The impact of poorly applied human resources policies on individuals and organisations

Background/Aims Recent incidents have raised awareness about how corporate decisions and behaviour can negatively affect the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals. This article uses a case study to explore the harm that failing to follow human resources procedures can cause to individuals, organisational culture and effectiveness, and make recommendations to improve practice. Methods Seven experts from a range of professional backgrounds offered opinions on an individual case study involving the misapplication of a human resources policy, considering how it may have deviated from lawful practice and the potential impact this had on both the individual and the organisation. Thematic analysis was carried out on this qualitative feedback to identify superordinate and subordinate themes. Results The thematic analysis identified four superordinate themes: failure to follow organisational policies; impact on the individual; impact on the organisation; and failure to learn. Conclusions Poor application of human resources procedures can cause harm to individuals and organisations in a number of different ways. Human resources departments need to actively protect the health and wellbeing of the individual/s involved in investigative procedures, rather than focusing solely on executing the process.