Human Rights in Human Resource Management

This article was first published at ASKSonnie.INFO. Republished with permission.
 

Humanity is the reason why there is laughter and fun in the workplace, it can make a community out of strangers, spurring high engagement and reducing attrition.

 

 
However, of late, aside from automation, attention is given to performance and process metrics. Too much of these can take away the humanity in the organization.
 
This is the reason why we are embarking on a campaign-  #HRinHR, to maintain balance and keep  humanity in the organization, at least in human capital management.
 
HR in HR or Human Rights in Human Resources is an HR initiated program, conceptualized by Sonnie Santos, with the following end in mind:
 
1.  To promote good corporate citizenship by identifying and correcting management practices that affect the human rights of employees (internal due diligence process).
2.  To promote greater social good by ensuring community programs of the organization reduces social injustice (external due diligence process) and
3.  To inculcate a culture where humanity is celebrated. Humanity in the workplace is professional courtesy. And courtesy is respecting someone else’s’ human rights.
 
To illustrate the need for HR in HR, please read this story:
 

A company outsourced its medical services to an independent clinic operator. One of the items they agreed upon is “no employee can be brought to a hospital without a family member or companion”.
 
So one day, an employee went to this clinic and sought medical help because of elevated BP. Employee requested to be brought to the hospital but the clinic invoked the agreement. The clinic though, advised operations that an employee needs to be brought to a hospital, needing a companion. But everyone is busy and leaving their work station can affect performance matrix.
 
The manager of the employee was off duty and already at home. Since none can or is willing to accompany the employee, he went back to the office to bring the employee to the hospital.
 
As a result of the delay, the concerned employee is now under life support for multiple rupture of veins.

 
Can you think of a better way to handle the example above? It’ll not take an Einstein to figure out the answer.
  
Respect for humanity is the key.
  
 

 
Aside: #HRinHR is integrated in our HR 1.0 Mentoring Program. #HRMentoring is different than other programs because we do not only train for the technical 
competencies of HR Operations, but we also integrate social good (#HRinHR) andSQ based leadership framework. You may sign-up for the HR Mentoring Program 
HERE

  
 
Here are common corporate practices, when aligned to HRinHR, can bring greater social good.
 

Final pay- expediting the release of  separated and/or retired employees from more than 90 days to 20 to 60 days.
 
Wrong salary computation by payroll or time keeper-  provide a buffer fund where affected employees can make cash advances, instead of waiting for the next cut-off to receive correction from the mistake committed by others.

I believe by celebrating humanity in HR management, we will not fall on the performance metrics trap and treat it as god.
 
I am not advocating inefficiency, neither keeping employees who are bringing down the company. But even in the exercise of management prerogatives, we can still respect the human rights of erring employees.
 
 

Do you have in mind  a company practice or policy that potentially affect human rights? What corrective actions can you suggest?