Workplace Trends, HRM Functions, and Employment Law

Introduction

The modern working environment has increasingly been characterized by emerging trends, particularly because of the growth of the workforce and increased diversity due to globalization. Other aspects that have continued to shape the workplace include the constant distribution of organizations and the increased use of enabling technologies and social collaboration platforms. The emergence of new workplace trends generates considerable pressures on both employees and managers. Trends such as the aging workforce, workforce diversity, and skills deficiencies have significant impacts on organizations. Evaluating these trends also requires examining three key areas: the functional segments of Human Resources Management, federal employment laws, and workplace flexibility.

Functional Areas of Human Resources Management

Human Resources Management (HRM) is largely regarded as the glue that holds individuals and the organization together, since it influences organizational processes and employees' contributions toward the realization of certain goals. This integrative capacity is attributed to the fact that HRM comprises several distinct functional areas. As the name suggests, these functional areas are the factors that enable HRM to achieve its objective of aligning people with organizational goals. White (n.d.) states that the field of Human Resources Management comprises at least five functional areas through which human resource professionals are engaged. These functional areas represent the core responsibilities of the human resource department.

The first functional area is staffing, which entails identifying personnel needs, selecting job candidates, and screening applicants (White, n.d.). Staffing contributes to overall organizational performance by ensuring that the organization has an adequate number of employees with the appropriate skills. HR professionals handling staffing must therefore be knowledgeable about relevant laws governing recruitment practices. Key tasks within staffing include job analysis, ensuring the availability of employees with required skills, recruitment, and selection. Specific activities include creating job postings, identifying suitable advertising mediums, tracking applicant data flows, and interviewing candidates.

The second functional area is compensation and benefits (also called total rewards), which focuses on wages, bonuses, and other benefits provided to employees. This HRM function influences overall organizational performance by determining whether employees are rewarded in proportion to their contributions. Employee compensation and benefits affect job satisfaction and worker input, which in turn affect organizational productivity. HRM designs both monetary and non-monetary reward packages based on employee input and job level.

The third functional area is training and employee development, which involves identifying areas requiring skill improvement relative to the needs of specific employees or the organization as a whole. Employee development also encompasses long-term learning needs, career planning, and career development. This functional area enhances employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities, which in turn improves their performance and overall organizational output. HRM's specific tasks in this area include conducting in-house training programs or organizing external training for employees.

The fourth functional area is employee and labor relations, which focuses on maintaining positive relationships between management and the workforce. The employer-employee relationship plays an important role in HRM by protecting the rights of each party while meeting the expectations of both. HRM tasks related to employee and labor relations include morale management, developing effective policies and procedures, conducting performance appraisals, and handling complaints. The quality of the relationship between management and employees directly shapes the working environment, which in turn determines organizational productivity.

The fifth and final functional area is safety and health, reflecting the significance of a safe and healthy environment for organizational productivity. A healthy and safe workplace is essential because employees cannot contribute effectively without adequate protections against illness and injury. HRM responsibilities in this area include ensuring organizational compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Act requirements, creating and implementing safety policies and practices, managing occupational injuries and illnesses, and overseeing safety training and meetings.

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

Every individual in the workforce is entitled to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), since it is their right to work and advance based on ability, merit, and potential. Because equal employment opportunity is a fundamental right, the federal government has enacted various laws to protect it. Generally, these fair employment laws are designed to prevent discrimination and to ensure that every person has access to equal employment opportunity regardless of nationality, race, gender, disability, religion, or color. The major federal EEO laws that influence fair employment practices within organizations are discussed below.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that prohibits wage discrimination on the basis of sex. This law seeks to ensure that employers do not pay workers lower wages than those paid to workers of the opposite sex performing substantially equal work (Berger, 1971, p. 326). "Substantially equal work" refers to jobs performed under similar working conditions and requiring comparable skill, responsibility, and effort. This regulation applies to both private and public institutions. Its primary influence on fair employment practices is preventing wage disparities within the same job category based on gender. This law has influenced compensation and benefits policies by requiring that pay be based on employees' contributions rather than gender.

Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of nationality, religion, race, sex, or color (Hill, 2014, p. 8). It also prohibits retaliation or reprisal against employees who file discrimination complaints or refuse to participate in unlawful practices. The primary way this law influences fair employment practices is by serving as the foundation for workplace anti-discrimination policies and practices. Organizations have used this regulation to develop workplace policies and enforce practices that prevent discrimination on any basis across all job levels and responsibilities.

Initially enacted in 1973 and amended in 2008, this law prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who are capable of performing essential job functions. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to assist such individuals in carrying out their jobs, unless doing so would create undue hardship. The requirement to provide reasonable accommodations for capable individuals with disabilities is the primary mechanism through which the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) promotes fair employment. In practice, this means promoting the recruitment of disabled individuals based on their ability to perform job functions, budgeting for any necessary accommodations, and establishing procedures for evaluating accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits employment discrimination based on age for individuals aged 40 or older, particularly for employers with at least 20 employees. An exception applies where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary for normal job performance. This law promotes fair employment practices by ensuring that age is considered appropriately during hiring and employment decisions. In practice, this involves classifying job categories where age is a legitimate qualification as well as those where it is not, and applying appropriate considerations in each category to prevent discriminatory treatment.

Conclusion

The modern working environment has been characterized by several changes and trends that continue to have tremendous impacts on work policies and practices. The ability of an organization to enhance productivity and success in a rapidly changing workplace depends on its capacity to recognize and respond to these trends. Organizations can take advantage of them by using emerging workforce dynamics to inform the creation of work policies and practices, as well as to guide the reorganization of work and job content. Establishing work policies and practices that reflect these trends is essential because of their significant effects on employee contributions to organizational success and productivity.