Recording, Analysing and using HR information Essay Example for Free

Recording, Analysing and using HR information Essay It is extremely important for all organisations to record and store data for a number of reasons, one significant reason being to satisfy legal requirements. Government agencies such as HMRC, Department of Work Pensions and the Health Safety Executive to name but a few, can demand information from organisations at any time. Pay, tax and employee data needs to be accurately recorded and monitored by HR, in order to ensure employees are being treated fairly and organisations are compliant. Relevant legislation would include the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 with regard to pay, working hours are restricted under the Working Time regulations and safe working practices and conditions are outlined under the Health Safety at work Act 1974. Failure to comply with this legislation can lead to errors, accidents, increased absence, breakdown of the psychological contract, poor employee engagement, poor retention rates, a bad corporate reputation and can result in serious financial consequences such as fines, legal action or closure of business in extreme cases. Another reason that organisations collect HR data is for monitoring levels of employee sickness and absence. According to the CIPD’s 2013 Annual Survey Report on Absence Management, organisations reported employees absent between 6 and 8. 7 days each per annum at an average annual cost to the business of ? 595 per employee due to a lack of resource and productivity. As can be seen, hours lost due to sickness and absence can cost organisations a huge amount of time and money every year and attendance data collected can be used for Occupational Health investigations or capability reviews with the employee, especially should multiple instances of absence occur or a pattern emerges. Attendance data can also help to spot patterns and trends which can pinpoint other less obvious causes for absence. Poor line management, workplace bullying, poor motivation, a training need or a welfare issue can often be the cause of recurrent, short term absence and once highlighted, HR can intervene to offer practical support, advice and guidance to both employees and line managers in order to rectify these issues before they escalate further. Organisations store data collected in two ways. Before the technology boom in the late nineties, manual files (that are written or printed) were widely used but are now less popular, specially in large organisations that are heavily reliant upon technology. The benefits of manual files are that they are cheap to compile with little or no training required to extract information from them. However the downside being they take a large amount of space to store, they have little or no security and if they are destroyed or damaged, the information is permanently lost. Electronic storage on computer hard drives, shared drives, memory sticks, internet, intranet, dvd and so on is now the preferred method due to the many benefits. It is easier to input and update information on a computer, the information can be quickly distributed to a vast amount of recipients via email, can be easily manipulated and formatted for reporting purposes in various applications, doesn’t take up any physical office space and can be secured and protected via encryption programmes or passwords. Of course, data can be highly sensitive, confidential and valuable and therefore it is crucial organisations are responsible and compliant when collecting, storing and using this information. There are many pieces of legislation that relate to this such as Limitation Act 1980, The Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 Part 11, Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and the UK Borders Act 2007. Two pieces of legislation in particular which are relevant to the everyday uses of HR data within organisations are the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). The DPA states that the processing of automated and manual data must comply with seven principles; the data must be used fairly and lawfully, used for limited, specifically stated purposes, used in a way that is relevant and not excessive, must be accurate and up to date, kept no longer than necessary, handled according to data protection rights, kept safe secure and must not be transferred outside the UK without adequate protection. There are guidelines produced by the Information Commissioner detailing the best practice for handling data and maintaining compliance in four areas; Recruitment Selection, Employment records, Monitoring at work and Information about workers health. Subject to certain exceptions (as detailed in Schedule 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998) employees have the right to access their records and also employers must seek the permission of he individual concerned before releasing any information to a 3rd party. Under the DPA, employers must keep certain data for specific statutory periods of time and once this has expired destruction of data must take place securely and effectively. The FOIA 2000 relates only to information gathered, stored and used in the Public sector (NHS, Government departments, Local Authorities, Police forces etc) and information held in the private sector on behalf of public organisations. It aims to improve accountability and provide transparency within organisations that spend public money. This gives the public the right to access all information including emails, documents, letters and notes, without any relation to themselves and without needing to provide a reason. The request can be denied only if it contravenes the Data Protection Act, harms national security or is not in the ‘public interest’ but even then a refusal has to be valid, reasonable, explained and an edited version released.

