Legal environment of human resources and Labor relation.

Federal laws help ensure that job applicants and employees are treated fairly and not discriminated
against. Hiring, training, and job placement must be unbiased. Promotion and compensation decisions
must be based on performance. These laws help all Americans who have talent, training, and the desire
to get ahead. Several laws govern wages, pensions, and unemployment compensation. For
instance, the Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal minimum wage, which is periodically
raised by Congress. Many minimum-wage jobs are found in service firms, such as fast-food
chains and retail stores. The Pension Reform Act protects the retirement income of employees
and retirees. Federal tax laws also affect compensation, including employee profit-sharing and
stock purchase plans. When John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law in 1963, the
goal was to stop the practice of paying women lower wages for the same job based on their
gender. At the time, women with full-time jobs earned between 59 and 64 cents for every dollar
their male counterparts earned in the same jobs. Although this law has been in place for several
decades, progress has been slow. On April 17, 2012, President Barack Obama
proclaimed National Equal Pay Day, noting that women who work full time earn only 77 cents
for every dollar their male counterparts make. In 2016, the wage gap changed slightly, with
women making 80.5 percent of what men earn.
The law gives workers the right to form and join labor unions and obligates the employer to deal
with the union fairly.

Trands in human resources and management and lebar relations.

Human resources professionals don’t just hire and fire employees (though that is, of course,
part of the job). In reality, members of this industry play a much more important role in a
company’s success. The relationship between an organization and it’s human resources
department is a strategic partnership. According to Kathleen Egger, a lecturer for the Master of
Science in Human Resources Management program within Northeastern’s College of
Professional Studies, “Human resources is not just an administrative function anymore. It is
about understanding how the business itself functions so that we can then advise on the best
practices moving forward.”

At the core of their work, human resource managers are responsible for the people within an
organization, which tend to be some of the most valuable assets that that organization has.
After putting in months or even years training employees, for example, it’s in an organization’s
best interest to retain as many employees as possible to reduce the costs of onboarding new
hires. Human resources professionals play an integral role in this process, by managing the
many ways employees interact with management and the broader organization.

The human resource management discipline also focuses on maximizing employee productivity
and taking preemptive measures to protect the company from any issues that may arise
concerning the staff. In a general sense, the human resources department helps to uphold the
company’s culture and core values.
More and more aspects of the workplace are becoming technologically advanced, and the
human resources department is no exception. Many companies are now creating specialized
information technology roles within their team, often referred to as HRIT specialists.
As the field continues to evolve, human resource management will need more skilled
professionals who are equipped to handle the complex challenges that businesses face while
continuing to uphold organizational values and culture.
Cutting-edge academics, taught by faculty with real industry experience, is paired with a heavy
emphasis on experiential learning to ensure that students in these programs graduate with the
knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for a successful career in human resources.