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> HR is the subunit of the firm dedicated to minimizing risk and maximizing efficiency across the firm (and thus, independently of the specific business functio

> HR is the subunit of the firm dedicated to minimizing risk and maximizing efficiency across the firm (and thus, independently of the specific business function of other units) in the extraction of surplus value from workers. And the best, and certainly the cheapest, way to achieve that is by having happy employees in a healthy work environment. So in my experience, that's what HR tries to achieve. I'm sorry your experience was different.

defen 5y ago
> And the best, and certainly the cheapest, way to achieve that is by having happy employees in a healthy work environment. I think that's way too broad and general of a statement. It really depends on the nature of the industry, the competitive landscape, and many other things. In non-essential software, where the hands-on technical employees have tremendous influence over the direction of the firm, that may be true. In extractive industries and possibly even industrial ones it may be cheaper to externalize as many costs as possible, invest the bare minimum legally required in safety equipment and training, etc. Why did it take strikes, literal shooting battles, legislative action, and generally tremendous amounts of effort to enact basic workers rights in this country if it would have been cheaper to just ... give people a happy and healthy working environment?
- jfk13 5y ago
  And why do people insist on assuming that the behavior of the worst companies is the standard that all companies necessarily follow?
dragonwriter 5y ago
> And the best, and certainly the cheapest, way to achieve that is by having happy employees in a healthy work environment. It's generally not the cheapest, and often not even possible where there is a deep conflict between preferences of employees and/or between the fundamental market realities of the line of business and ideals of “healthy work environment“. It's true that “cattle not pets” isn't the line you give to the cattle, who really want to believe that they are “valued members of the corporate family“.

defen 5y ago

> And the best, and certainly the cheapest, way to achieve that is by having happy employees in a healthy work environment. I think that's way too broad and general of a statement. It really depends on the nature of the industry, the competitive landscape, and many other things. In non-essential software, where the hands-on technical employees have tremendous influence over the direction of the firm, that may be true. In extractive industries and possibly even industrial ones it may be cheaper to externalize as many costs as possible, invest the bare minimum legally required in safety equipment and training, etc. Why did it take strikes, literal shooting battles, legislative action, and generally tremendous amounts of effort to enact basic workers rights in this country if it would have been cheaper to just ... give people a happy and healthy working environment?

jfk13 5y ago
And why do people insist on assuming that the behavior of the worst companies is the standard that all companies necessarily follow?

dragonwriter 5y ago

> And the best, and certainly the cheapest, way to achieve that is by having happy employees in a healthy work environment. It's generally not the cheapest, and often not even possible where there is a deep conflict between preferences of employees and/or between the fundamental market realities of the line of business and ideals of “healthy work environment“. It's true that “cattle not pets” isn't the line you give to the cattle, who really want to believe that they are “valued members of the corporate family“.