Running head: HR POLICY RESEARCH 1
HR Policy Research Project
Susan Almaraz
Liberty University
HR POLICY RESEARCH 2
Abstract
Human resources are one of the vital components of an organization’s life supply. It is
the human capital and the human resources that greatly influence the longevity and
success of an organization. Or its demise. Therefore, it is critical that an organization
establishes foundational standards and although these standards can be conveyed with a
variety of vehicles, they are often times presented in the organization’s Human Resource
Policy Handbook as its HR Policies. As such, the information presented in this research
project will focus on only four possible components to be included in the organization’s
employee handbook. In addition, consideration of company size is also a variable in the
laws that are applicable per organization and will also determine some of the parameters
with which to work with. The size of the company to be represented in this research will
reflect that of a small company with 15 – 20 employees. The topics to be discussed
include attire and dress code, code of conduct, confidentiality, and harassment.
Keywords: Human resources, employee policy, standards, HR, CRA
HR POLICY RESEARCH 3
Introduction
Organizational function requires a wide range of means to ensure the success of
its vision or purpose. Some organizations function with an altruistic and humanitarian
vision while others may be solely purposed for financial gain. However, regardless of the
organization’s purpose, one thing that they all have in common is the need for one major
and critical component, human capital or human resources. Accordingly, that component
of human resources will require an accepted set of parameters that will allow it to
function from an ethical and morally sound stance, mitigating the potential for
organizational liability.
Human Resources Defined and Explored
According to Gomez-Mejía, Balkin, & Cardy (2016), human resources (HR) is a
term that refers to the individuals that work for an organization and their respective
relationships with that organization (p. 2). As such, the authors also reference the
importance human resource management (HRM) throughout the ranks of management,
meaning that all managers should have the capacity to manage the resources at their
disposal, to include its employees. In addition, Gomez-Mejía et al. (2016) claim that “the
role of a company’s human resources department is to support, not supplant, managers’
HR responsibilities” (p. 35).
With the above information in consideration, the beginning of a new organization
will require a few key components in its HR development. To begin with, legal
compliance according to employee size will be important. HR development will also
require safe and sound HR policies in place for the simultaneous protection of its
employees and of itself.
HR POLICY RESEARCH 4
HR Policies
One of the major influences in the regulation of business practice was seeded with
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, sometimes referred to CRA. The 11 titles contained within
the act, provide an umbrella of coverage against discrimination. Specifically however,
Title VII applies directly to protection from discriminatory behavior in the workplace
(Hersch & Shinall, 2015). While each organization will indoctrinate their own workplace
policies, Elzweig and Peeples (2011) have identified 9 basic considerations: beware of
Title VII, conform to state and local laws, take discrimination claims seriously, ensure the
legitimacy of a dress code, know your customer base, know the implications of the dress
code, mentor your employees, know when to change your stance, and make repercussions
to the dress code violations clear (p.22). In regard to this project, the organization has an
employee base of 15 to 25. The policies discussed will focus on the topics of
organization dress code, harassment, confidentiality, and code of conduct.
Dress Codes
John Molloy published a book in 1961 titled Dress for Success and since then,
that phrase has become a common phrase for pursuing and achieving success, “the truth
is, image does count” (Strite and Madison, 2006, p. 28). Thus from an employers
perspective, as appropriate dress codes do present a legitimate concern, is that employees
are a representation of them (the employer). Should the employees then not be as
presentable and professional as possible? While the need for dress codes can raise little
argument, the manner and the boundaries in which the dress codes are implemented is
another story.
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Research has shown that people, in and out of the workplace that are clean
dressed and well presented will elicit different responses compared to those that look
messy and un-kept. Several instances reported in research studies include nurses,
customers, and service workers. Firstly, West, Wantz, Cambell, Rosler, Troutman, and
Muhler (2016) researched the nursing setting when it came to patient perception of the
nurses’ competence and professionalism. The research uncovered that nurses who wore
solid covered scrubs versus print, appeared more knowledgeable and nurses with body art
(e.g. tattoos and piercings) were perceived as “least caring, skilled, and knowledgeable”
(West et al., 2016, p. 4). Similarly, the study regarding customer appearance and attire
also showed that workers’ impressions of customers based on customer attire also
resulted in different treatment. Vilmai-Yavetz and Gilboa (2014) included repeated
studies that supported the notion that people that are better dressed receive better
treatment, “where well-dressed customers receive the best service and customers with
sloppy dress receive the worst” (Vilmai-Yavetz and Gilboa, 2014 p. 358). Lastly, in a
study conducted by Karl, Peluchette, and Hall (2015), a survey of human resource
managers found that (for interviewees) “90 percent indicated that having the right
appearance was either critical or important to being hired and 93 percent believed that
employee appearance was either critical or important to success of the business” (as cited
in Kickson et al., 2005).
