Introduction
Human Resource Management (HRM) is a core element of a business organization that significantly impacts workplace safety. From the HRM perspective, safety encompasses the well-being of the business and its employees. Workplace safety is defined as a process that seeks to minimize or reduce the risks of employee illness or injury.
HRM is responsible for the well-being of its most critical asset, the employees, for the smooth running of business operations, and for maximum productivity. Protecting employees involves developing and maintaining a mentally and physically safe environment through safety policies and procedures and adhering to labor laws. Some safety actions in the workplace include developing positive interpersonal relations, wearing protective or safety gear when handling machines and chemicals, and correctly labeling equipment and danger zones in the organization. Human Resource Management might be responsible for workplace health and safety but must work with other departments for convenience. Therefore, although the HRM may experience limiting factors to the effectiveness of safety, it is significantly impacted.
The Importance of Safety in HRM
For the HRM department, the safety of the employees means normal employee functioning and maintenance of productivity. According to Mora et al. (2020), the primary function of HRM is to support and nurture employees by providing a positive work environment to ensure maximum productivity. Therefore, before any other factors are considered, the department knows that employee safety is critical for the organization’s benefit. By protecting employees from health and safety concerns, the HRM reduces absences and ensures that all employees attend to their daily duties (Mora et al., 2020).
Furthermore, by controlling and minimizing illnesses and injuries caused by workplace hazards, the HRM saves the company from labor-related lawsuits and medical bills involved in treating workers (Mora et al., 2020). The workplace is also essential as an ethical aspect that boosts the morale and trust of employees toward the top management. Investors and top industry talents are attracted to businesses that value workers’ safety (Mora et al., 2020). Consequently, the HRM department must keep the employees safe to forge a positive public reputation.
History of the Topic
The harshness of industrial conditions initially triggered the need to protect employees. The idea of HRM was born at the end of the 19th century, and before then, no substantial laws demanded the safety of employees in the workplace. At the end of the 19th century, welfare officials sought to protect industrial workers from poor working conditions that resulted in deaths and uncompensated injuries of workers (Harney & Collings, 2021).
According to Harney and Collings (2021), the HRM revolution was caused by the development of trade unions and the labor movement that sought to protect the welfare of employees. In the early 20th century, the concept of HRM was being practiced by a not yet fully established organization (Harney & Collings, 2021). As the economy grew mid-century, large corporations started separating the employee welfare departments from others and labeling the HRM (Harney & Collings, 2021).
These changes were also made possible by developing and implementing various labor laws in the US. After introducing various employment policies, the government introduced the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 to protect workers from work-related hazards that could compromise health and safety (Harney & Collings, 2021). Eventually, growing companies started setting aside the Human Resource Management department to ensure employees’ well-being. Today, HRM is a popular aspect in most companies, where they prioritize employees’ safety and general welfare.
Strengths and Weaknesses of HRM on Safety
Pros of HRM on Safety
Training and Development
One of the strengths of HRM in terms of safety is that it entails training and developing workers on safety matters. A core principle of any HRM department is to train employees on the various organizational policies (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). After developing positive safety policies and procedures, the department is responsible for training employees. This training is made mandatory in most organizations to highlight the employees’ safety knowledge (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021).
For example, the HRM managers train all workers on first aid and fire extinguishing practices. The employees are also trained to handle various equipment for their safety and others (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). The managers label danger zones and equipment that employees should avoid if they have limited knowledge.
Above all, HRM personnel implement a positive interrelation environment for mental health. Recently, mental health in the workplace has become a major safety concern (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). A stressful workplace can increase the chances of physical injuries, especially through careless handling of equipment and items (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). For example, an employee who is in conflict with management or other employees may become stressed and miss a wet floor sign, slide, or fall on the ground. Therefore, as much as installing rough tiles on the business floors is critical, maintaining positive relations is equally essential.
Labor Laws Compliance
The HRM is committed to workplace safety as a way of adhering to labor laws. Various labor laws, such as Discrimination in Employment, Family and Medical Leave, and Labor Relations, seek to protect employees from workplace activities that could cause poor health and safety (Harney & Collings, 2021). Specifically, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires organizations to develop policies and practices that protect the well-being of workers (Harney & Collings, 2021).
The HRM department is, therefore, bound to adhere to these laws, thus perfecting its practices. The department personnel ensure positive safety measures to avoid organizational lawsuits. Safety-related lawsuits stain organizational images because, in most cases, the affected workers win the cases (Harney & Collings, 2021). Henceforth, the HRM department strives to perfect its safety concerns to avoid lawsuit-related costs and reputation damage.
