Human resources describes the people who make up the workforce of an organization,

industry, business sector, or economy. "Human capital" is sometimes used synonymously with
"human resources", although human capital typically refers to a narrower effect (i.e., the
knowledge the individuals embody and economic growth). Likewise, other terms sometimes used
include manpower, talent, labour, personnel, "associates" or simply people.
A human-resources department (HR department) of an organization performs human resource
management, overseeing various aspects of employment, such as compliance with labor law and
employment standards, administration of employee benefits, organizing of employees files with
the required documents for future reference, and some aspects of recruitment and employee
offboarding.

Human Resources staff is also responsible for advising senior staff about the
impact on people (the human resources) of their financial, planning, and
performance decisions. Managers rarely discuss the effect of their decisions on
the people in the organizations. It is often predictable that decisions are driven by
more easily measurable processes such as finance and accounting.

Human Resources evolved from the term: personnel, as the functions of the field,
moved beyond paying employees and managing employee benefits.

As an organization's most significant asset, employees must be hired, satisfied,

motivated, developed, and retained. See how the new roles of the HR employees
have evolved to better fulfill these needs.

 
Main Responsibilities of Employees
Employees have responsibilities towards their employers, even if they
work part time or don't have a written contract with their employers.

These are the main responsibilities of employees:

 to personally do the work they were hired to do

 to do their work carefully and seriously (In some cases, they could
be fired or disciplined if they're often late for work, or if they're absent
too often or for no good reason.)

 to avoid putting themselves or others in danger 

 to follow their employer's instructions (There are some exceptions.

For example, if an employer asks an employee to do something
dangerous or illegal, the employee doesn't have to follow these
instructions.)

 to be loyal
 
When Employees Don't Respect Their
Responsibilities
If employees don't respect their responsibilities, the employer is allowed
to take certain actions:

 discipline employees, such as giving a written warning, or

suspending them

 take other action against employees, such as giving a letter

evaluating their performance, or demoting them (that is, giving them
a lower job)

 fire employees if they do something very serious, such as stealing

from the office

 take employees to court to make them pay an amount of money (for

example, if an employee quits without telling the employer in
advance, or if an employee quits before the date in the employment
contract)

 take employees to court to stop them from doing things that are
harmful to the business

 
Employers' Responsibilities Towards
Employees
These are the main ones:

 Employers must give their employees a place to work and make

sure they have access to it. They must give them the tools, equipment
and other things they need to do their work.

 Employers must pay their employees the salary and benefits they
agreed to, including vacation, paid holidays and other types of
holidays.

 Employers must make sure their employees' working conditions are

safe.

 In some cases, employers must give their employees written notice

that their contracts are ending or that they are being laid off. Note
that employers can pay employees a sum of money instead of giving
the notice.  

 Employers must treat their employees with respect. They must

make sure their employees are not harassed or discriminated against.

NOTE: If an employee signs a written contract with the employer, it might

place more responsibilities on the employer than the ones required by
law.

For example, an employment contract might say that the employer has to
pay employees who have to use their own cars to do their jobs. Or the
contract might also say that the employer has to pay back their
employees for travel or entertainment expenses if they show their
receipts.

 
When Employers Don't Respect Their
Responsibilities
Employees and employers can try to settle things by talking to each other.
In some cases, employees must try talking to their employer before
taking any further steps.
Employees can file a complaint with the following:

 Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du

travail (CNESST or labour standards, pay equity, and workplace health
and safety board)
  Canada Labour Program office
 Tribunal Administratif du Travail (TAT or Administrative Labour
Tribunal)
 Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
(Quebec human rights commission)
 Canadian Human Rights Commission
 Occupational Health and Safety Tribunal Canada
 the small claims court (which is part of the Court of Quebec), the
Superior Court or the Federal Court  
Where an employee files a complaint depends on which law applies to the
situation, the jurisdiction, the amount of money the employee is asking for
and whether the employee belongs to a union.

If the employee belongs to a union, the union can usually present a

grievance (a complaint) on the employee's behalf for situations like these:

 The employee disagrees with the employer about what the union
contract (called a "collective agreement") says.

 The employer did not respect one of the employee's legal rights.

A person called the "grievance arbitrator" decides whether the grievance

is justified. If the grievance is about the employee's health and safety at
work, the Tribunal administratif du travail can also decide whether the
grievance is justified.
Employees should talk to a labour law expert before quitting a job. The
expert can tell employees how quitting will affect their rights to file a
complaint. The expert can also tell them how to prevent their employer
from taking them to court after quitting.

 
Unionized Workplaces
The employer and the union can agree on the employees' working
conditions, for example, annual vacations, pay increases and sick leave.
These working conditions are then written in the collective agreement.

