Basics of Human Resource Management

For many centuries people have worked for others. Whether it was people working for Kings and Queens or working in Colonial America for merchants, labor has had a long history. Over the course of time employers have looked for ways to maximize profits, but often at the expense of their employees. This led to labor unrest and the formation of unions to help protect the interests of workers. However, businesses have found ways to balance the needs of the business and the concerns of employees by use of the Human Resource Department.

Human resources in the business world can be described as the department or individual that is assigned the duties of hiring personnel, administrating and ensuring that employees receive proper training. The Human Resource Department is generally the area that acts as a buffer between management and employees of a business. In addition to hiring and training employees, the department is responsible for ensuring that the workers are paid properly, receive vacation and sick time that are due to them, put policies in place to make sure that the business is following all of the laws that are in place to protect the rights of employees and many other important tasks needed to ensure that the workers and business interests are equally met.