
I Should Never Have Trusted HR to Keep My Secret - ohjeez
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/01/16/i-should-never-have-trusted-hr-to-keep-my-secret/#204c3cc35d19
======
dragonwriter
HR is the department of the company tasked by management to minimize the cost
associated with the acquisition, retention, and eventual disposal of the firms
“human resources” (in more normal language, employees), hence the name.

It is not an internal ombudsman representing the interest of individual
employees against other parties (especially management) within the firm.

 _Every_ interaction with HR should involve this understanding being front and
center.

~~~
anigbrowl
Agreed, but why aren't HR departments required to stress that to employees
when hired? It's absolutely not OK to let people think they can raise an issue
in confidence if that's really only a bullshit promise (to use Harry
Frankfurter's term).

~~~
dragonwriter
> Agreed, but why aren't HR departments required to stress that to employees
> when hired?

You mean required by government? Because it's pretty obvious why _management_
doesn't require HR to highlight their adversarial relation to employees—it
benefits management for the human resources to see the HR department and their
friend and ally.

~~~
anigbrowl
Yes, by law.

------
hprotagonist
In my dealings with HR, I have always come back to a quote from Avatar: The
Last Airbender: "Azula always lies."

------
spthorn60
HR is not on your side; they're present to protect the interests of the
company, however ineffectively.

