Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE POLICY PROJECT-RESEARCH PAPER 1
Human Resource Policy Project- Research Paper
Jenny R. Friley-Smith
BUSI 642 – D03
December 6, 2019
Professor Dr. Amy Puderbaugh, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, GMS
Liberty University
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Abstract
Human Resource policies are created in order to preserve employee rights, maintain leadership,
and assure businesses adhere to government requirements and sanctions. There are various
policies that cover a wide arrange of issues and operations that occur within a workplace. Many
of the policies relate to the values, mission, and principles established by a organization. The
Code of Conduct/Ethics was established as a framework of moral standards. Electronic
Communications and Technology Use policies provide the infrastructure for vital internet
security and safety protocols. The Harassment and Non-Discrimination policy was designed to
protect employees and candidates from acts of harassment and discrimination in the workplace
or during the hiring process. The Benefits policy offers employees with a detailed explanation of
the benefits offered by an organization. All policies established by the Human Resource
department serve the purpose of ensuring the organization functions on a professional and
beneficial level. Policies also ensure that all employees and stakeholders are treated equally and
given equal opportunity to succeed.
Keywords: Human Resource, Policies, Harassment, Non-Discrimination, Technology, Electronic
Communication, Benefits, Code of Conduct, Ethics
Human Resource Policy Project- Research Paper
Businesses throughout the Nation have an established set of human resource policies that
are implemented and enforced to ensure that employees adhere to business guidelines and
behavioral norms. Human Resource policies and procedures are crucial facets of the work
environment. Human Resource policies preserve employee rights, maintain leadership, and
assure businesses adhere to government requirements and sanctions. While policies vary from
business to business, all policies are established to serve a purpose to ensure the work
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environment is as professional and worker-friendly as possible and to ensure everyone has fair
and equal treatment (White, 2019).
Code of Conduct/Ethics
The Code of Conduct/Ethics was established as a framework of moral standards. The
Code of Conduct/Ethics regulates the decisions and actions of all of those affiliated with an
organization. The Code of Conduct/Ethics provides a comprehensive summary of how affiliates
of an organization should perform and the behaviors to maintain, as well as, distinguishes the
procedures to be used when dealing with issues such as safety violations, sexual harassment, and
discrimination. According to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright (2017), “Ethics can be
considered the fundamental principles of right and wrong by which employees and companies
interact” (pg. 40). The Code of Conduct/Ethics is often used to define the integrity, mission, and
standards of an organization to ensure a professional stance.
Chen, Gotti, Kang, and Wolfe (2018) noted:
While an important goal for a code of ethics is to impact the decision-making of
individuals in the organization many commentators believe that codes are merely window
dressing designed to improve the company’s reputation and minimize potential legal
exposure and, thus, are unlikely to have any observable impact on behavior. (p. 142)
Codes of Conduct/Ethics are utilized to ensure that the organization complies with
government legislation and regulations, assists in a marketing approach to affirm the
commitment of the organization and defining professional standards and behaviors. The Code of
Conduct/Ethics also reduces the risk of unethical behaviors and financial liabilities. The Code of
Conduct/Ethics exemplifies the anticipated patterns of behavior to be demonstrated by
organizational managers and employees. However, the Code of Conduct/Ethics also standardizes
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communication between the organization and the community concerning business transactions
(Andrade, Hamza, & Xara-Brasil, 2017). According to Andrade, et al. (2017), “Codes of ethics
may provide tools that will help an organization and its members to avoid or solve the ethically
troublesome issues that may affect company reputation” (pg. 1). Many organizations assign
corrective procedures and actions to the Code of Conduct/Ethics to provide a clear understanding
of the consequences of unethical behaviors. However, the main purpose of the Code of
Conduct/Ethics is to establish the values, mission, and standards of the organization (Breakey,
2019). According to Breakey (2019), “Ethical codes differ from purely ‘disciplinary’ codes of
conduct or practice that set down fine-grained regulation of minimum standards of behavior,
primarily imposed through monitoring and enforcement regimes” (pg. 2).
Electronic Communication/Technology Use
Organizations throughout the US have implemented policies regarding the use of
technology to transmit and communicate data for both professional and personal use. Electronic
Communications and Technology Use policies provide the infrastructure for vital internet
security and safety protocols, organizational instant messaging uses, email guidelines, and the
basic corporate policies in regard to the use of electronic technology in the workplace. Electronic
Communication and Technology Use can be executed in various ways. Some of the ways to
transmit and communicate data through the use of Electronic Communication and Technology
Use include mobile phone use, text messaging, Internet use, computer use, e-mail, facsimile, and
instant messaging. The Electronic Communication and Technology Use policy is applied to
administer the management of the relevant use of electronic information technology systems by
employees, to assure that these operations are utilized in a proper, effective and valid way in
correspondence with all organizational policies. Electronic Communication and Technology
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sources are granted for employees to use for support and assistance with completing job duties.
In many cases, the Electronic Communication and Technology Use policy is applied to
transmissions and/or technology equipment that is not owned by the organization.
