Human resource management and labor unions’ contributions to worker welfare

Employers have abused workers’ rights since the agricultural era and uninformed employers continue to do so now. The ongoing exploitation and oppression of employees by nefarious employers provided ample justification for organizations like labor unions, human resource management, and government regulatory authorities to fight for the welfare of workers.

A highly important area of a corporation that is allowed to deal with employee development is human resources. Any employee or labor matter can be dealt with by a human resource professional. Employee issues span from pay to potential exploitation by senior staff members of an organization. Labor-unions on the other hand help in the materialization of workers fundamental rights. The labor unions have a significant impact on the welfare of both registered workers in the union and the nonunionized workers. The welfare of employees is not only attended by the human resource management and labor unions, but the government also plays a major role in making sure workers’ rights are not violated. Workers welfare is a vital subject which should be paid proper attention by all economic participants since labor is the root of all production processes. Harsh laws should be drafted and implemented to scare any trial by malicious employers to violate workers’ rights.

Role of Labor Unions to Workers Rights and Safety

The sole purpose of labor unions is to create a power balance between the workers and their employers. The body makes sure that employee grievances are heard and attended to at the right time following the right approach (Wagner & Thomson, 2008). The labor-unions act under the law of worker’s welfare by addressing worker’s problem through open dialogues with organizations management or employers. During dialoguing the labor unions address some employees interest categorized as collective contracts agreement, procedural issues of labor and trade unions, the working environments, and housing services (Beik.2005). The cooperative agreements deal with worker’s salary and employment conditions. The deal addresses salary payment to be proportional to the amount of labor a worker put in the production process of a firm (Oelz, Muller & Preiser, 2012). Procedural issues of labor unions ensure employees are protected at working places. The workers are supposed to have every protective gear in jobs which are risky to their health or life.

The labor unions are also the ones to address employees’ pension schemes. The unions address employees most vital need of the after retirement payment (Marot 2010). The pension is a delicate matter that the labor unions have full responsibility on because workers look up to them to address their problems. Workers want to have a form of payment which would support them in their old age. It is therefore clear that labor unions play a vital role in the improvement of their welfare.

Role of Human Resource Management

Human resource management team ensures there is proper employee recruitment and coordination of employees benefits in a firm. They also make sure employees are trained well as one of their development strategies. The HR professionals are referred to as consultants, not workers since they deal with worker’s welfare in an organization. They have the responsibility of advising the managers on issues concerning employees and how to deal with the problems to improve and achieve organization’s goals and objectives (Brewster & Mayrhofer, 2012).

At all departments of an organization, HR professionals and managers work together to help employees develop career skills. They are the people responsible for advising the managers how to delegate work or even assigning of different workers to specific tasks depending on their abilities. By advising managers, employees are enabled to participate in tasks they are best suited to thus increasing their skills and experience. The experience gained helps the employee qualify for any job of the statue of their training.

Role of Government

The government makes sure workers’ welfare is not violated by their employers. The U.S government has put several regulatory measures to address the welfare of employees. The federal protections offered to employees include the minimum wage bill, workplace safety, health coverage, social security and many others. The Fair Labor Standards Act in America addresses the minimum wage for citizens to be at least $ 7.25 in every one hour (Slater, 2004). The Fair Labor Standards Act offer absolute protection to the children. Children are protected from the unscrupulous employees who may overwork them for their selfish interests. The law stress about the magnitude of a case whereby an employee may be caught working with children in business environments.

There is also the work safety regulation which is addressed in Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Office, 2009). The law is entitled to minimize possible dangers which may occur in America workplaces. The legislation makes sure there are safety provisions in places like the industries, construction sites, and agricultural sites. Workers in these types of ventures are protected by the regulation that suggests that they should be offered with the desired protective gears and tools for their jobs to minimize the risk of possible danger in their working life.

Conclusion

Both the labor unions and human resource management have unique roles to different participants in the economy of an organization. Human resource management has a specific role in the building capacity and commitment building of a firm (Dessler, 2014). The HR professionals make sure employee commitment in firms is increased. They match employees with their right positions either according to their talents or career. The HR team also helps an organization develop a competitive advantage (United States, 2016). The building capacity of a firm offers unique products and services. The government on the other hand has also a unique role it plays in the protection of worker’s welfare. The Fair Labor Standards Act addresses the special protection the minors should get from their employees.

The statement that “workers in the modern workplaces of America are well protected and well supported” is in agreement with this paper. In this work, the labor department and other regulation bodies that deal with worker’s welfare are enforced and put into work by the human resource managers as well as the labor unions. Every organization is supposed to have the human resource team to help with the regulations just as the employees are supposed to be protected by unscrupulous employees. Research has shown that there has been progress in the workforce not in the U.S but also in the whole world. Laws concerning child labor controls employees from employing underage people, and indeed there has been much improvement in the regulation of child labor.

In conclusion, it is clear that human resource, labor unions together with the government have worked to meet the conditions put by the Department of labor. The effort of these bodies has made a significant step in the protection of average employees. Other countries have also implemented the workforce regulation thus improving the welfare of employees in the working environments.

References

Beik, M. A. (2005). Labor relations. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Brewster, C., & Mayrhofer, W. (2012). Handbook of research on comparative human resource management. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Dessler, G. (2014). Fundamentals of human resource management. Boston: Pearson.

Marot, H. (2010). American labor unions. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale.

Oelz, M., Muller, A., Preiser, R., International Labour Office, & International Labour Office. (2012). Effective Protection for Domestic Workers: A Guide to Designing Labour Laws. Geneva: ILO.

Office, I. L. (2009). The Cost of Coercion: Global Report Under the Follow-Up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 2009. Geneva: International Labour Office.

Slater, J. E. (2004). Public workers: Government employee unions, the law, and the state, 1900-1962. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.

United States. (2016). Triple threat to workers and households: Impacts of federal regulations on jobs, wages and startups : hearing before the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, second session, February 24, 2016. Washington: U.S. Government Publishing Office 2016.

Wagner, V., & Thomson Gale (Firm). (2008). Labor unions. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.