Provision of Safety for Employee Productivity
Organizations keep their employees safe for productivity and the smooth functioning of the business. Even without labor laws, HRM managers need their employees to be safe and healthy to maximize productivity (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). They understand that if an employee notices computer malware but does not report it for fear of being scapegoated, the organization will be insecure and likely incur losses. Henceforth, other than doing it for the workers, the managers ensure the safety of the business.
Effective communication is a major component of workplace safety (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). The HRM must encourage employees to air their opinions and report all concerns. Creating an environment of trust allows employees to relate well with each other and with management (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). Such an environment reduces stress, fear, and the chances of absenteeism, thus ensuring productivity.
Cons of HRM on Safety
Difficulty of Analysis
A disadvantage of the HRM function on safety is that analyzing all safety measures is difficult. For effective practices, the department must analyze all possible safety threats and develop policies to prevent hazards. Although analyzing physical safety factors is easy, determining emotional aspects could be challenging (Mora et al., 2020). Understanding emotional elements that could trigger employees’ insecurity requires thorough knowledge of their lives (Mora et al., 2020).
For example, some social practices promoted in the organization could be a suicidal trigger for an employee. Therefore, managers must deeply know employees’ social lives to include such safety measures (Mora et al., 2020). Learning the social patterns of employees could prove difficult and may take time. In that case, the HRM may miss important safety precautions that should be included in work policies.
Limited Financial Resources
Insufficient financial resources allocated to implement safety measures could limit effective practices. For example, workers’ safety may be challenged if the organization cannot afford to change slippery floor tiles to rough ones. In such cases, the company is prone to safety-related complaints and injuries, increasing medical costs and employee turnover (Mora et al., 2020). Inadequate funding may also limit the training and development of employees, thus jeopardizing their safety.
Lack of Support from Other Departments
To adequately consider workplace safety, the HRM must work with other departments. Continuous safety provision entails daily monitoring and reporting emerging safety concerns (Harney & Collings, 2021). All departments are responsible for monitoring and reporting such incidents. For example, in a chemical industry organization, the production department should report dangerous areas not labeled to employees from other departments who may lack production-related expertise. However, if the department fails in this responsibility, the HRM cannot be perfect in safety provisions.
Lessons Learned
Some lessons learned include the origin of safety concerns, the importance of safety for HRM, and its influence. I have learned that poor working conditions, especially in industrial areas, cause an alarm about safety in the workplace. For the HRM, safety is important not only for the workers but also for the business. The success of the organization is essentially based on employees’ safety. Finally, I have learned that HRM significantly influences the well-being of the whole organization. The safety actions taken by this department are instrumental for the excellence of a firm.
Application of HRM Practices on Safety
Safety is a primary need for all businesses, whether small or large. Although most small businesses lack an HRM department, the employee welfare official must implement safety measures. All businesses require safety with minimal interruptions or conflicts (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). Organizations with HRM departments must ensure that employee welfare is a core task for HRM. Indeed, managers should develop and implement physical, mental, and spiritual safety precautions (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021).
Recently, work has become a diverse aspect that moves with employees to their homes. Work-related stress has, therefore, increased, demanding careful consideration of an emotionally safe environment (De Cieri & Lazarova, 2021). An emotionally safe environment calls for respect, a lack of discrimination, and proper conflict-management practices. All of these measures are needed and applicable to all types of businesses.
Conclusion
The HRM significantly impacts the safety of employees and the organization. Safety in the workplace is critical to the welfare of employees and organizational performance. Although small organizations have yet to understand and adopt the concept of HRM, the need for employee safety is slowly forcing all organizations to adopt the idea.
HRM positively impacts safety in terms of training and development, law compliance, and organizational performance. However, the lack of enough funds and low support from other departments limit HRM’s functionality. Exploring this topic has been quite educational and beneficial. From a business perspective, it is apparent that all organizations need to practice employee safety even without the Human Resource Management Department. Although there is adequate research regarding HRM, more studies are needed to cover its impact on safety.
References
De Cieri, H., & Lazarova, M. (2021). “Your health and safety is of utmost importance to us”: A review of research on the occupational health and safety of international employees. Human Resource Management Review, 31(4). Web.
Harney, B., & Collings, D. G. (2021). Navigating the shifting landscapes of HRM. Human Resource Management Review, 31(4). Web.
Mora, Z., Suharyanto, A., & Yahya, M. (2020). Effect of work safety and work healthy towards employee’s productivity in PT. Sisirau Aceh Tamiang. Burns, 2(1), 753-760. Web.