Petrakaki (2018) found:
Technology plays a pivotal role in this by providing the necessary infrastructure for
collaboration and exchange of information across boundaries (i.e. departmental,
organizational), by rendering information digital, storable and durable, and thus re-
usable, and by enabling access to it from different locations allowing in this way broader
participation. (p. 35)
It is crucial to describe the extent and intention of the Electronic Communication and
Technology Use policy to provide employees with the knowledge needed for understanding what
is meant by Electronic Communications and Technology Use, what the policy consists of, and
the reasoning for the policies' existence. The main purpose of the Electronic Communication and
Technology Use policy is to ensure that an organization's electronic communication and
technology systems are utilized to uphold the organization's mission and standards. An
organization's electronic communication and technology sources are to be utilized for their
intended purposes and in an approach that preserves the organization's principles and ethics. The
organization has the right to monitor the online activity of anyone using electronic
communication and technology tools that are the property of the organization. Employees can be
held liable for and behaviors or conduct that distorts the organization's values and mission
(Zakaria, 2017). In organizations where technology is readily available, many employees rely on
the use of electronic communication and technology to connect with co-workers, consumers, and
shareholders. However, the tools used for electronic communication and technology use should
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be monitored to ensure effectiveness in conducting business transactions while also ensuring the
tools are risk-free from unwanted consequences (Stich, Farley, Cooper, & Tarafdar, 2015).
Harassment/Non-Discrimination
The Harassment and Non-Discrimination policy was designed to protect employees and
candidates from acts of harassment and discrimination in the workplace or during the hiring
process. Harassment and discrimination can be based on an individual’s religion, cultural
background, race, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin,
and disability. According to Kanze, Conley, and Higgins (2019), “Policymakers, media outlets,
and academic researchers continue to document both the prevalence and detrimental
consequences of workplace discrimination related to hiring, firing, promotion, harassment,
training, wages, and benefits” (pg. 1). The Harassment and Non-Discrimination policy was
implemented to ensure that all staff members behave respectfully and professionally that
promotes the organization's mission, values, and principles. The Harassment and Non-
Discrimination policy also ensures that employees bolster productivity, decrease
misunderstandings, and support the organization's notoriety. All employees should exhibit
respect toward all co-workers, consumers, and merchants. Harassment and discrimination
damage the stability, and the work environment, while also discrediting the reputation of the
organization and impact all employment relationships. The Harassment and Non-Discrimination
policy allows organizations to provide a work atmosphere free from harassment and
discrimination while offering equal opportunities to all employees. It is unlawful to overtly
harass or discriminate against an individual based on a diverse assortment of characteristics. It is
socially distasteful to harass or discriminate against potential candidates or current employees
due to characteristics that are not job requirements (Jones, Arena, Nittrouer, Alonso, & Lindsey,
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2017). According to Jones, et al., (2017), “Interpersonal discrimination can manifest itself in
several ways, including but not limited to disrespect, verbal and nonverbal harassment, and
general rudeness or hostility toward minorities” (pg. 54). There are many consequences
associated with harassment and discrimination in the workplace. These consequences not only
affect the victim of harassment and discrimination but also impact the organization and the
perpetrator can also be punished for his/her actions. Harassment and discrimination should not be
tolerated. Supervisors in top positions are often driven to accomplish goals by pursuing the
immediate effort to accomplish those goals. These supervisors are also more inclined to employ
harassment and discrimination by neglecting ethical measures. However, supervisors who are in
a position to assess work conditions are inspired to attempt goals with discreet deliberation are
less inclined to do so (Kanze, Conley, & Higgins, 2019). According to Dhanani, Beus, and
Joseph (2018), “Perceived discrimination contradicts the expected exchange relationship and, by
violating norms of social exchange, should result in perceived injustice” (pg. 149).
Benefits
All organizations offer employee benefits. Employee benefits are essential to set and
accomplish objectives within the organization. Employee benefits increase dependability and
loyalty while also maintaining costs for the organization. Providing employees with a benefits
package can help maintain employee retention and also help to recruit new employees. The
Benefits policy offers employees with a detailed explanation of the benefits offered by an
organization, requirements that must be met in order to receive those benefits, and how to gain
access to those benefits. Employee benefits include but are not limited to long-term disability,
short-term disability, health insurance, vision and dental insurance, life insurance, sick days, paid
vacation days, retirement plans, etc. According to Kang, Yu, and Lee (2016), “The expansion of
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employee benefits provides employees with motivation and in turn, the increased level of
motivation prevents an employee from quitting a job and help them develop” (pg. 1448). Many
of the benefits offered by organizations are required by law that employers provide employees
with those benefits. The benefits that are provided due to laws include providing employees time
off to vote, attend jury duty or complete military activities, provide all workers with an
appropriate wage, etc. According to Laundon, Cathcart, and McDonald (2018), “Benefits are
often consistent across large cohorts of employees (such as ongoing workers or employees
beyond a certain pay grade), rather than being tailored to individuals” (pg. 709). Employee
benefits can be used as leverage to attract potential employees to join the workforce at an
organization or entice current employees to maintain their position within an organization.
Establishing a Benefits policy allows employees to have full knowledge of the benefits that are
offered within an organization when those benefits take effect and the regulations and guidelines
that are applied to those benefits. The Benefits offered by the organization can either be provided
free of cost to the employee, offered at a discounted price, or full cost. In many circumstances,
employees can elect which benefits they choose to enroll in.
The Human Resource Department helps to develop and create all policies that are
enforced within an organization. These policies ensure that employees understand the rules and
regulations that apply to them and ensure professional conduct and behaviors. These policies also
ensure that all employees receive equal and just opportunities.
As the Bible states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17, English Standard Version).
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