WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY HRM ON DISCRIMINATION OF JOB CATEGORY IN SRI LANKA?

Human resources (HR) professionals are responsible for the strategic management of employees within an organization while adhering to laws that govern employee rights and employer obligations. If an organization violates these complex and ever-changing regulations, it faces risks, including lawsuits, financial loss, and damage to its reputation.

Since non-compliance can lead to such serious consequences, there is a high demand for workers in the industry who are knowledgeable about HR laws and common legal issues in the workplace.

 

Why do HR professionals need legal knowledge?

HR roles are not one size fits all. Depending on the title, the responsibilities of an HR worker can vary widely. Some HR managers are solely responsible for staffing, some focus on employee development, some deal strictly with compensation and benefits, and some, the generalists, do it all.

 

“But regardless of the individual function,” says Hyde, “compliance is a key responsibility of every HR role. The law touches in one way or another every profession that falls under the responsibility of HR.”

These professionals are responsible for making frequent decisions on the spot that can have serious legal consequences. Therefore, knowledge of common HR laws gives these industry workers the confidence to make these decisions or know when to contact outside counsel.

HR professionals with legal expertise also have a competitive advantage in the workplace, as they are able to proactively minimize a company's exposure to legal risk. With a working knowledge of applicable laws and their real-world applications, they help businesses stay compliant and avoid unnecessary claims while protecting the rights of valuable employees.

Sri Lanka has a high literacy rate and, in fact, the gender balance in terms of education levels overall weighs slightly in favor of girls. However, this does not seem to be translating into parity in the world of work. Women are twice as unemployed as their male counterparts. In addition, Sri Lankan women often end up in informal sector jobs where wage disparities compound discrimination. Apart from this, the women who are responsible for bringing in the largest proportions of foreign exchange, namely migrant women workers in the informal sector, garment factory workers and plantation workers in the formal sector, are found at the highest levels Bottom of the employment ladder.

On the other hand, where women find themselves marginally better positioned in formal sector employment, the work environment and systems do not hint at supporting gender justice in the workplace, overall. . Some private sector companies, however, have initiated good practice in addressing systemic challenges and following national policy guidance on addressing gender discrimination in the workplace. National legislation in Sri Lanka is well carved out in the Penal Code. However, gender justice cannot be achieved through laws alone because the law follows society and often women victims do not have the courage, support or financial means to use the legal framework.

The ILO in Sri Lanka, recognizing this practical challenge, has positioned itself on the pillar of social dialogue to meet with employers and employees to develop tools to support the creation of a more conducive environment that would prevent discrimination based on sex in the world of work. A code of conduct has been developed on tackling sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as a code of conduct on how to deal with HIV in the workplace – issues that negatively impact female workers generally. Policies have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of these protocols and training provided particularly among human resource management staff. Recognizing that violence and discrimination within the home places women in a subordinate and passive role that also makes them more vulnerable outside the home, the ILO has made interventions involving the communities surrounding the targeted workplace. This was to add value to promoting a safer world of work for women by empowering women within the community structures from which they emerged.

The ILO proposes to continue this work within the framework of the Joint United Nations Program to Prevent Gender-Based Violence in collaboration with social partners, government agencies and other sister UN agencies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

www.ilo.org. 2022. Equality and discrimination in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ilo.org/colombo/areasofwork/equality-and-discrimination/lang--en/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR254c8yYyleNRJtr7t5nXLB-izbR9rbZYYi8kIlUBQAe0A3LwKVD72hkXo. [Accessed 24 April 2022].

www.northeastern.edu. 2022. Laws and Regulations Every HR Professional Should Know. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/hr-laws-to-know/. [Accessed 24 April 2022].