Some within the employment law and Human Resources community have suggested that HR should be thought of and divided into two categories: (1) People Support and (2) Performance Analytics. This division reflects a perception that there are two main goals of HR within a company: (1) to keep workforce contentment and morale high and (2) to represent the company’s interest in maximizing productivity.
Unfortunately, this suggestion does not reflect the ultimate goal of an HR department—to minimize employer liability. Whether this is accomplished by ensuring that wage and hour, payroll, and insurance is established and applied fairly across the board or by being a stop in an employee’s road to airing their grievances, an HR department is always there to serve the employer’s best interests.
Through the years, I have spoken with many aggrieved employees. They almost inevitably say to me, “I went to HR, expecting them to do something, and they [did nothing][retaliated against me, the complainer][told my supervisor and got me in trouble]. Now I seem like the troublemaker instead of the person who wronged me.” They went to HR expecting an employee advocate and got something very different.
However, if you realize that HR exists solely for the benefit of the employer, not individual employees, you can go into a grievance situation with a more realistic picture of the outcome. And if you understand HR’s main purpose, you can utilize HR to your benefit in many situations. Just don’t expect HR to be your advocate. That’s what a trusted attorney is for!