Introduction
Human resources are the most important resources in any organisation. To succeed a business needs committed staff to meet its aims and objectives. Staff must be trained and motivated by the management to achieve their potential.
In small businesses with one or two employees the responsibility for the human resources usually lies with the owner. Other small businesses with a slightly larger workforce may have a designated person whose job is to look after issues relating to staff. Large organisations with many employees have a whole section called the personnel or human resources department.
It is the responsibility of the human resources department to ensure that the organisation recruits the correct staff, and that staff receive appropriate training to ensure that the business meets its aims. Therefore, this function is central to the success of the business. The human resources department has four main functions, these are: human resources planning, recruitment and selection, training and development and performance appraisal.
The diagram below shows the responsibilities of a typical human resources department in a large
company.
A human resources department must also be aware of its legal responsibilities towards the employees in the business. Several laws have been passed which protect employees from discrimination at work. Some of these are:
Equal Pay Act 1970? this Act states that women and men should get the same pay and conditions for doing the same job.
Sex Discrimination Act 1975 ? this Act ensures that men and women are given equal status in terms of recruitment, dismissal, benefits or facilities. It doesn't relate to pay.
Race Relations Act 1976 ? this Act make ...