Human resource department brings a huge impact in business – that’s a fact that can be forsaken. Dealing directly with the “people”, they are the face of a company. HR department is also responsible for adding value to the organisation and to ethical success of the organisations – and that’s the reason why it is an important matter to learn the core principle of work ethic for human resources department.
A Study of Ethics in Human Resource Management disclosed that ethics are principles that refer to moral beliefs and value-driven by standard governing the behaviour and ethical theories. It helps HR develop analytical and reasoning skills for decision-making process. Unfortunately, businesses face never-ending issues in terms of inequality or diversity, causing them to leave the blame to the HR department because of a failure in setting the right ethic policies. The unaddressed problem, respectively, directly impact how business attracts and retains talents.
For example, according to a research by Ian Heinig, turnover increases when organisations fail to conduct ethical practices. Nearly 80 percent of workers surveyed said they would not accept a job with higher salary from a company that has failed to take action in sexual harassment cases. Other unethical behaviours such as selling user data secretly, creating environmental problems, practising pay gap behaviour, and lobbying against consumer protection regulations are also major problems HR department should address immediately.
With that in mind, status quo of an ethical workplace should be marked to be a homework for human resource department to create tough and strong ethical decisions. While framing work ethic policies is a challenging task, here are five guidelines to follow.
#1 Understanding the laws
HR department is usually the first place to go when employees want to report any wrongful behaviours in the workplace. While it is not an easy task, having knowledge about labour laws and compliance practices will help you manage the report confidently and effectively.
#2 Prioritise self-development
HR professionals should showcase their ability to maintain, manage, and engage individuals within organisations. Having this responsibility, thusly, human resources should upskill and reskill their knowledge and ability, especially in a continuous tech adoption workplace. While training is one way to stay ahead, pursuing another certification or degree in specific fields will be so much helpful for HR professionals.
#3 Stay front when it comes to diversity and inclusion practice
Diversity and inclusion is a driver of innovative results. It stays to retain and attract talented employees to stay longer in organisational team. Having them wrong, nonetheless, could bring chaos to business, thus shattering company’s reputation once and for all. No wonder, working on diversity and inclusion policy should involve your colleagues. By involving them, you can add more values and morale in setting the standard for diversity and inclusion of your organisation.
#4 Keep information confidential
As mentioned in Heinig survey, “76 percent of employees will not tolerate when employers or company sell or use their data without consent” as it could lead to voluntary turnover and even reputational damage.
HR department, in this regard, is the one who has access to almost every confidential information about employees. So, being sure that paperwork and electronic systems are secure, you can rest assured that every piece of information is protected. Likewise, you should let employees know that everything they tell you is sealed unless otherwise specified or discussed.
#5 Adhere to achieve the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour
As professional and leader in your role, you should lead by examples of your behaviours. You should show a friendly, warm, and welcoming gesture. HR leaders who avoid gossip and are reliable when asked about benefits, pay, or other issues, help encourage positive action in the workplace. Being open and honest while treating employees fairly also help engage in similar behaviour among employees. Therefore, make sure that you always act ethically and professionally before everyone else in your organisation.