A collective agreement is a contract between the employer and all the

employees. It is the union that negotiates the collective agreement with
the employer. The union acts on behalf of all the employees. The
responsibilities contained in the collective agreement are in addition to
the responsibilities contained in the law.

The role of HR departments

What does HR do? Human resources describe the people who work
for a business, but it also covers the department that’s responsible
for managing resources involving staff members.

You may associate it with much larger firms, as many smaller

businesses often do, but in the modern era, it’s possible for SMEs to
have a department. Or they can rely on 24 hour HR consultancy
services.

With employment tribunals continually on the rise, massive shifts in

employment law on the horizon, and naming and shaming for non-
compliant firms now the new-norm, it’s more vital than ever to have
the support of a human resources expert, if not a whole team.

What are the duties of HR departments? Breaking it down to its

most simple form (there’s a more detailed look further below), the
main responsibilities are:

 Employee training.
 Pay and compensation.
 Employee benefits.
 Employee relationships.
 responsibilities and compliance.

There are many human resources responsibilities, most of them

should fit into one of the above categories. But what do each of
them entail, and who should be responsible for them?

HR responsibilities and duties in a

company
What is the role of HR in the workplace and what are the duties and
responsibilities of human resources managers? Businesses across
the country often receive floods of questions.

Most are relating to genuine HR queries, but others are simply

questioning its existence.

Determining exactly what it is that your human resources

department should and shouldn’t be responsible for is a vital step—
not only in justifying its existence—but encouraging smooth
operation.

The role of HR departments

What does HR do? Human resources describe the people who work
for a business, but it also covers the department that’s responsible
for managing resources involving staff members.

You may associate it with much larger firms, as many smaller

businesses often do, but in the modern era, it’s possible for SMEs to
have a department. Or they can rely on 24 hour HR consultancy
services.

With employment tribunals continually on the rise, massive shifts in

employment law on the horizon, and naming and shaming for non-
compliant firms now the new-norm, it’s more vital than ever to have
the support of a human resources expert, if not a whole team.

What are the duties of HR departments? Breaking it down to its

most simple form (there’s a more detailed look further below), the
main responsibilities are:

 Employee training.

 Pay and compensation.

  Employee benefits.

 Employee relationships.

 responsibilities and compliance.

There are many human resources responsibilities, most of them

should fit into one of the above categories. But what do each of
them entail, and who should be responsible for them?

HR responsibilities and duties in a

company
Depending on your organisation’s capacity, you may choose to
assign each responsibility to an individual within your team.

Returning to that question we regularly receive, “What is HR

responsible for?” Let’s take a closer look at what each area
involves:

 Recruitment: Manages recruiting and screening staff, conducting

interviews, developing staff handbooks and policies and procedures

relating to new hires.

 Employee training: Responsible for creating training programs as

well as conducting them, determining the training needs of

employees in different departments and managing training budgets.

 Pay and compensation: Handles working with payroll to ensure

employees get paid on time and correctly. Other responsibilities

include pensions, bonuses and compensation.

 Employee benefits: Responsible for managing all employee benefits,

including insurance, fitness, care, disability, and wellness programs.

May also be responsible for tracking employee absences and benefit

eligibility.
  Employee relationships: Manages the relationship between

employees (such as with staff and management). This includes

minor disputes as well as communication between the organisation

and trade unions.

 Legal responsibilities and compliance: Responsible for ensuring the

company remains compliant with current employment law, as well

as communicating any changes to the relevant departments and

handling internal legal matters, including investigations into

harassment, discrimination or gross misconduct.

So, those are the various HR roles and responsibilities, but what if
your HR team has grown too large, or is taking on too much
responsibility? If your team is struggling, it may be time to appoint a
manager.

What are the duties and responsibilities of HR managers?

While different in every organisation, one of the key roles of the HR

manager is to manage, create, implement and supervise policies,
procedures and contracts.

It’s also their job to ensure the smooth operation of the HR team
and functionality as a whole.

The list of responsibilities for an HR manager can be vast, so here

are just a few of the regular tasks they carry out:

 Develop policies and procedures.

 Provide advice on key employment law update and benefit

entitlement.

 Manage and oversee any disputes, disciplinaries, grievances,

absences, retirements and redundancies.

 Support the recruitment process.

 Ensure the organisation's HR strategy and business goals align.

 HUMAN RESOUECE RESPONCIBILITIES IN
COMPANY
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Day-to-Day HR Duties and Tasks

Key Functions of an HR Department

The Core Responsibilities of Human Resources in a Company

by Ruth Mayhew Updated April 13, 2018

Related Articles

Day-to-Day HR Duties and Tasks

Key Functions of an HR Department

Negative & Positive Approaches of HR

How Federal Laws Affect the HR Function

Human Resources' Responsibilities of the Work Environment

Functional Areas of Human Resources Management

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The primary function of human resources is to ensure the company complies with federal and state
labor and employment laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970. Employees are the HR department's internal customers; therefore,
HR's obligation to serve its customers is another function of the department. Within those two areas
-- compliance and customer service -- the core responsibilities of HR include transactional and
functional activities, such as establishing compensation structure, addressing employee relations
matters, recruiting qualified applicants and maintaining workplace safety.

