The "HR exists to protect the company" explanation for bad HR irks me too. HR exists to do whatever the C-suite tells them priorities are. If leadership says "

The "HR exists to protect the company" explanation for bad HR irks me too. HR exists to do whatever the C-suite tells them priorities are. If leadership says "Decrease harassment AND protect the company," then that's a thing HR can do. Or they could not, or say "but make sure to give anyone that makes the company a lot of money a free pass," and HR doesn't try.