Page 634 - Business Principles and Management

Chapter 23 • Managing Human Resources

employee’s work. Issues ranging from financial problems business note
to marriage and family issues and alcohol or drug abuse
are increasingly common among employees.
Employee assistance programs provide confidential
personal problem-solving, counseling, and support ser- Every business is responsible for its employ-
vices for employees. For the most part, participating ees’ health and safety. The costs to business
in the services is voluntary, and employees can choose of workplace injuries now exceed $50 billion
to receive assistance whenever they need the help and per year. The most common causes of injury
support. For serious problems that are interfering with are improper lifting, pushing, pulling, or
work, managers can refer employees to specific assis- carrying and accidental tripping or falling.
tance services, but, again, the employee can choose not Human resources has an important role in
to accept the assistance. For these types of employee reducing workplace accidents and injuries.
assistance programs, the company hires specialists such The first strategy is careful design of the
as counselors, psychologists, and medical personnel to work area and planning of work procedures.
provide the services. Work areas should be well lighted, have no
Some employee assistance programs have expanded to slippery surfaces, and be free of clutter.
provide services needed by single-parent or two-working- Tools, equipment, and storage areas that re-
parent families, or by employees in transition because of duce the need for heavy or awkward lifting
job changes or moving to a new location. Even special and carrying should be available. Work pro-
financial services such as short-term loans or financial cedures should be designed to make sure
assistance for education may be offered. Human resources they are safe.
personnel involved in employee assistance programs may A second responsibility of HR in workplace
arrange day-care services for children or elderly parents, safety is employee training. New employees
help with short-term housing needs, plan carpooling or should complete training in how to handle
other transportation services, and facilitate many other products, tools, and equipment safely and
activities that help employees balance their work and lift, move, and carry materials correctly. A
personal lives.
very important part of training is to make
sure each employee is committed to follow-
EMPLOYMENT PLANNING AND RESEARCH ing safe procedures and watching out for
the safety of others. Most businesses place
You can see from the human resources services described signs, warnings, and even alarms in the
above that maintaining an effective workforce is very workplace as reminders. They also reward
complex. Companies change rapidly, but it may take departments and employees with good
weeks and months to hire new people, design training safety records.
programs, or complete performance reviews. Federal
and state employment laws as well as company policies
and procedures require a great deal of information
about each employee to be collected and maintained.
A major human resources function involves researching and maintaining
the information that managers need to determine personnel needs and manage
the workforce. The people working in this area of human resources gather
information, use computer programs to analyze that information, and main-
tain and review employee records as well as company and competitive employ-
ment information. They then distribute this information to managers to alert
them to problems, the need for changes, and ways to improve employee
productivity.

CHECKPOINT

What are the major human resources activities performed by
most companies?

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