Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern the way certain individual act. It sets the standards for what is right and wrong that defines what people are supposed to do personally as well as professionally. Ethical guidelines in human resource management refer to the moral obligations to be followed by employers so that the employees feel they are being treated with decency, equity and justice. It aims on ensuring the wellbeing of employees in the workplace. The ethical guidelines set standards for treating employees in general and during activities of organizational development, recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, reward management, employee relations and employment practices (Armstrong, 2014).
The scope of human resource management ethics are basic human, civil and employment right, safety in workplace, privacy, justifiable treatment, respect, honesty and fairness based process. The labor cost, opportunity for new skills, working conditions, honoring benefits provisions, fair hiring and justified termination also come under the ethics of managing human resources (Johnson).
The ethical guidelines for human resource management are:
To ensure that the strategic goals of the organization should embrace the needs and rights of the employees as well as those of the business.
To treat the employees as full human beings giving consideration to their personal need, hopes and anxieties.
Not to treat employees simply as the means to an end or mere factors of production for the organization.
To relate to employees in ways that recognizes their natural rights to be treated justly, equitably and respectfully.
Though there are ethical guidelines, we get to hear about different unethical issues that take place in an organization. It happens because managing people is very tough and the rules set in advance cannot always control the human behavior. Theft, gender biasness, sexual harassment and labor exploitation are the most heard issues that question the ethical guidelines of an organization. In case of such violations, immediate enquiry should be done and action should be taken. Strong processes and compliance should be incorporated as part of business ethics otherwise the goodwill of the organization will be in stake with loss of large amount. For example, the theft in workplace is against the business ethics. So if we find anyone in the organization stealing, we should immediately take strict action against him. If we let it go for first time, it will be habitual and keep on increasing that may ruin the goodwill of the organization in the long run.
No matter how hard one tries to be ethical, sometimes there arise certain circumstances when they doubt on their decisions on the ground of ethics. The confusion arises because what we think is right and justifiable may not mean the same to others. Ethical decisions emerge out of dilemmas so ethical dilemmas cannot be separated from business ethics. The ethical dilemmas are multifaceted and occur due to role conflict, organizational change and behavior of leaders, accuracy of reporting and favoritism and nepotism. The role of management in avoiding ethical dilemmas include ensuring human resource policies and actions meet the acceptable standards, acting as a role model and challenge the unethical part of the operations.
The approach to handle ethical dilemma is based on systematic questioning, analysis and diagnosis to get the actual fact and resolve the issue. The questions will help us in in-depth understanding of the issues so that we can figure the best possible way out (Carter). Some of the questions to be taken into consideration while handling such dilemmas are:
What are the details and facts associated with a particular situation?
Is the action in accordance with the organizational code of conduct?
What are the facts to justify the proposed action or decision?
Is the action lawful?
What are the possible consequences of the decision in the organization?
Is the decision or action beneficial or harmful for organizational growth and reputation?
References
Armstrong, M. (2014). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London.
Carter, A. (n.d.). Ethical Dilemmas in Human Resource. Institute of Employment Studies.
Johnson, K. (n.d.). A List of Ethical Issues for Human Resource Management.
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Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern the way certain individual act. It sets the standards for what is right and wrong that defines what people are supposed to do personally as well as professionally. Ethical guidelines in human resource management refer to the moral obligations to be followed by employers so that the employees feel they are being treated with decency, equity and justice. It aims on ensuring the wellbeing of employees in the workplace. The ethical guidelines set standards for treating employees in general and during activities of organizational development, recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, reward management, employee relations and employment practices (Armstrong, 2014).
The scope of human resource management ethics are basic human, civil and employment right, safety in workplace, privacy, justifiable treatment, respect, honesty and fairness based process. The labor cost, opportunity for new skills, working conditions, honoring benefits provisions, fair hiring and justified termination also come under the ethics of managing human resources (Johnson).
The ethical guidelines for human resource management are:
Though there are ethical guidelines, we get to hear about different unethical issues that take place in an organization. It happens because managing people is very tough and the rules set in advance cannot always control the human behavior. Theft, gender biasness, sexual harassment and labor exploitation are the most heard issues that question the ethical guidelines of an organization. In case of such violations, immediate enquiry should be done and action should be taken. Strong processes and compliance should be incorporated as part of business ethics otherwise the goodwill of the organization will be in stake with loss of large amount. For example, the theft in workplace is against the business ethics. So if we find anyone in the organization stealing, we should immediately take strict action against him. If we let it go for first time, it will be habitual and keep on increasing that may ruin the goodwill of the organization in the long run.
No matter how hard one tries to be ethical, sometimes there arise certain circumstances when they doubt on their decisions on the ground of ethics. The confusion arises because what we think is right and justifiable may not mean the same to others. Ethical decisions emerge out of dilemmas so ethical dilemmas cannot be separated from business ethics. The ethical dilemmas are multifaceted and occur due to role conflict, organizational change and behavior of leaders, accuracy of reporting and favoritism and nepotism. The role of management in avoiding ethical dilemmas include ensuring human resource policies and actions meet the acceptable standards, acting as a role model and challenge the unethical part of the operations.
The approach to handle ethical dilemma is based on systematic questioning, analysis and diagnosis to get the actual fact and resolve the issue. The questions will help us in in-depth understanding of the issues so that we can figure the best possible way out (Carter). Some of the questions to be taken into consideration while handling such dilemmas are:
References
Armstrong, M. (2014). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London.
Carter, A. (n.d.). Ethical Dilemmas in Human Resource. Institute of Employment Studies.
Johnson, K. (n.d.). A List of Ethical Issues for Human Resource Management.