The History of Welfare in America Essay -- Origins of Public Welfare P

Welfare has been a safety net for many Americans, when the alternative for them is going without food and shelter. Over the years, the government has provided income for the unemployed, food assistance for the hungry, and health care for the poor. The federal government in the nineteenth century started to provide minimal benefits for the poor. During the twentieth century the United States federal government established a more substantial welfare system to help Americans when they most needed it. In 1996, welfare reform occurred under President Bill Clinton and it significantly changed the structure of welfare. Social Security has gone through significant change from FDR’s signing of the program into law to President George W. Bush’s proposal of privatized accounts. The increase in industrialization in the U.S. during the 1820’s caused a rise in homelessness. Women made up the majority of the homeless population. During the beginning of the nineteenth century, private charities helped provide food and shelter for the homeless. Towards the end of the nineteenth century men became the majority of the homeless population. The federal government created â€Å"mother’s pension laws† which were protective labor laws that assisted poor women and children. Shelters required a work test for men to enter and only allowed them to stay for a limited amount of time. Charities did not help men in the nineteenth century (Homelessness in the United States). On October 29, 1929, the roaring twenties ended. The U.S. stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Those who had invested in the stock market for retirement saw their investments disappear. President Franklin Roosevelt’s â€Å"New Deal† focused first on providing employment for the... ...for Children and Families. 6 Mar 2009. . â€Å"Medicaid Home Page.† 16 Sept 2004. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 6 Mar 2009. . Shields, Mark. â€Å"Messing with Social Security.† Cnn.com. 7 Mar 2009. . â€Å"Bill of Rights in Action.† June 1998. Constitutional Rights Foundation. 6 Mar 2009. . â€Å"Food Stamp Program.† 4 Feb 2005. Food and Nutrition Service. 6 Mar 2009. . â€Å"Women, Infants, and Children.† 1 Jan 2004. Food and Nutrition Service. 6 Mar 2009. . â€Å"The Future of Social Security.† Mar 2005. Social Security Administration. 6 Mar 2009. .

Indigenous Religions and Their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature

