The Sexual Harassment Incident and Ineffective HRM Policies

The Human Resource Management (HRM) performs a wide array of roles within the framework of the modern business world and it is a reflection of this particular fact that the HRM has come to form an integral part of the various business enterprises of the present times (Bratton and Gold 2017). Thus, it is generally seen that in the present times the HRM is not only concerned with the recruitment of the new employees but at the same time they are required to undertake various kinds of roles like formulation business strategy and help in the effective management of the concerned organization, designing of compensation and benefit packages for the employees, development of these employees, risk management related to the human resources, workforce planning and others (Bratton and Gold 2017). However, very often it is seen that the HRM fails to perform the job roles that it is supposed to do and this adversely affects the fortunes of the concerned organization. This paper will discuss about the sexual harassment case at Oxfam and the ineffective HRM practices followed by them for the handling of the concerned incident.

The sexual harassment incident at Oxfam of Santos clearly indicates that the Human Resource Management team of the concerned was not following the standard stipulations for the management of the human resources that the various international organizations are required to follow (Holmes 2018). It is a reflection of that fact that even after being in the right light Santos has not only to give up the job that she was working at but at the same time had to undergo various kinds of harsh treatments after the incident (Holmes 2018). The incidence clearly indicates the ineffectiveness of the HRM policies as well as practices followed by the concerned organization. One of the major fallacies of the HRM policies as well as practices that are being followed by the company Oxfam is its ineffective policies and measures to deal with the sexual harassment incidents (Holmes 2018). It is significant to note that even though the organization works for the cause of gender empowerment and at the same time fights against various issues of sexual harassment cases. In addition to this, the organization itself has faced more than 10 different sexual harassment incidents in the past one year and inspite of these the organization and the HRM team related to it has not only not taken the help of the standard sexual harassment remedial measures for the resolution nor has it till now formulated its own policies to curb this particular issue which they are facing at an alarming rate at the present moment (Holmes 2018). Furthermore, when Santos tried to seek justice for herself taking the help of the “restorative justice” policy that is being widely followed by the various organisations for dealing with these kinds of issues she was not only not supported by the organisation but at the same time her actions were considered detrimental (Holmes 2018). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the six members of the organisation who sought to help her were suspended on a temporary basis and an investigation was set up against them (Holmes 2018). In addition to these, the organisation also made working in the organisation for Santos almost impossible for her and thus she was forced to resign from the organisation after the incident (Holmes 2018).

Issues with Oxfam’s HRM Policies

Another issue that the case under discussion here makes apparent about the ineffective HRM policies as well as practices followed by Oxfam is the fact after resigning from the organization Santos was not provide adequate compensatory package (Holmes 2018). In addition to this, she was also not provided the salary for the last month of her work in the organization even though the justice authorities clearly mentioned the organization should pay her not only the salary for the last month of her work for the concerned organization but at the same time for additional 13 months as compensation (Holmes 2018). It is significant to note that had the organization been following standard HRM policies then Santos would not have to seek her from outside or even act on her own the actions should have been taken by the organization itself (Holmes 2018). In addition to these, had the organization been following effective HRM policies then the compensation package as well as the salary for the last month of her work would have been taken care of by the organization itself and she would not have to seek justice taking outside help (Holmes 2018).

Brunot (2017) is of the viewpoint that a functional HR department is the one which is not only being able to synchronize the individual goals as well as the objectives of the employees with the overall organisational goals and objectives but at the same time is being able to take into effective consideration the needs and the requirements of the employees. Thus, when a closer analysis of the Oxfam sexual harassment incident of Santos is taken   into consideration it becomes apparent that the organisation had not only been able to deal with the incident in an effective manner but at the same time is not following the concept of functional HRM within the framework of the organisation (Holmes 2018). The organisation itself is concerned with dealing the cases of incidents of sexual harassment faced by the various people and thus it becomes all the more important for the concerned organisation to take the help of the process of functional HRM for the resolution of such cases.

The first step that the organisation needs to take to make the HRM of the organisation much more effective is to establish a committee or group which will deal with the various sexual harassment cases and other like incidents. This committee will have representatives not from the management team of the concerned organisation but at the same time members from the HRM team and also from chosen representatives from the workforce itself. Furthermore, the HRM and the management team of the concerned organisation also need to ensure that there is an adequate representation of both male as well as female members of the organisation. In addition to this, the HRM of the concerned organisation also needs to create a manual which will contain the detail procedure according to which the various incidents of sexual harassment will be treated (Bailey et al. 2018). It is significant to note that the guidelines of this particular manual should be agreed upon not only by the various members of the management team and the HRM team but at the same time the various employees of the concerned organisation as well. In addition to this, the organisation and the HRM team of the concerned organisation also needs to devise the compensatory packages as well as remedial packages that the victims of such incidents would be entitled to on the score of the inconveniences that has been caused to them (Bailey et al. 2018). Thus, once again the HR team of the organisation, the members of the management team and also the representatives of the employees would have to get together and design the compensatory as well as remedial packages for the victims of the sexual harassment incidents.

The Need for Effective HRM Policies and Practices

The implementation of the above mentioned plans formulated by the HRM team of the organization is likely to require a certain degree of effort on the part of the HRM team of the concerned organization. For example, the HRM team can begin by providing information to the employees about the steps or the actions that they have taken for the mitigation of the sexual harassment cases that would arise henceforth by not only emailing the concerned information to the various employees of the organization and also putting up the required information on the notice boards and other relevant sections. In addition to this, conducting an open house with the various employees and also informing them about the repercussions that the perpetrators of such incidents are likely to face would help the organization in a significant manner to address the staffing issues that it is facing at the current moment.

