Human Resource Policy Assignment

Human Resource Policy Assignment

Amad Syed

BUSI 642

Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management

Dr. Amy Riederich

Abstract

This paper uses the premise of a small business with 15-25 employees to define

critical policies that should be included in an employee handbook for a company of this size.

and confidentiality. All these areas are extremely important to consider as an issue in any of

the employee handbook is an essential tool that should be utilized to its maximum extent to

avoid conflict and instill company values in all members of the team.

All successful companies, no matter the size, have a set of definitive values, culture,

and expectations. In a small company that has 15-25 employees, this is especially important

lay out certain principles and expectations for employees, it is essential to develop an

employee handbook being one of them. This tool is used to not only pave a path for the

future of the company but to also to protect employees and lead them in the right direction,

proving to be a vital resource. Some overarching items the employee handbook should cover

include defining company culture, mission, and values; defining company policies and

confidentiality. Focusing on a small company with 15-25 employees, these four types of

policies can be crucial to lay out to avoid conflict in the present and future while maintaining

employee morale and satisfaction. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) lays out what laws apply to companies of various sizes. As an

examples, the EEOC states that for companies with 15 to 19 employees there are

discrimination laws covering race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and genetic

information (“Small Business Requirements”, n.d.). These types of laws are important to

cover in the employee handbook to allow everyone to stay honest. In this paper the four

stated policies will be examined in relation to set laws and overall benefit provided to

members of a small company.

Discrimination

Discrimination should never be welcome within the walls of any company. It is

crucial to include a policy regarding discrimination within an employee handbook for a

employees not just the ones facing it due to the proximity of all the employees. With the

of proper conduct when it comes to this topic. Legally it is also important to include a

discrimination related policy as there are multiple laws that cover employees’ rights, and it is

the employer’s responsibility to ensure the rights are protected.

The National Conference of State Legislatures lists out pertinent laws tied to

discriminate in any aspect of employment to include hiring/firing, compensation, promotion,

recruitment, use of facilities, retirement, and more. Under Title VII some discriminatory

practices that are states are “harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or

religion” and “employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities,

traits, or performance of individuals of a certain race, color, national origin, sex, or religion”

(“Laws Enforced by The Employment Litigation Section”, 2021). Including a statement

referencing Title VII in the employee handbook will protect both employee and employer

from committing discriminatory practices that are covered in the law.

The Americans with Disabilities Act falls under similar lines of effort to protect

individuals with disabilities within the workforce. United States Department of Labor states

and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in apply

for jobs, hiring, firing and job training” (“Americans with Disabilities Act”, n.d.). The civil

rights division of the United States Department of Justice has a primer for small business

with disabilities. This primer includes guidelines such as the ADA requirement that small

to do so” (“A Primer for Small Business”, 2010). Including material regarding ADA in an

employee handbook for a small company will help promote inclusivity as aa part of company

culture. Paul Bergeron of SHRM makes a case that empowering inclusive workplaces can be

at any level and that empowerment can begin with including policies from the very beginning

between coworkers which can be considered positive employee interaction, but once it

exceeds basic friendship and crosses over into romantic relationships, conflict may occur.

Therefore, a fraternization policy in the employee handbook is extremely important to

consider. Fraternization in the workplace is defined as “the interaction between coworkers

that extends beyond business relationships” (Leonard, 2018). The policy in the employee

handbook must be carefully worded as it cannot infringe on employee rights as it is tough to

legally write a “no dating” policy. As such, the policy in the employee handbook has to focus

on overall productivity and efficiency which can be negatively impacted by a relationship.

The policy that is put into the handbook must be able to address the situation when work

output starts to be affected in a negative manner (Leonard, 2018).

Workplace romance that results from fraternization can have negative effects that start

to bleed into other aspect of the work environment and in some cases other policies laid out

in the employee handbook. “If a workplace romance breaks down, one partner’s attempts at

harassment is a form of discrimination which, if the employer is found guilty of, the

previously mentioned policy relating to discrimination. It is pertinent to carefully layout all

the policies in the handbook as they can influence each other depending on the situation. In

terms of anti-fraternization policies, a company can adopt a policy that requires full

disclosure of relationships to limit the potential of favoritism, retaliation, and sexual-

service awards to name a few. For a company that only has 15-25 employees, not all these

benefits may be included, but it is important to clearly lay them out in the employee

handbook as to avoid confusion in the future. Today’s work environment is very dynamic

depending on the industry can have employees working via different mediums. Due to this,

employers “must be much more creative and flexible in the way [they] approach every aspect

of human resource management, including by crafting benefits that reflect the changing needs

and wants of today’s worker” (Jackson, 2016).

Ensuring employees understand their benefits leads to them accomplishing work

related tasks with a sense of security and overall, more productive outcomes. A company

with only 15-25 employees should be able to cater to benefits to each individual employee

well-being” (Sammer, 2020). As the needs and preferences of the employees shift and

change, the employee handbook needs to be reviewed to effectively cater to the changes in

order to better fit the employees needs. “Ongoing communications and assessing both usage

they’re being offered” (Grensing-Pophal, 2022). Employees who understand their benefits

especially a small one.

Confidentiality

In any business, confidentiality should be treated with the utmost importance. In a

small business with 15-25 people, it can be expected that all individuals will encounter

of the confidential data. Wrongful use can be the following: use of confidential information

to advance a personal agenda, disclosure of confidential information to persons outside the

company, or storage of copies of confidential documents on insecure devices (“Employee

Confidentiality Policy”, 2020).

On the flip side “a confidentiality policy should also describe the level of privacy

employees can expect relating to their own personal property and personal information”

(Halpern & Scrom, 2010). This is meant to include physical and intellectual property of

employees and the company. The employee handbook can also state that the employee must

sign a non-disclosure agreement at the start of employment. Having this policy in place

protects all members involved, especially in a small company where there can be blurred

Conclusion

“High-impact HR teams have one staff person per 64 employees, spend more than the

average HR budget per employee, and employ a higher percentage of HR specialist than

A small company of 15-25 people does not have the luxury of a “high-impact” human

handbook. This employee handbook will be the foundation of an employee’s understanding

and execution of a company’s policies and vision. The core policies that must be included in

an employee handbook will be regarding discrimination, fraternization, employee benefits,

and confidentiality. Focusing on those four areas of policy will ensure the protection of both

the word of truth” (ESV, 2016, 2 Timothy 2:15). Christians have the bible to guide them to

salvation and in the workplace, along with Christian values, one must adhere to employee

handbooks to protect oneself and be the best version of themselves in the workplace.

References

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https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?

Grensing-Pophal, L. (2022, February 8). Changing, communicating employee benefits to

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Halpern, & Scrom. (2010, October 15). The importance of confidentiality in the

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