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Retail Management

Notes Contracts: An employment contract will exist between the employer and the employee in all
types of employment relationships. The contract must be well drafted and meet minimum legal
and award requirements, clearly describe the specifics of the job and the organization’s
requirements of the employee.
Statutory agreements: Statutory agreements are the product of negotiations between an
organisation and a group of employees or a union(s) that are subsequently registered by an
industrial tribunal. Negotiating an agreement has the advantage of considering the inclusion of
provision(s) that are specific to the needs of an organisation. Specific provisions may be included
as a result of the negotiations but these cannot disadvantage employees, that is, they must
provide the minimum requirements provided for under an award or relevant statute. In the
Federal jurisdiction these agreements are called Certified Agreements and at State level they are
called Enterprise Agreements.
Common law: This is case law that is developed in the court system. Previous judgments guide
how laws are interpreted. The general duties of the parties in an employment relationship are
prescribed by common law.

7.6 Ethical Issues Facing HR

Organizational ethics are rules and standards that guide workplace behavior and moral principles.
Many organizations establish a “code of ethics” that sets company expectations regarding ethical
issues such as privacy, conflict of interest, discrimination and harassment and workplace diversity.
Human resources personnel are charged with setting standards that promote ethical behavior in
the workplace.

Discrimination and Harassment
Human resources professionals must ensure the organization remains compliant with anti-
discrimination and harassment laws. Employee discrimination and harassment on the basis of
race, gender or religion is an ethical issue human resources personnel face daily. Laws that
prohibit discriminatory behavior such as the Civil Rights Act and Americans With Disabilities
Act help HR representatives develop training and awareness programs to prevent discrimination
and harassment in the workplace. These laws also establish procedures human resources may
use to report and discipline workers who display inappropriate discriminatory behavior.
Privacy
Human resources are involved in most aspects of employee relations including hiring, firing,
compensation, benefits and leaves. Human resources representatives have access to extremely
sensitive information. Keeping this information private is an ethical matter facing HR. Human
resources personnel have an obligation to maintain the confidentiality of an employee’s personal
data.

Diversity
Workplace diversity encompasses the various qualities, characteristics and experiences that
distinguish one worker from another. These characteristics can be differences in race, gender,
age, social status or other traits that make an individual unique. Treating a person differently
because of these differences poses an ethical issue that faces human resources. HR personnel
implement policies that promote diversity in the workplace and welcome the differences of the
entire workforce.

Safety
Employee safety is an issue facing human resources personnel. The department must prevent
and correct potentially dangerous situations. Human resources must promptly act on hazardous

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