One of the major functions of the human resource management teams within the context of the present day business world is to cater to the training and the developmental needs of the various employees who are a part of the concerned organization (Marchington et al. 2016). The undertaking of these developmental activities is one of the marks of a functional human resource management team and it not only helps the employees of the concerned organization to acquire the kinds of skills that there are needed by them for the completion of the job roles that have been assigned to them in the best possible manner but at the same time contributes in a significant manner towards their wellbeing and mental health (Reiche et al. 2016). The sexual harassment incident at Oxfam under discussion here clearly indicates that the concerned organization and the HRM team of the organization did not have effective developmental activities in place to support the wellbeing as well as the mental health of the employees. Thus, it would be much beneficial not only for the employees of the organization but at the same time for the entire organization to have various kinds of developmental activities which will not only help the concerned organization to reduce the number of such incidents but at the would improve the image of the concerned image as well.

Counseling has emerged as one of the major kinds of developmental activities which the HRM teams of the various organizations regularly undertake to contribute in a significant manner towards the mental health as well as the wellbeing of the employees who are related to the concerned organization (Albrecht et al. 2015). Thus, the HRM team of the concerned organization should undertake to provide the various employees of the organization diverse kinds of counseling sessions that would not only help the concerned employees to overcome the emotional problems which they are having not only because of the hectic nature of the professional life they have but at the same time because of the various personal problems that they have (Brewster et al. 2016). In addition to this, the introduction of this particular program would at the same time help the various past victims of not only the incidents of sexual harassments but also other kinds of issues that they affected their emotional and mental wellbeing. It is significant to note that researches have showed that the performance level of a particular individual is directly related to the emotional as well as the mental wellbeing of that particular person (Storey 2014). Thus, it is generally seen that a person who is mentally as well as emotionally disturbed would not be able to perform on the same level as a person with sound mental and emotional health would be able to do. Therefore, it would be apt to say that the introduction of this particular developmental by the HRM team of the concerned organization is not only likely to help the concerned organization to enhance the mental as well as emotional health of the employees of the organization but at the same time it would help the organization to improve not only the individual performance of the employees but also the overall organization performance itself.

Recommendations for the Improvements in Oxfam’s HRM

The national governments of the various nations of the world in the recent times have propounded various legislations that the business organizations not only need to follow for the process of their business but at the same time need to integrate the same within the HRM policies as well as principles followed by them for the management of the human resources (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang 2014). It is significant to note that most of the business organizations of the present have evolved their own system of corporate governance yet at the same time they need to take into effective consideration the employment legislations and other laws of the nation in which they are operational (McDonald, Charlesworth and Graham 2016). One of the most important legislations that the various business enterprises operational in the nation of the United Kingdom need to take into effective consideration for the management of the human resources that belong to their organization is the Equality Act of 2010 (McDonald, Charlesworth and Graham 2016). The most important precept of this particular legislation is the fact that everyone is equal before the laws and thus they should be treated in equal manner irrespective of their gender, race, skin color, social or economic background, educational background or other attributes (Quick and McFadyen 2017). It is a reflection of this particular that a functional HRM is required not only to integrate this legislation within the framework of their organization but at the same time ensure that all the employees of the concerned organization are treated on equal footing (Gutek 2015).

The problem of sexual harassment is one of the most commonly encountered ones within the framework of the present day business world and in the majority of the incidents it is seen that they go unreported because of the stigma involved in the process and also the unwillingness of the majority of the business organizations to pursue it further as becomes evident from the Oxfam incident under discussion here (Barak 2016). However, the various Employment laws, the Equality Act of 2010 and the other similar legislations propounded by the national government of the United Kingdom has made it imperative for the various organizations to treat all the employees of the organization in likewise manner and at the same time to report the perpetrators of the incidents of sexual violence to the law authorities (Becker and Smidt 2016). Thus, it becomes very important for the organizations to not only develop their own systems of dealing for such incidents as per the laws dictated by the government but at the same time to report such incidents to the authorities.

Racial discrimination is another commonly encountered menace within the framework of the modern day organizations. However, it is significant to note that the dictums of the Equality Act of 2010 has prohibit the process of discrimination and also states that a strict penalty will be imposed on the individuals who are found indulging in such kinds of activities (Greene and Kirton 2015). Thus, the various organizations and the HRM teams associated with them are required to formulate policies as well as practices that not only prohibit the use of such kind of practices within the workplace but at the same time ensures that serious actions are being taken against the individuals who are indulging in such actions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of human resource management is a very wide one and in the present day world it is seen that the various HRM teams associated with the diverse organizations are required to perform a wide array of roles on the score of the changing nature of the business world. One of the most important job roles of the contemporary HRM teams is to ensure to emotional as well as physical safety of the employees of the organization since it is seen that the number of incidents related to sexual harassment, racial discrimination, workplaces bullying and others. Thus, the HRM teams are not only required to formulate effective policies as well as practices which will deal with these incidents and the also the victims and the perpetrators associated with the incident in an adequate manner but at the same time take necessary measures for the emotional and the mental wellbeing of the victims as well.

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