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Assuming this one-sided story to be true, let this serve as yet another reminder that Human Resources is designed to protect the employer - not the employee. Th

Assuming this one-sided story to be true, let this serve as yet another reminder that Human Resources is designed to protect the employer - not the employee. The cynic in me would go so far as to say one should generally avoid reporting anything to HR at all costs. It almost never works out the way one would hope.

webmobdev 5y ago
I agree completely that HR mostly exists to protect the management and company, but I wouldn't go as far to say that you should always avoid them - a paper trail with HR often helps with any lawsuit.
- blip54321 5y ago
  HR should be managed. Situations are complex. HR exists to protect the company, but the company isn't necessarily your boss or your direct management. If the CEO is sexually harassing women, and acting racist, HR will probably protect them. Anyone below that? It depends. Anyone who raises issues is a potential liability risk, so HR is naturally inclined to work people who frivolously raise issues out of the company. Same thing for raising issues in inappropriate ways (e.g. a twitter thread). At the same time, if someone above you is a /real/ risk, many HR departments do want to know about that. If your boss is sexually harassing women and acting racist, they're a liability to their boss and the company as a whole. Taking bribes? There are ways to manage that through most HR departments. Most companies have trainings about the types of issues which ought to be raised, the contexts, and how. This is not a general rule, but for my current employer, I think the training is spot-on for what's expected of employees here: * Raising issues appropriately is exactly the expected thing to do. * Following up, and expecting they get acted on is not. HR expects to be able to conduct a discrete investigation. If there isn't evidence, one should expect that nothing will happen except for a paper record. If you were sexually harassed by a manager, but it's a he-said-she-said, that's where it ends. Once a few employees claim they were sexually harassed by the same manager though, that person will be gone. That's my current employer. I've seen this all over the map. My previous employer, I'd recommend /never/ going to HR.
- smorgusofborg 5y ago
  And has to be weighted against HR knowing this game better than you and beginning steps to establish the narrative that you are incompetent. If you think you need to sue a company you should probably ask your own lawyer before sending anything to HR.
rStar 5y ago
hr is like the police. they are the servants of the upperclass, and their job is to do whatever the board wants, while keeping it legal and keeping the company immune from lawsuits as much as possible

webmobdev 5y ago

I agree completely that HR mostly exists to protect the management and company, but I wouldn't go as far to say that you should always avoid them - a paper trail with HR often helps with any lawsuit.

blip54321 5y ago
HR should be managed. Situations are complex. HR exists to protect the company, but the company isn't necessarily your boss or your direct management. If the CEO is sexually harassing women, and acting racist, HR will probably protect them. Anyone below that? It depends. Anyone who raises issues is a potential liability risk, so HR is naturally inclined to work people who frivolously raise issues out of the company. Same thing for raising issues in inappropriate ways (e.g. a twitter thread). At the same time, if someone above you is a /real/ risk, many HR departments do want to know about that. If your boss is sexually harassing women and acting racist, they're a liability to their boss and the company as a whole. Taking bribes? There are ways to manage that through most HR departments. Most companies have trainings about the types of issues which ought to be raised, the contexts, and how. This is not a general rule, but for my current employer, I think the training is spot-on for what's expected of employees here: * Raising issues appropriately is exactly the expected thing to do. * Following up, and expecting they get acted on is not. HR expects to be able to conduct a discrete investigation. If there isn't evidence, one should expect that nothing will happen except for a paper record. If you were sexually harassed by a manager, but it's a he-said-she-said, that's where it ends. Once a few employees claim they were sexually harassed by the same manager though, that person will be gone. That's my current employer. I've seen this all over the map. My previous employer, I'd recommend /never/ going to HR.
smorgusofborg 5y ago
And has to be weighted against HR knowing this game better than you and beginning steps to establish the narrative that you are incompetent. If you think you need to sue a company you should probably ask your own lawyer before sending anything to HR.

rStar 5y ago

hr is like the police. they are the servants of the upperclass, and their job is to do whatever the board wants, while keeping it legal and keeping the company immune from lawsuits as much as possible