W. L. (2020). The HR analytics cycle: a seven-step process for building evidence-based and ethical HR analytics capabilities. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 13(1), 51-68.
Malik, A., Srikanth, N. R., & Budhwar, P. (2020). Digitisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and HRM. Human resource management: Strategic and international perspectives, 88.
Mujtaba, B. G., & Kuzak, J. (2023). Creating an Anti-Harassment Policy for Workplace Sexual Discrimination. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 11(1), 51-60.
Rayner, C., & Lewis, D. (2020). Managing workplace bullying: The role of policies. In Bullying and harassment in the workplace (pp. 497-519). CRC Press.
Tërstena, A., Goga, A. J., & Jashari, B. (2020). Improving the efficiency of human resources with the use of new technologies and reorganization process. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 9(1), 31-38.
Tessema, M. T., Tesfom, G., Faircloth, M. A., Tesfagiorgis, M., & Teckle, P. (2022). The “great resignation”: Causes, consequences, and creative HR management strategies. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 10(1), 161-178.
Von Bergen, C. W. (2020). Love Contracts in the Workplace. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 20(4).
West, J. P., & Bowman, J. S. (2020). Whistleblowing policies in American states: A nationwide analysis. The American review of public administration, 50(2), 119-132.
write