Recruitment

The HR department is responsible for posting job vacancies, conducting preliminary interviews and
coordinating pre-employment processes, such as drug testing, background investigations and
reference checks. In small businesses, these positions may be filled by HR generalists, who have
expertise in every HR discipline. Therefore, the company doesn't need to hire an employment
specialist or a recruiter to perform these tasks. These core responsibilities ensure that candidates
are properly vetted and that the organization has adequate staff.

Safety

Employers have an obligation to provide a safe work environment. HR's primary responsibility
related to workplace safety is compliance with federal guidelines established by the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Specific activities include monitoring safety
equipment, training employees on the proper handling of complex machinery and potentially
dangerous chemicals, and providing ergonomically sound office equipment and seating. In addition,
HR develops workplace safety policies, such as evacuation plans and policies that address workplace
violence. HR is also responsible for implementing the organization's drug-free workplace policy.

Employee Relations

When employee issues arise or when there are supervisor-employee or employee-employee

conflicts, HR's responsibility is to process employee complaints, investigate and resolve those issues.
Workplace issues could range from an employee's dissatisfaction with her performance appraisal to
an employee alleging that her supervisor engaged in improper behavior, such as sexual harassment.
These activities fall under the HR employee relations area, and they generally are performed by an
HR staff member who is specially trained to handle sensitive workplace issues. The HR staff member
who handles these matters is also the company representative for legal matters and the liaison
between legal counsel and the organization.

Compensation and Benefits

Wage-setting and negotiating rates for group health insurance coverage are core responsibilities of
HR. Specific tasks that HR handles include administering the compensation plan and ensuring there's
pay equity throughout the workforce. In addition, benefits specialists or someone with authority to
negotiate on the company's behalf shops for benefits such as health insurance coverage, workers
compensation and disability insurance. Another responsibility of HR includes processing employees'
leave requests covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Development

HR leadership establishes goals for the HR department, and importantly, participates in the decision-
making process for determining the overall strategic direction of the company. In highly structured
organizations, HR generally has input on all business decisions because human resources are among
the most valuable resources that an organization has. Specific functions include reporting to the
executive team about succession planning, compliance issues and the effect that compensation has
on employee satisfaction and the company's reputation.
Human resources professionals play a key role in any organization, where they maintain and manage
every aspect of the business as it relates to employees and working conditions. Duties differ from
one company to another but large or small, each duty and task is essential. Understanding the day-
to-day responsibilities of this career will help you decide if human resources is the right path for you.

Basic Administrative Support

Basic administrative duties form the backbone of human resources functions. Every detail about an
employee, such as pay scale, special accommodations, disciplinary actions and job descriptions are
constantly tracked in hard copy and electronic files. The tasks are primarily performed by entry-level
HR professionals, who are HR assistants or HR clerks. These individuals retrieve, update and organize
files. They also handle phone calls and monitor the front desk, passing messages to and from clients
and employees inside and outside the company. In some cases, assistants also handle payroll —
provided they have some background in payroll or accounting.

Recruitment and Selection

Hiring employees is a common day-to-day human resources function. Recruiters — also known as
recruitment specialists — focus on tasks that include screening resumes, conducting phone or
personal interviews, contacting references, posting job advertisements and offering jobs to
successful candidates. This role requires professionalism, objectivity and knowledge of applicable
labor laws to avoid discrimination.

A recruiter is usually a mid-level position, requiring one to three years of experience or more,
depending on the organization's standards. They may also be aided by assistant recruiters, who
function in a similar fashion to recruitment specialists.

Policies and Procedures

As organizations change, so do their policies and procedures, which affect hiring practices,
disciplinary action, and health and safety. In many cases, the task of updating policies and
procedures falls to an HR generalist, who not only handles these issues, but may also be responsible
for a vast majority of the HR department's daily functions. A generalist's role is so broad; it is a
common practice for specialists in each department to work under a generalist's guidance. As a
result, significant experience — at least five to 10 years — is required.

Pay Deals and Labor Relations

Unionized organizations require HR professionals who can negotiate with union representatives.
Their job is to be diplomatic to arrive at fair deals with union leaders or settle disputes, such as
strikes. Day-to-day responsibilities include dealing with union grievances, creating contracts,
establishing wages, handling employee benefits and maintaining a good rapport with employees to
minimize conflict. These people are referred to as labor relations specialists. Considering the
complexity and responsibility involved, such positions usually require five to 10 years of experience
in a unionized environment.