A human resources (HR) department plays a very active role in business today. As many factors in HR relate to the law, HR professionals with a legal background are in demand.
Law and HR can be a powerful combination. As HR needs to operate in the best interests of the company and take care of the rights of employees, having a legal expert in the department can help.
Keep up to date with regulations
All employees in HR have their own responsibilities according to their areas of expertise. For example, one may focus on employee training and another on employee benefits. With nearly 200 federal laws and many state and local laws, staying on top of regulations can be challenging. Compliance is overarching and affects every HR role.
Employees with legal degrees who are part of the HR team can ensure that all decisions have legal grounds and explanations. They have the foundation to critically assess and apply laws that relate to employer obligations and employee rights.
It is possible for HR employees to study for online legal degrees while working full time. Abraham Lincoln University strives to provide its online law students with the flexibility they need to study and keep their jobs.
Use negotiation and dispute resolution techniques
In law school, students often explore tactics and participate in mock trials where they learn mediation, arbitration, negotiation and investigation skills. These skills can be invaluable to them as HR professionals.
HR professionals may be well-versed in employment law but those with a Juris Doctor degree can help the company to avoid any unnecessary claims that could be damaging. They know how to analyze the impact of HR-related laws and to act on changes as they happen.
Applying legally defensible policies and procedures in areas like hiring and recruitment, employee benefits and training can help to protect the reputation and financial assets of the company they work for.
Deal with workplace discrimination
Workplace discrimination often happens and the HR department has to intervene and act to protect an employee if it happens. There are equal employment opportunity laws and regulations that protect employees from discrimination based on gender, age, race, sexual orientation and religion.
HR professionals usually know these discrimination laws well but a law degree benefits HR professionals by offering them deeper insights into best practices. Following best practices can help companies to avoid discrimination changes, prevent harassment or address privacy issues in the workplace.
Handle employee benefits
Employee benefits are a large part of a job in HR today. The more benefits an organization offers, the more top talent it can attract. Medical insurance and health care benefits are just some important benefits top companies offer today.
Studying law can help in understanding how to apply relevant statutes relating to employee benefits, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. There are laws that relate to every area of employment, such as unemployment, executive compensation, fringe benefits and short and long-term disability insurance.
Improve hiring and retention rates
An HR professional has to identify protected classes of people and understand the administrative process for each applicable law. Taking employment law electives can help when it comes to analyzing laws that govern hiring, developing, evaluating, and firing of employees.
When HR professionals have a law degree, they can improve hiring practices by doing research to assess risks, use best practices for recruiting and interviewing applicants, create business cases for new methods and formulate practical retention strategies.
A law background also helps with addressing key drivers of turnover, which may include pay inequity, performance pressures or supervisor bias.