Indigenous Religions and their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature Kimberly Kitterman Barstow Community College Abstract Many indigenous religions and cultures viewed the earth with great respect and reverence. This can be seen through their kinship with the land, their belief in animism, their hunter/hunted relationship, and their origin stories. Indigenous Religions and their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature Most indigenous cultures had a profound respect for their environment.They believed that their relationship with nature was very sacred, they believed the earth needed to be treated with dignity and reverence, they believed in harmony with their surroundings. Speaking of indigenous religions, Lewis (1995) wrote, They defined themselves by the land, by the sacred places that bounded and shaped their world. They recognized a unity in their physical and spiritual universes, the union of natural and supernatural. Their origin cycles, oral traditions, and cosmologies connected them with al l animate and inanimate beings, past and present. p. 423) Molly wrote, â€Å"Environmentalist David Suzuki argues that we must look to native peoples and religions for insightful lessons in the relationship between human beings and nature. † (2005, p. 39) Native religions had a much different view of the world than we had today, and that view can be seen in the way they lived, their religious ceremonies, and even in the things they take from nature. We should begin our discussion of indigenous religions by defining what one is.The term indigenous refers to a culture that originated in a certain area. Indigenous can be used interchangeably with words such as native, oral, primal, tribal, traditional, and aboriginal. These cultures can be found anywhere in the world, in every climate and every type of environment. Different from global religions like Christianity and Islam, each of these religions were formed in isolation from everything else, causing huge variations in languag e, beliefs, customs, traditions, myths, and origin stories. (Molly, 2005)In his book Experiencing the World's Religions, Michael Molloy wrote, â€Å"Most indigenous religions have sprung from tribal cultures of small numbers, whose survival has required a cautious and respectful relationship with nature. In the worldview of these religions, human beings are very much a part of nature. † (2005, p. 41) Many of these cultures view nature as a living breathing entity, and something that deserves respect and love. Many feel a kinship with nature, believing that we came from the environment and will someday return to the environment.Some even believe the animals to be their brothers and sisters – that each living thing was created of the same substance and came from the same earth. The Mayan text Popol Vuh, Taylor (2005) wrote, tells of an origin story of an previous group: An origin myth in which an earlier race of humans were destroyed for the disregard they showed animals and inanimate objects cautions people to respect the natural world, while humans' relationship of dependence on a Creator who is embodied in the unity of sky and Earth reinforces the sacredness of the world. (p. 34) This quote shows just how seriously the native cultures treated nature. Their respect was so great, that cautionary tales of what can happen if you don't have that respect even became a part of their origin stories. A notable belief that is common among many tribal cultures is the belief of â€Å"animism. † Molloy defined animism as coming from the Latin word anima meaning â€Å"life force† or â€Å"spirit. † He continued that animism is a worldview common among indigenous religions that believes all of nature has a spirit, or is filled with spirits (2005, p. 41).Forbes wrote that animism can also be known as â€Å"life-ism,† and â€Å"it is true that most or perhaps all Native Americans see the entire universe as being alive – that i s, as having movement and an ability to act. † (2001, p. 284) This belief of animism is a major contributing factor in indigenous religions sacred relationship with nature. Molly related an experience with four Oglala Sioux shamans: â€Å"When asked about what was wakan (â€Å"holy,† â€Å"mysterious†), said, ‘Every object in the world has a spirit and that spirit is wakan. Thus the spirit[s] of the tree or things of that kind, while not like the spirit of man, are also wakan. † (2005, p. 41) Believing that each tree has a spirit, each animal is a brother or sister, each rock and hill has a life force would alter your perception of the world. Your feelings toward those things might be changed a bit, knowing that they have as much life in them as you do. Black Elk, a Native American, said, † We should understand well that all things are the works of the Great Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers , the mountains, and all the four-legged animals, and the winged peoples. (Goffman, 2005) Whether a tribal culture believed in a Great Spirit, or Mother Earth, or felt that a certain tree held a powerful spirit, many of the native religions worshiped the earth and held it in a highly sacred regard. â€Å"To say that nature is full of spirits can be a way of affirming the presence of both a universal life force and an essential, underlying sacredness. † (Molly, 2005, p. 41) Molloy continues: In a world that is animated by spirits, human beings must treat all things with care. If a spirit is injured or insulted, it can retaliate.Human beings must therefore show that they respect nature, especially the animals and plants that they kill to eat. Human beings must understand the existence and ways of the spirit world so that they can avoid harm and incur blessings. (p. 42) The native cultures constantly walked a fine line of balance. Everything was done with care and consideration for their environment and the spirits that lived in the earth all around them. Upsetting that balance could cause great harm to them and their people, but maintaining the balance and pleasing the spirits could bring blessings to the people.We can also see this respect even in the things the tribal cultures would take from the earth. Lewis (1995) related: Indians managed this world's bounty and diversity based on years of accumulated wisdom–the trial and error of previous generations. They acknowledged the earth's power and the reciprocal obligation between hunter and hunted. They acted to appease spirits who endowed the world. Native peoples celebrated the earth's annual rebirth and offered thanks for her first fruits.They ritually prepared the animals they killed, the agricultural fields they tended, and the vegetal and mineral materials they processed. (p. 423) Indigenous cultures sacred relationship with nature led to a contract of sorts with the earth. Most cultures would take only what they needed, and nothing else. They would also be certain to use every part of whatever was taken. If an animal was killed for food, they would eat everything edible, they would clean and tan the hide to use for clothing or shelter, they would find use for the bones in ceremonies or as weapons – nothing went to waste.This attitude of â€Å"waste not, want not† was to show respect to the earth for providing the people with the things that they needed to live. Goffman (2005) wrote, â€Å"For Native Americans, the relationship between hunter and prey was not just a processing of material resources; many native hunters apologized to the animals they killed. After killing a bear, one chief, Wawatam, conducted a ceremony wherein he lamented the necessity of killing a ‘friend'. † The culture took very seriously this responsibility to maintain balance and show respect to mother nature.Molloy told of the native Hawaiian's practice that, â€Å"fishi ng in certain areas would be temporarily forbidden (kapu, or taboo) in order to allow the fish population to be replenished. † (2005, p. 42) Tribal people lived so much at one with the land that they knew it inside and out. They knew the patterns of the animals that lived on the land, and they knew what they could take without depleting the population, and when they needed to find sustenance from other sources to allow the earth to replenish itself.Taylor (2005) explained the practice of the Itza' Maya in the lowland Peten forest of Guatemala: The Itza' Maya, who have lived in the Peten for centuries, plant more crops and tree species than do neighboring Q'eqchi' Maya (who moved to the forest from the highlands) or non indigenous Ladinos. Itza' also farm in ways that are less harmful to the soil and more productive, and show a more sophisticated understanding of forest ecology than do the other groups.One factor in Itza' agricultural and forestry practices is a belief that spi rits act as intermediaries for particular forest species, and these must be cared for and respected, while the intimate local knowledge of the Itza' – inextricably linked to their worldview and spiritual traditions – guides sustainable management and farming practices. (p. 835) The indigenous people that had lived in that area for centuries knew the land as well as someone might know a member of their family, showing the enormously sacred bond they had with their environment.Stories like this one of the Itza' Maya are more the rule than the exception – so many of the native cultures held the belief of a sacred earth that must be treated with respect, only taking what you need and nothing more. We can also observe the sacred nature of the relationship between nature and indigenous religion by reflecting on their various origin stories. Grim (1998) related this For the Dine/Navajo, the encounter with mystery is as evident as the wind which brought existence into b eing. One chanter described it this way:Wind existed first, as a person, and when the Earth began its existence Wind took care of it. We started existing where Darknesses, lying on one another, occurred. Here, the one that had lain on top became Dawn, whitening across. What used to be lying on one another back then, this is Wind. It was Darkness. That is why when Darkness settles over you at night it breezes beautifully. It is this, it is a person, they say. From there where it dawns, when it dawns beautifully becoming white-streaked through the Dawn, it usually breezes.Wind exists beautifully, they say. Back there in the underworlds, this was a person it seems. Here the beauty of primordial existence is remembered and felt in the experience of Wind. Taylor (2005) explained where the Maya believe they originated from: â€Å"For the Maya and other Meso American peoples, spiritual links to nature are clearly expressed in beliefs and traditions relating to maize. The first humans were made of corn, according to the Popol Vuh, and corn cultivation remains central to the lives or rural people throughout Mexico and Central America. † (p. 34) Molloy wrote of the people of the Acoma Pueblo, who believed that two sisters lived in the earth, and eventually climbed out of their home in the ground through a hole. They became the first human beings on earth, and one of the sisters became the mother of the Pueblo. (2005) Each story of how the world and the people came to be is vastly different. Some believe that the earth was created by a High God, some think that the world took shape from the mist, some say that this world rose out of previous earths. (Molloy, 2005) No matter what the origin myth, each culture believed that the earth was created for them.They could see the honor of being keepers of the earth and took the responsibility very seriously. So what can be learned from studying the relationship between the indigenous peoples and nature? From their origin s tories, to their kinship with the land, to their respectful hunting attitude, to their belief that everything around us has just as much of a spirit as we do, we can witness their sacred relationship with the earth. The native peoples believed the earth to be sacred – a thing that must be cared for and respected or it would retaliate.I believe that in the not so distant past, many humans have lost sight of the reverence with which we once looked at the environment, and that the earth has begun to retaliate. Though I may not believe that rocks have spirits, I do believe that the indigenous cultures were on to something with their respectful and sacred attitude toward nature. If we as a people can learn to adopt some of the same feelings toward the earth, the earth might give us back some of what has been lost to greed and destruction. References Forbes, J. D. (2001). Indigenous Americans: Spirituality and Ecos.Daedalus, 130(4), 283-300. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/210569466? accountid=2163 Goffman, E. (2005) God, humanity, and nature: Comparative religious views of the environment. Retrieved from: http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/envrel/review. php Grim, J. A. (1998). Indigenous traditions and ecology. Earth Ethics, 10 (1). Lewis, D. R. (1995). Native Americans and the environment: A survey of twentieth-century issues. American Indian Quarterly, 19(3), 423-423. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/216849866? accountid=2163 Molloy, M.

