WHEN we talk about human resources, we refer to people employed in a business or organisation who are regarded as a significant asset in terms of skills and abilities.
The segment of a business or organisation that deals with the hiring, administration, training of staff, employee benefits and staff retention is known as the human resources department, or HR department as it is called in the everyday language.
Formerly called personnel department, this is a vital division of an organisation that is focused on activities relating to employees.
In tackling this important subject of human resource management, I will first highlight what the BusinessDictionary.com states, signifying the crucial part which personnel occupy in any organisation.
Human resource is the resource that resides in the knowledge, skills, and motivation of people.
It is the least mobile of the factors of production, and under the right conditions, it improves with age and experience, which no other resource can do.
Human resource is, therefore, regarded as the scarcest and most crucial productive resource that creates the largest and longest lasting advantage for an organisation.
The role of the human resource department, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation Bitesize, is to ensure that the employee welfare and employee relations are positive.
The department should ensure that the working environment is safe for the workers, and it should raise awareness of the current workplace legislation.
The HR department covers the executive role, in which human resource managers are viewed as the specialists in the areas that encompass human resources.
The human resource managers also play the audit role. In this capacity, the HR department will check other departments and the organisation as a whole to ensure all HR policies such as health and safety, training, and staff appraisal are being carried out in accordance with the company’s HR policy.
In the facilitator role, the HR department helps or smoothens the way for other departments to achieve the goals or standards as laid out in the HR policies of the organisation.
As for the consultancy role, the HR department advises managers on how to tackle specific issues in managing people professionally.
The HR department is also an information provider as it raises awareness and informs departments and functional areas on changes in policy.
From all these functions, we should be able to conclude that human resource management is not an undertaking for chancers, or people in other professions masquerading as human resources specialists.
In Zambia, human resource management is guided by an Act of Parliament, which further denotes the worthiness of the HR practitioners.
The Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management (ZIHRM) is a professional organisation which was established under Act No. 11 of 1997.
The council is the policy making and governing body of the institute, while day-to-day activities are carried out by a full-time secretariat headed by a registrar as chief executive officer.
The ZIHRM’s vision is to be an effective institute dedicated to the promotion of good practice, serving professional interests of members, enhancing productivity at enterprise and national level, and upholding high ideals in the field of HR management in Zambia.
As its mission, the institute exists to promote and develop the science and practice of HR management in the country.
There are regulations or principles governing the conduct of ZIHRM members.
They should principally uphold the good name of the institute and the human resource management profession.
Human resource practitioners should respect Zambia’s laws in their performance, and promote and uphold employment practices that guard against any form of discrimination based on gender, age, ethnic group, political affiliation, creed, religion or disability.
They are expected to serve the employer effectively and with integrity, and also commit themselves to maintaining a high standard of professionalism in their work.
Other essential regulations require a human resource practitioner to refrain from using one’s membership to the institute to promote the products of one’s personal company, to be impartial when giving independent advice, and to observe confidentiality and respect.
This is the reason why ZIHRM president Justin Kangwa has urged Government to speed up the review of the labour laws, which include strengthening of the ZIHRM Act in dealing with unlicensed and unqualified human resource practitioners.
It is absolutely important that harmful elements are weeded out so that human resource management is spearheaded by qualified personnel.
The ZIHRM, in its continuing drive to promote professionalism, held a two-day workshop at Mukuba Hotel in Ndola, under the theme ‘Termination of employment contracts of service – The Zambian context’.
During the workshop held from August 27-28, 2015, the draft framework of the institute’s operational vision was launched, while agreements with employers for internships involving social sciences students were also signed.
National essay writing competitions for social sciences students, a pilot programme with the University of Zambia, were also commissioned.
Another significant launch that took place during the workshop was that of the Copperbelt provincial satellite centre, which will be situated in Kitwe owing to the city’s central location.
Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda, who officiated at the workshop, was pleased with the purposeful steps ZIHRM is taking to solidify human resource management in the country.
Mr Shamenda informed the participants that the ministry had reached an advanced stage in the comprehensive review and amendment of the current labour laws.
The intention of the Government is to harmonise and compress the 12 pieces of labour legislation into five.
Another milestone in the labour and employment sector is the conclusion of the amendments to the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management Act No. 11 of 1997.
The Bill will be tabled before Cabinet and Parliament soon.
The aim of the Labour and Social Security ministry is to have the amended Act before the end of 2015.
The amended Act has stiffened provisions on the requirements for every person practising human resource management to be registered and licensed.
Penalties for practising human resource management in Zambia have also been toughened.
It must be noted that one of the perversities to be halted by the proposed amendments to the labour laws is casualisation, which for long has enslaved many workers in the country.
The minister implored the institute to develop systems and practices which are aimed at improving the welfare of workers.
In this regard, the ZIHRM is expected to be the bridge builder between employers and employees.
There are certainly many ills, such as poor working conditions, job insecurity, and non-compliance with the labour laws, which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Another task the institute has is to form useful partnerships with key institutions – both within and outside the labour and employment sector – and bolster research-based activities.
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President Edgar Lungu has assented to a proposed law that provides for optional retirement ages of 55, 60 and 65.
According to Mr Shamenda, a Government gazette will soon be issued. When the new piece of legislation comes into effect, 60 years will be the normal retirement age, while people could opt for early retirement at 55 years. Others could go up to 65 years.
There are accrued rights for those who are in employment before the new law is enacted.
This means those who have reached 55 years and decide to retire will not be forced to stay.
However, there will be no such retirement rights for people who will be employed after the law is enacted.
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(This column is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. For comments or questions, email info@mlss.gov.zm or niza12001@yahoo.com)