As heavy a weight as is placed on work attire, it is also crucial that employers are
sensitive to possible violations against Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964. Two
common perceived violations against the act include violations against one’s religious
beliefs and one’s choices of body modifications such as tattoos, piercing, and/or hairstyle
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and color. Borstorf and Arlignton (2011) reported the majority in the increase of claims
made based on religious discrimination is attributed to an increase of individual
knowledge of their rights. Prior discrimination may have gone unreported because
people were unaware of their rights, and now, they know (Borstorf & Arlington, 2011).
Another scope of discrimination complaints can also found in cases of body
modifications. In a recent survey by the PEW Foundation, it was discovered that 38% of
the Millennial Generation had tattoos while only 6% of the Greatest Generation, ages 18
-29 and 65 and over, respectively (Ellis, 2015). However, despite the increase of tattoo
prevalence in the workforce, if the modifications cannot be justified to represent religious
expression, many employers are able to discriminate against the image they choose for
their employees. “A general company policy that bans or limits tattoos or body piercing
in a private company will be upheld, unless it is a violation of a constitutional right of an
employee” (Elzweig & Peeples, 2011, p. 14).
Harassment
Harassing behavior can often times plague an organization potentially creating
toxic and volatile work environments. Harassment:
generally refers to conduct which, deliberately or otherwise is hostile, threatening,
intimidating, demeaning, and/or offensive to the recipient or others, that causes
fear, apprehension, and emotional distress that unreasonably interferes with an
individual’s work performance, social interactions, or peace of mind (Gilani,
Cavico, & Mujtaba, 2014, p. 1 as cited Mujtaba, 2010; Cavico & Mujtaba 2009).
The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “outlawed the systematic, far-reaching, and
in some cases, legally sanctioned discrimination that had prevailed for decades across a
HR POLICY RESEARCH 7
number of areas in American society” (Aiken, Salmon, & Hanges, 2013, p. 383). The
precedence set by the act gives way for employees to work in an environment where they
will not be harassed for reasons to include race, religion, sex, color, and national origin.
Although harassment is often used in the scope of the protected classes mentioned above,
other types of harassment have also been identified.
For example, Lewis, Megisks, and Jones (2017) have included bullying in the
workplace as a form of harassment. Lockwwod and Manda (2014) also stated that the
scope of harassment can manifest itself through a variety of behaviors such as “social
isolation, silent treatment, rumors, false accusations, threats ridicule, name calling,
attacking the victim’s private life or attitudes, excessive criticism, monitoring of work,
withholding information or depriving responsibility and physical or verbal aggression”
(p. 668). The protection from harassment in the workplace will allow all employees to
focus on tasks and duties at hand, therefore positively impacting business operations.
One of the mandates from the acts specifically prohibits religious discrimination.
However, despite it protection status, Ghumman, Ryan, Barclay, and Markel (2013)
reported statistics from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to
reflect a 96% increase in religious discrimination claims from 2000 to 2010. Ghumman
et al. (2013) further identify four grounds that are basis for employee religious
discrimination claims. Those include disparate treatment, religious harassment, failure to
reasonably accommodate religious beliefs, and retaliation against an employee who has
claimed religious discrimination.
Although protection from discrimination may have been seeded with the CRA,
additional protections have also been espoused. Two of those additional protections
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include the Protection from Harassment Act of 1997 (PHA 1997) and the Equality Act
2010 (Lockwood & Marda, 2014). The PHA covers harassment as a whole and “makes
all forms of harassment both a civil tort and a criminal offence” (Gilani et al., 2014, p.2).
The Equality Act of 2010 however, focuses on gender protection as reported by Clucas
and Sharpe (2013), “this article in concerned with being a woman- one aspect of
protected characteristic of sex…”(p. 161).
Confidentiality
Some people may not see the need for confidentiality in the work place.
Employees may not see the importance in information control and thus minimizing the
purpose and importance of confidentiality. In the assembly of workers with tasks, duties,
and obligations, governing rules have to be set in place and when rules have been
established, often times, rules get broken. As Hanna and Robertson (2015) claimed, rules
are necessary for an organization’s success and, as a result organizations adopted a
system that encourages compliance and reproves rule-breakers. In other words,
employees that break rules will face some level of punishment. With regard to
confidentiality, breaking confidentiality can be experienced in a wide scope of platforms.
In healthcare, HIV status can be illegally disclosed; in psychology, a counselor can
divulge personal client information, and in business, a whistleblowers identity can be
jeopardized if confidentiality is not maintained.
Protection and safety can be a major concern in the workplace. Both however, can
be delivered when the tenets of confidentiality are adopted and applied in the workplace.
