Q. 2 Discuss human resource legal environment, in detail.

Give a deep insight on

the topic, keeping in view the HR legal environment of Pakistan
Ans
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Management specialists are involved with
the management of the organizations employee-related actions to ensure compliance with Equal
Opportunity laws and regulations as well as organizational Affirmative Action plans when they
are required or desired. These managers also have responsibilities related to the management of
the diverse employee groups within the company. There are many issues in the diversity effort that
require managing, including intergroup conflict, creating cohesiveness, combating prejudice, and
others.

The Human Resource legal and regulatory environment is critical to every organization today. This
is also quite likely the area that changes more than any other in HRM. Every court case that deals
with the Human Resource environment inside any organization has the potential to affect every
organization with its results.

Three sensitive areas of legal concern that managers must comply with are equal opportunity,
affirmative action, and sexual harassment, described in the following sections. These areas, as well
as other laws, impact all human resource

Equal Employment Opportunity

Individuals covered under Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws are protected from illegal
discrimination, which occurs when people who share a certain characteristic, such as race, age, or
gender, are discriminated against because of that characteristic. The main purpose of the EEO laws
is to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity of getting a job or being promoted at work.

Affirmative action

While EEO laws aim to ensure equal treatment at work, affirmative action requires the employer
to make an extra effort to hire and promote people who belong to a protected group. Affirmative
action includes taking specific actions designed to eliminate the present effects of past
discriminations.
Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a legal term, created for the purpose of ending harassment and discrimination
against women in the workplace. The term is constantly being redefined and extended in legislation
and court decisions.

There are two legally recognized types of sexual harassment:

quid pro quo sexual harassment

hostile environment sexual harassment

Applicability of country law on organizations and their impact on business operations and
processes,

To ensure regulatory compliance managers / organizational leaders need to know what

provisions of law are applicable, what actions are warranted to be taken on their part and
what impact it will have on working of the organization in the future. It is must for
managers to regulate employers conduct in dealing with their employees within legal
framework. The coverage of such laws have become so pervasive that they must be
considered as input in overall strategy formulation and increased involvement of human
resources management in the process.

Importance of hr legal environment

Understanding HR legal environment is mandatory:

To devise strategy for recruitment, restructuring, outsourcing, reorganizing the

traditional functional arrangements of the organization.

To effectively design and implement strategies for managerial flexibility and

managing employer employees relationship, responsibilities and liabilities
within the legal framework without and to avoid any unlawful actions / practices.

To fully avail benefits of legal provisions supportive to business decisions &

plans.
Hr legal environment & employee relations

Negligent hiring .(Employer liability for employees conduct)

Employment at will. (hiring / firing at free will of employer)

Drug testing in pre-employment screening process.

Safety.- Factories Act.

Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining.

Compensation. ( minimum wage)

Employers liability to comply legal provisions regarding:

Age discrimination.

Gender discrimination.

Religious discrimination.

Disability discrimination.

Sexual harassment.

Sexual orientation.

E.mail & Internet use. (Jokes, pornographic material, offensive statements

pertaining to religion, ethnic, political, social affiliations / backgrounds) .

Liability of employer for employees conduct.

Hr legal environment & employee compensation

Wages & benefits.

Health care benefits.

Family & medical leave.

Group insurance.

Workman compensation.

Rights guaranteed under law.

Terms & conditions of employment.

Union agreements.