Final answer:
Policies that impose general obligations on employees are managed by corporate leadership, HR departments, or through compliance with government regulations, balancing shareholder interests with ethical responsibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Policies imposing general obligations on employees are typically the responsibility of various stakeholders within a company structure. This can include the corporate management team, human resources department, or, in the case of legislative requirements, compliance with federal or state governmental regulations. Companies must balance the interests of shareholders with their moral and legal responsibilities to employees, customers, and the broader community. For instance, personnel policies might be influenced by laws that have financial implications for businesses, such as those concerning layoffs or the establishment of worker councils, as seen in the French labor code.
Corporations have found their legal rights expanding, but this growth poses questions about their ethical obligations. Social contracts, as a basis for societal harmony, also induce expectations for corporate entities to act responsibly. In the United States, organizations such as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and regulatory bodies like OSHA enforce certain employment practices, ensuring that both temporary and permanent employees are treated fairly and that workplace health and safety standards are upheld.