In management today, there is significant emphasis on Human Resource managers and the legal environment in whi
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There is an emphasis on HR functions in general to keep the company or business from being sued for discrimination, harassment, or injury. My experience is that managers typically know the business side of the function they are responsible for but do not operate in the best interests of the company on the HR side. Managers are responsible for more and more in today's work environment and to burden them with HR duties is a recipe for a legal action. It is best if the HR Mgr has regular contact with managers to stay on top of any issues and to make sure they are aware of common problems within work environments. HR should also have regular contact with employees to stay abreast of issues that may not have been brought forth by managers. Some companies today are engaging in "off-site" HR Mgmt -- I have seen major unrest and unbelievable turnover rates under this style of management. However, it is becoming more common so it must work for companies who expect a high turnover rate.
I used to handle a lot of the HR functions at my company until our GM finally hired a dedicated HR Manager who was well-versed in all the labor laws etc. We had been having a lot of issues where the company was operating in a legal gray area just because nobody knew any better. I think a good HR person with a solid background can save a truckload of trouble for a medium sized company. The only thing our top managers screwed up on was not to give her her own office. They stuck her in the reception area, so when she's interviewing people and filling out paperwork it's all out in the open.
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