Achieving a Balance in Human Resourcing Between Employee Rights and Care for the Individual

The recent expansion of employment law and the growth of work place litigation in the UK is likely to intensify the preoccupation of Human Resource (HR) specialists and line managers with demonstrating procedural fairness in their human resourcing practices. The agenda is increasingly becoming one of "showing that justice has been done" in employment decisions. This paper's central claim is that regulation and escalating litigation can encourage an employee relations environment where HR practitioners and line managers alike place the emphasis on adhering to processes developed to demonstrate moral neutrality as a means of defending managerial decision making. I will argue that this results in a heavily "proceduralised" approach which can be at the cost of investing in interpersonal relationships that are more conducive to positive employment relationships and individual feelings of fair treatment. Issues of fairness in HR processes will be explored from the perspectives of line managers, HR specialists and, to a lesser extent, of individuals at the receiving end. I will draw upon findings from two case studies of human resourcing policies and practice within two large public sector organizations?a large City Council and the British Library. The discussion will focus on two particular issues