In the workplace, the essence of confidentiality protects an individual’s personal
HR POLICY RESEARCH 9
information. As Ford and Ludlum (2016) stated, “the right to privacy is recognized in
this country as one of the fundamental right of all people” (p. 321).
In another research study regarding confidentiality in the work place, called for a
certain skill set for its leadership coaches. The skills listed were “listening, empathy,
flexibility, assertiveness, verbal and non-verbal communication, objectively establishing
intense relationships, and keeping confidentiality” (Rekalde et al., 2015, p. 1680).
Additional attention also highlighted the importance and capacity of generating trust in
the workplace relationship (Rekalde et al., 2015). In some instances, trust,
whistleblowing, and confidentiality may go hand in hand. Although Lewis (2002) stated
that many workers did not or may not go forth with reporting illegal behaviors, the duty
rests upon those in leadership positions to set the tone for a healthy and safe work culture
and that includes providing the safety net of confidentiality. Therefore, clear and strict
policies of confidentiality are cornerstone for creating an environment that is both safe
and free from the backlash of harassment and retribution.
In a different application however, confidentiality is also a measure of protection
for an organization. In the research provided by Hanna and Robertson (2015) Apple
employees were required to adhere to strict confidential information policies to protect
Apple from an employee leaking valuable information. As Cavico, Orta, Muffler and
Mujtaba (2014) stated, “the misappropriation of intellectual property, such as trade
secrets, is a major problem for business today” (p. 42).
Codes of Conduct
Ones’ behavior or conduct is often the outward representation or manifestation of
ones’ attitudes and beliefs. A morally sound individual will perhaps conduct themselves
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in polar opposite from that of an individual devoid of morals. As such, it is the
individual’s representation. It also carries equal application for any business entity and
organization. The people chosen as a representation of the company will carry that
company’s image, brand, and name. And while the number of employees may outnumber
those in leadership, the tone of the work culture depends on those leading the
organization.
Nakhle and Davoine (2016) stated that the codes of conduct are merely behavior
guides for managers and employees to follow in and outside of the enterprise (p. 418).
“The codes of conduct can be considered as an instrument formalizing a normative
‘corporate culture’’ (Nakhle & Davoine, 2016, p. 419 as cited in Barmeyer and Davoine,
2011a). Accordingly, codes of conduct are essential in establishing a well-favored
company image and reputation. Andrade, Hamza, & Duarte (2017) provided an
endorsing statement in their research which claimed that codes of ethics are tools that an
organization and its members can utilize to solve or avoid ethical pitfalls that may impact
a company’s reputation. Further support was also discovered in Long, Wann, &
Brookman (2016) whose research stated that maintaining a well reputable (firm) name
will pave way for future economic success.
In contrast, companies that are home to individuals not identifying or practicing their own
or their company’s personal codes of conduct will be party to unethical fallouts. Sheehan
and Schmidt (2015) referred to the fallouts as “ethical collapses” as were seen with
“Enron, HealthSouth, WorldCom, Countrywide Financial, and more recently” (p.183).
Equally, the conjunction with ethical depleted behavior is the potential of the company’s
financial downfalls. As Long et al. (2016) reported, while some firms may be
HR POLICY RESEARCH 11
incentivized to act unethically, those behaviors often lead to negative results. The direct
ramifications in a stock firm showed that the unethical behavior won the firm significant
penalties in stock price and reputation that “resulted in significantly negative stock
returns” (Long et al., 2016, p. 121).
Conclusion
Organizations are both ubiquitous and distinctive. Each one has its own set of
criteria with which it operates. However, a unanimous, common thread is its work force.
Although the common, standard term is employee, some organizations refer to their
workforce as associates, team members, or even partners. And while the employee
numbers may vary, from small business to multinational, a standard, yet fitting
organizational policy is vital for the organization’s success.
One of the means by which to set organizational standards that will birth an
organization’s work culture is through the development, adoption, and implementation of
HR policy. Such policies should be able to align the company with morally, ethically,
and legally abiding practices that will protect both the interests of the organization and its
employees alike. Policies that set expected, organizational standards can be found in an
organization’s adopted dress code and codes of conduct. Other policies, however, serve a
different kind of purpose. Others, such as policies on work harassment and employee
confidentiality serve to create a safe and non-threatening work environment.
Humanity has been provided with a sense of free will. Despite that capacity, free
will is also paired with the responsibility of self-governance in that, just because one can
act on and do something does not mean that one should act on and do that something.
Romans 13:1 states, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there
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is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (ESV).
As such, HR polices are set forth to instill the essence of a governing authority, to ensure
that the interests of all involved will be protected to the best ability within legally,
ethically, and morally sound practices.
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