Abellanosa, Venesse Aulga L.

Mgt 161 4:30pm-6:00pm

Importance of Legal Literacy in a Manager’s Life

The Philippines has its own system of laws and these laws are known to be complex,
laborious, and difficult to follow. Legal literacy is the knowledge one has in regards to their own
personal rights and responsibilities, in addition to how the law impacts communities in which
they may dwell. The law is an important part of our society today that affects each individual
differently based on their age, gender, race or ethnicity; there are many types of laws including
criminal law, civil law (business), employment-related laws (such as discrimination) and the like.
Many aspects of these laws do not affect people consciously; however it is important that all
employees and managers become knowledgeable in the law to prevent any type of trouble or
danger. The manager is one who has a high degree of responsibility. They are the ones who will
make sure their company runs smoothly and efficiently, taking care of any issues that may arise
along the way. The manager must strive to learn all they can in order to be successful, and to do
this they must know what they can and cannot do legally.

One common misconception is that in order for a person to be considered "legal," they
need to be a lawyer. This is not always the case for many people. Being "legal" is defined as
being informed of the law in their particular job, organization, agency, or community. Another
misconception is that if one believes they are "legal," there are no boundaries in which they can
go with their job ethic. However this is untrue in most cases. Generally, when someone works in
a professional setting, an individual must be knowledgeable in regards to their job ethics. They
must be aware of certain situations that may occur within this environment and know how to
respond accordingly. If a manager does not have legal literacy or training, they are bound by
certain laws that are not so favorable towards them or the company they manage.

One example is sexual harassment claims. A manager may not be aware that saying
something rude or offensive to another individual is considered sexual harassment and can
result in them being reprimanded or having to issue a formal apology for this inappropriate
comment. They may also find themselves facing lawsuits from individuals who were offended by
this type of behavior and were unable to defend themselves adequately against such actions by
their employer. So the issue of sexual harassment is more than just a rumor within one's
company, as it can adversely affect their reputation and future managerial plans. Another
example is if someone creates a hostile work environment for another individual. If a manager
or employee has this problem, they must realize that they can be sued by the offended party for
invading their rights to a safe and healthy working environment. These types of actions by
supervisors or employees can ruin an employment-related case and cause great consequences
to an organization as well as those who were involved within the situation.

There are many areas where one must be aware of the law in order to succeed within
any organization; however none has more importance than those involving matters of safety
and health. The manager is the person who has the overall responsibility for their organization,
and if they are not fully knowledgeable of all of these issues then they are unable to make good
decisions in regards to operating their business properly. It is important that the manager
become aware of what decisions need to be made when it comes to safety and health in order
to successfully manage their company. If the manager does not know about certain hazards
within this environment, they may be more susceptible to lawsuits and run into ethical issues if
things go wrong. So it is important for the manager to be "legal" and keep up with all of these
laws so they can really succeed and give their best efforts in managing this company effectively.

Oftentimes hard decisions must be made in order for managers to succeed within an
organization. These decisions can fall under ethical issues and moral issues because they
involve people directly rather than just focusing on "the bottom line". Many managers struggle
with making these types of decisions because they feel as if there is no right answer or that the
final decision will result in negative consequences for someone. Some managers try to avoid
making these types of decisions because they do not want to deal with the aftermath of their
actions. These types of issues tend to be the most difficult for managers to deal with because
they can affect their company dramatically. Some managers choose not to practice legal literacy
because it requires them to address some hard questions regarding their management style
and approach towards others. This can be hard for an individual because some managers do
not want to feel as if this is "the end all" of discussions or that they are doing something wrong
or illegal, but this is something that many must learn about in order to succeed within their
organization, regardless of what type of business they perform. The importance of showing legal
literacy is necessary if a manager wants to be successful in their endeavors.

One reason why managers do not practice legal literacy is because they think they will
become too "political", but they need to keep in mind that everything they do has a consequence
and that this consequence could affect an individual or the company in a negative way. It is
important for a manager to always be aware of what decisions they make since it may have an
impact on their position within an organization along with future employment opportunities. The
manager must also understand that their future employment opportunities will most likely be
affected if the company they work for does not perform well or if moral or ethical issues arise
from their actions or inactions. Being able to understand all of the regulations that are in place
within an organization can prove to be very important to a manager. This is because certain
regulations are only enforced when something goes wrong. Thus, it is important for managers to
know how laws are enforced when necessary so they can take action in regards to this issue
when it arises. Being able to decide what policies and best practices to use within an
organization is another way of practicing legal literacy. A manager must make sure these
policies and practices are always enforced and followed in order to run a successful business
and avoid problems that could negatively affect the company's image or reputation.

There are many more examples of laws an individual must follow or be aware of when
they work in a professional setting, but the most important aspect is to become legally literate in
these laws. The manager must know all of the laws that affect them and their employees along
with how they can benefit from them. If a manager does not know how to work with these types
of issues then they should take some time out to get new information on workplace laws or do
some research on their own. This way, they will be able to remain "legal" and avoid any
problems that may arise from this lack of information.

In conclusion, being "legal" is being aware of all laws, regardless of a person's position
in a company. This can be a confusing concept because within the workplace there are
numerous laws to be aware of that the employee or manager may not know. If this legal
knowledge is not acquired, there could be disastrous results for everyone involved within this
organization. So it is important to become legally literate in all aspects of the workplace to
ensure success for one's self and others within the organization. Being able to view issues from
multiple perspectives gives one a broadened understanding of things around them and helps
make informed decisions about how best to proceed with their job duties and responsibilities.
This is especially important to managers because they are the ones who are held accountable
for all decisions that are made. Being able to see the big picture of any situation, regardless of
how it was created, can help them to understand what actions should be taken in order to
prevent something from reoccurring.