HR/Reply replies of at least 250-350 words

Each reply must include a Scripture reference and at least 1 scholarly source, plus the text—all in current APA format.

Thread 1-

DBForum 1

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

Due to the decision of our company to offer that health benefits be made available to domestic partners, it would seem that our organization will certainly need to be making a few minor changes. Because a domestic partner is different than a husband or a wife, this may be viewed in a harsh light by those that don’t agree with this situation. A domestic partner is a person who basically resides with their life partner and has never legalized their union. With this new subject and new rules within the workplace that will ultimately follow, diversity training will certainly be necessary. As topics such as this can often be sensitive and cause strife if not handled properly, thinking ahead will allow others to see the situation through educated eyes. With the ever-changing world we live in, it is important to stay up to date on current issues and potential problems. Since our company will be implementing a new health benefit that impacts domestic partners, this diversity training should focus on the importance of understanding others, of tolerance and avoiding judgment. In this situation, an important emphasis would be to highlight the fact that this decision would allow more people to be covered by important benefits such as health, dental and vision benefits. Furthermore, this right to have the ability to take leave for the sick family partner. Presenting all these benefits as a positive move forward would be a smart approach.

Taking into account that there may be employees that will not understand the changes in benefits, the diversity training should clearly outline the reasons for this decision. The world is rapidly changing. In order for us to be able to take care of our families, sometimes thinking outside the governmental box is a necessity.

In going forward with this adjustment in benefits, it would be difficult to understand how this can be biblically correct. I believe the Bible is clear on sexual behavior and the appearance of evil. With that having been said, it is also not my place to judge others, but instead to help others, and help to lead others to Christ.

Thread 2:

Discussion Forum 1

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

The enrollment of employee health care benefits would be facilitated by human resource managers, as they are responsible for introducing appropriate policies that make the transitions and changes within an organization an easier process. An article in the Journal of Business Ethics states that “HR managers are often tasked with implementing organizational strategies” and that “they are in a position to mobilize resources, design policies, and implement diversity management initiatives” (Ng & Sears, 2018). Since there is a social shift within the company, it would be necessary to deploy an updated diversity program to ensure that all the employees are on the same page regarding these changes. Because the company has been traditionally conservative in the past, many employees would likely hold similar conservative views as well. When developing a new diversity program, it is important for organizations “to decide which kind(s) of diversity (or diversities) they wish to ultimately recognize and address” (Das, 2019). In this case, the HR managers would need to address the issue of employee relationships. Traditionally, healthcare benefits would only cover the employee’s spouse. However, this new rollout would include coverage of their domestic partners. This change would affect diversity training because it requires the employees to rethink their traditional views on marriage and relationships, causing them to recognize a more liberal, modern view of the issue.

One of the first steps to initiating this program would be providing literature containing the new benefits of the healthcare program to all eligible employees. Next, informing all managers of the policy changes and giving them proper coaching materials would help create a consistent understanding of the changes throughout the organization. According to the Strategic HR Review, making sure that “line managers are aware of policies that may be relevant to their subordinates and teams” will enable them to “apply them as the need arose” (Das, 2019). This would create an environment where each member of leadership partakes in promoting and upholding the diversity initiative and can easily resolve conflicts surrounding the topic.

As noted earlier, there are most likely many employees who hold more conservative viewpoints towards this issue. Because of this, it would be important to remain inclusive of the employees that don’t agree with this lifestyle by ensuring that their beliefs wouldn’t be suppressed in any way, while still complying with company policy. This is shown in chapter 1 of the textbook, stating HR managers “must effectively balance the needs of employees with the needs of organizations” (Jackson, Mathis, Meglich, & Valentine, 2019). The main way to prevent any internal conflict between employees with differing beliefs would be to ensure that each employee’s health care plan is kept private, as it would be a confidential matter.

While the issue of domestic partnerships conflicts with the word of God, I wouldn’t let this scenario prevent me from continuing to live a life that honors God. Instead, I would make sure that my behavior in the workplace is an honoring example of how Christ wants us to live. This could be done by rationally vocalizing the differences between the new healthcare program and Biblical differences. Matthew 5:16 sums this up by stating “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and and glorify your Father in heaven”.

References

Das, R. (2019). Diversity management as a strategic human resource agenda: Critique and roadmap. Strategic HR Review, 18(1), 26-29. doi:10.1108/SHR-10-2018-0084

Jackson, J.H., Mathis, R.L., Meglich, P.A., Valentine, S.R. (2019). Human Resource Management (16th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (2018). Walking the talk on diversity: CEO beliefs, moral values, and the implementation of workplace diversity practices. Journal of Business Ethics, , 1-14. doi:10.1007/s10551-018-4051-7