Annotated Bibliography – Human Resource Policy Project
Joshua Anderson
February 11, 2023
BUSI642: Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management
Dr. Tracy Wooten
Baum, B. (2019). WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE "ME TOO" ERA: THE
UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENTS. Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 31(1), 4–24.
https://doi.org/https://www.proquest.com/docview/2248940122?pq-origsite=summon
This article discusses the factors that led to the now famous “Me Too” movement. Many
women have been faced with sexual harassment in the workplace and were either pressured
to not report it or were afraid that they would be putting their careers in jeopardy if they
did that. The movement has brought about a large amount of legislation across the country
as well as a vast updating of Human Resources policies to protect those who have been
harassed. While the article focuses on the history of sexual harassment against women in
the workplace, it also brings to light the need for people of all genders and sexual
orientations to report their issues as quickly as possible in order to bring justice to a system
that has often overlooked that justice. The consequences of these claims being swept under
the rug needs to be discussed in a much more open forum in order to make sure that this
does not happen in the future.
Jeske, D. (2021). Monitoring remote employees: Implications for HR. Strategic HR Review,
20(2), 42–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr-10-2020-0089
With the shift to remote working conditions due the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to
update Human Resources polices to accommodate this change has arisen. There are many
pros and just as many cons when it comes to remote working. All of these most be
addressed in these new HR policies. One of the most controversial policies that comes into
play is the need to monitor the productivity levels of the remote employee. Should
employers be allowed to install software onto an employee’s computer in order to
understand what they are doing when they cannot be physically monitored? What rights
does the employee have when it comes to this same monitoring software? Making sure that
both the employer and the employee understand what is required in this new relation is key
in moving forward with the future of remote work on the live as the pandemic begins to
wane and employees want to keep working remotely.
Jung, H. S., & Yoon, H. H. (2020). How does workplace romance influence employee
performance in the hospitality industry? Sustainability, 12(13), 5478.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135478
There is a certain inevitability that employees of the opposite sex will have certain feelings
for each other when forced to work with each other for extended times. Because of this, the
performance of those same employees can be greatly affected depending on what the
relationship eventually comes to. It is important that there is a Human Resources policy
that covers the possibility that this occurs and also the fallout from what occurs if that same
relationship fails. Performance ratings cannot take into account the personal relationship
that employees have with each other, but instead, just take the performance of each
employee at face value. Employees must also understand that this is the case and deal with
their personal feelings accordingly. In a field such as the hospitality industry, it may require
an employee to move to another company and in a larger company setting, it may require
the transfer of an employee to another location within that company. Ultimately, it may be
most wise to consider resisting workplace romances at all.
Knudson, J. (2020). Invisible Ink NO More: What does the increasing popularity of tattoos,
piercings and other body art mean for banks' dress codes and personal appearance policies?
ABA Banking Journal, 112(1). https://doi.org/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?
p=GBIB&u=vic_liberty&id=GALE|A614984394&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon
With changing societal norms, the display of body art in the form of tattoos and piercings
in places other than the traditional ear lobe, has become more commonplace. The need for
more conservative businesses to change their approach when it comes to allowing for this
display is a must if they want to continue to attract top talent to their firm. Additionally,
there is a difference in employees that are “customer facing” and ones that are strictly
working behind the scenes. Human Resources policies must be adjusted to allow for a
certain level of personal freedom while also making sure that there is not a high level of
inappropriateness. Therefore, employees must fully understand that they may be liable
when it comes to their appearances and be prepared to dress accordingly in order to satisfy
the dress code at their job and keep customers satisfied. Not doing so could eventually lead
to termination if the HR policy is written properly.
Middlemiss, S. (2018). Not what to wear? employers’ liability for dress codes? International
Journal of Discrimination and the Law, 18(1), 40–51.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1358229118757867
When establishing a dress code for an organization, it is important that this dress code
takes into account multiple things in order to avoid discrimination lawsuits. Of all the
companies that have established a dress code, less than 3% of companies have had those
policies challenged due to discrimination claims. It is important, therefore, to consider
everything from religion to gender preference when writing new policies. A constant
shifting in societal norms requires employers to consistently update these policies. Whereas
a large number of employers still have a business casual code that they adhere to, many
companies have shifted to a more casual approach when it comes to their dress code. This
is done to foster a sense of unity and understanding amongst their employees. Again,
employees that are interacting with customers on a regular basis are still required to be
much more professional while those that do not have a different standard that they are
required to meet.
