Promoting decent work in organisations: a sustainable HRD perspective

Today’s uncertain times have led to paradigm shifts in the world of work. The disruptive nature of unforeseen events (e.g. Covid-19) has a harsh impact on organizations’ stakeholders, including employees, society and the environment. However, these events pose tougher challenges for vulnerable and weaker workers, particularly in getting access to decent and productive employment. While catering to the changing needs of business, organizations also find it difficult to provide decent work for all and achieve their social bottom lines. This paper aims to understand what role HRD plays, especially Sustainable HRD (S-HRD), in facilitating access to decent work. Conceptual analysis of the literature revealed that S-HRD practices have the potential to promote all the dimensions of DW: employment creation, social protection, employees’ fundamental rights and social dialogue. This paper is an important stepping stone in the articulation of how S-HRD can help organizations to promote decent work. The perspectives presented in this study have potential implications for HRD practitioners in understanding the application and implementation of S-HRD practices. Furthermore, managers can also take note of specific S-HRD interventions from this paper to enable decent work in their organizations.