Death And Rebirth Of Traditional Family Values”. A Family

Death and Rebirth of Traditional Family Values† A family is a group of individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Most people are familiar with the term â€Å"nuclear families†. However, today the idea of a postmodern family is becoming more and more common. A nuclear family consists of two parents and children. The nuclear family was long held by society as being the ideal in which to raise children. The single parent family consists of one parent raising one or more children on his or her own. This limits income and opportunities in many cases, although many single parent families have help from relatives and friends. The extended family structure consists of two or more adults who are related, either by blood or marriage, living in†¦show more content†¦Political values are following the law and respecting those who inforce it. Religious values center on the expectations people have about themselves and others based on the beliefs of their faith. Work values include such things as your philosophies abou t your job, your finances, and how you spend your money. Moral values are your individual values about what you believe is right or wrong. Recreational values refer to anything that involves fun or play. An example would be allowing each family member to pursue individual interests. Barnett 3 In the past, family’s morals were more biblically based. Generation Cedar describes it by saying, â€Å"The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she likes.† According to The New York Times, â€Å"Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too. Four in ten American households with children under age eighteen now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family.† According to a Pew Research Center analysis of census and polling data, â€Å"stay at home mothers are at an all-time high.† Thus, making husbands and wives equal – both vowing to be theShow MoreRelatedCultural And Religious Considerations During End Of Life Care1686 Words   |  7 Pagescare are not only based on the individual’s own beliefs but they are also influenced by the beliefs of the caregivers, and their families (Steinberg, 2011). For m any of them , end of life care is not just based on the individuals pain and suffering from their debilitating condition but it also based on the physical, spiritual and psychosocial well being as they approach death. 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