Parry, S. (2022). SEX TRAIT DISCRIMINATION: INTERSEX PEOPLE AND TITLE VII
AFTER BOSTOCK V. CLAYTON COUNTY. Washington Law Review, 97(4).
https://doi.org/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?
p=GBIB&u=vic_liberty&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE
%7CA736085997&inPS=true&linkSource=interlink&sid=bookmark-GBIB
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects all employees from discrimination on the
basis of their sex. What happens if an employee has decided that they want to change their
gender or chooses not to claim a single one at all? A recent judicial case has determined
that no matter what that employee decides, that they should not be discriminated against
when it comes to this. It is important that Human Resources policies be written to protect
both the employer as well as the employee in these cases. The many challenges that people
that decide to fall outside the normal spectrum of gender face is a new challenge that
employers must come to understand. By realizing that this is the new norm, employers can
safeguard their businesses and protect their employees at the same time. As things move
forward, the understanding of this will create an environment that is much more normal.
Saurombe, M. D., Rayners, S. S., Mokgobu, K. A., & Manka, K. (2022). The perceived influence
of remote working on specific human resource management outcomes during the COVID-
19 pandemic. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 20.
https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v20i0.2033
Prior to COVID-19 there were a certain number of employees that were already working
remotely. There were certain Human Resources policies that were written attributed to this
work. When the majority of the workforce was relocated to remote locations, the policies
needed to be re-written to account for this. As employees began to realize the benefits that
working from home brought, many of them preferred to stay working remotely for at least
part of each week. In order to allow that to occur, HR policies are going to need to be
adjusted yet again to allow for this to occur. The policies will need to take into account that
there is a need for certain employees to be present in the office, whether it be for meetings,
customer interactions, or employee collaborations. Employees will also need to be
understanding that the needs of the business will ultimately outweigh their desires to stay
fully remote. It is then up to each employee to determine if their desire to stay remote is
more important that staying employed based on these new policies and the new normal that
the pandemic has brought.
Tanpipat, W., Lim, H. W., & Deng, X. (2021). Implementing remote working policy in corporate
offices in Thailand: Strategic Facility Management Perspective. Sustainability, 13(3),
1284. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031284
This article also describes the pros and cons of remote work for both employers and
employees. Employers must establish certain standards to be met by their employees when
it comes to remote work. In the future, as the pandemic wanes, remote work should
become more of a privilege than a right that employees are given. Employees that are high
performers are more likely to be able to work independently in a remote situation than ones
that require a manager to constantly check over their shoulder in order to make sure things
are getting done in a timely manner. It is important that policies are written to make this
easily understandable by everyone affected. Establishing performance metrics that rewards
employees with the ability to work remotely will allow employers to provide definitive
proof that certain employees are able to work remotely while others are required to come
into the office on a daily basis.
Topić, M. (2020). It’s something that you should go to HR about' – banter, social interactions and
career barriers for women in the advertising industry in England. Employee Relations: The
International Journal, 43(3), 757–773. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-03-2020-0126
Social interactions in the office can be seen from different points of view and are judged,
too often, based on the sex of the person that seems to be offended. Many times, women
are judged more harshly solely on the fact that they are women. This can be attributed to
the fact that until recently many offices have been relying on masculine norms, much as
they have for decades now. It is important that Human Resources policies be adjusted to
account for the fact that women now hold a much more important place in business than
they have in the past. By adjusting these policies, women should feel more accepted into
the office. Additionally, the protections afforded by these new policies allow employers to
understand what is needed to drag their companies into the twenty-first century. Doing this
also shows that their company is more progressive and may make their company more
appealing to future applicants.
Von Bergen, C. W. (2020). Love contracts in the Workplace. Journal of Organizational
Psychology, 20(4). https://doi.org/10.33423/jop.v20i4.3212
It is inevitable that there is going to be a workplace romance that happens in just about
every office. Writing out a “love contact” is a novel idea that actually has some merit. By
putting into print what is expected in the office when two people have decided to move
forward with a relationship is important. It is important for the two of them in case
something goes wrong in their relationship. It can be more important for the employees
around them. Knowing that there will not be a level of favoritism between the two can
bring a level of relief that may not be there otherwise. Again, if the relationship is
dissolved, there will be an understanding that there will be no known retribution based on
the contract that was signed. Human Resources policies written out to establish these
contracts protect everyone involved, from the participants to the employer, to the
coworkers.
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