Principal of equal opportunities as an implication for sustainable human resources management: legal and managemental approaches

Abstract

The well-being of employees is inseparable from the concept of sustainable human resources management. To fully guarantee the well-being of an individual in a market economy, the state must inevitably control this area of legal relations by establishing certain principles and methods binding in both public and private labor relations. Every employer must implement equal opportunities in all areas related to the employment relationship. Reviewing the situation in the Lithuanian labor market, it can be seen that as many as 57 per cents of employees say they have experienced age discrimination in employment, 12.2 percent - due to disability, 9.3 percent - due to the social situation. Therefore, it is obvious that research on the implementation of the principle must focus on several aspects: identification of possible social, cultural, and legal reasons for the violation of this principle; analysis of the legal environment and legal measures to prevent possible breaches of the principle of equal opportunities; the search for management solutions to maximize the right of employees to equal opportunities. The aim of the paper is through theoretical and practical approaches to reveal problematic issues in the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities in Lithuanian labor law, formulate conclusions and submit proposals for more effective implementation of the principle of equal opportunities by using both legal and managerial solutions. The article was carried out presenting two different perspectives on research object - legal and managerial. The aim is not only to analyze legal regulation and legal solutions for effective implementation of the principle of equal opportunities but also to reveal another dimension of the problem - the presumption that the employer's perception of social responsibility and managerial competencies have a direct impact on ensuring equal implementation.