HR departments see employees as the enemy

[Donke]

I have worked in several public sector orgs (NHS, civil service etc) and their ability to stonewall and gaslight is unbelievable. Why are they so convinced that they can do no wrong and that employees are stupid/dishonest/incompetent?

I am currently fighting with HR over my T&Cs, which should follow a locally agreed protocol. They are refusing to accept that it exists or that they have the skills to use it which makes no sense because every other trust in the region uses it. They will not open their minds to an outside pov. I have had similar before where they insisted on refusing to pay me sick pay. Why??

I don't know why HR exists as they are so useless as to put the employer at a higher risk than if they just were not there.
And the staff are of such low quality, it's just a dumping ground for low achievers.

You really think that companies pay HR staff just for the hell of it...during a cost of living crisis?

They do far stupider things than that! You're trying to claim a COL crisis means people stop being overpaid in senior corporate roles?

You earn £90k and you're literally complaining that the people who don't pay you don't love you? Seriously?

Define what makes a job 'much more important'.

Something like care work, nursing, teaching or social support comes to mind. Was that a serious question? What could possibly be more important than HR??

This is honestly the thread that keeps on giving as to why this "profession" has the reputation that it has.

I don’t hate HR. However, from my experience as a union rep, I have very clear and unpleasant memories of the times that they have been unfair, unreasonable, and just plain wrong - often at times when employees were vulnerable. And there does seem to be a tendency to resist reconsidering. That last point is particularly annoying when it happens, although in most cases it gets sorted out eventually, after the employee experiences considerable stress about the situation. Anyone can be wrong, but the doubling down is so hard on vulnerable staff.

Your little tirade here really doesn't lead me to respect your point of view. I am not going to bother explaining the role of HR in organisations....there is plenty of info out there for anyone who is interested.

'You earn £90k and you're literally complaining that the people who don't pay you don't love you? Seriously?'

I am not complaining about anything and I don't care if people don't love me. Seriously. That is all in your head. The premise of this thread irritates me but that is as far as it goes, I will lose zero sleep over it. I haven't actually said how much I am paid (that was another poster who indicated she earned £90k). I work hard for what I earn though & I more than earn the money I am paid as I add value. Don't most of us?

'Something like care work, nursing, teaching or social support comes to mind. Was that a serious question? What could possibly be more important than HR??'

You haven't answered my question and defined what makes a job important vs one that isn't. I respect all the professions you mentioned and also those who work in these; but not everyone reading this will work within these professions and it doesn't mean their work doesn't also have value.

Btw the organisations who employ these professionals also have HR teams backing them up.

'This is honestly the thread that keeps on giving as to why this "profession" has the reputation that it has.'

I am not going to bother responding to this, it says so much about your attitude that it speaks for itself.

Your little tirade here really doesn't lead me to respect your point of view.

You're in HR, I don't expect you to respect the point of view of anyone who's critical of your profession and the people who work in it. You pretty much showed your cards when you said you didn't give a shit what anyone thought because you earn £90k. That was honest and I just wish you people would own it that readily in real life.

I am not complaining about anything and I don't care if people don't love me.

This is the third (fourth?) lengthy post you've written justifying yourself and complaining.

You haven't answered my question and defined what makes a job important vs one that isn't

It was a disingenuous question - as if you can't think of anything that makes a job more worthwhile than HR! Something that involves healing, nursing or protecting vulnerable people. It's OK, I'm not a trauma surgeon either, but nor am I pretending that no job in the world is more worthwhile or important than mine. Again, it's the bloody dishonesty. Maybe you guys are largely just victims of crap branding.

Btw the organisations who employ these professionals also have HR teams backing them up.

Two of the best places I ever worked didn't have HR. They didn't need to. Their policies were clear and accessible and they didn't need protecting because they hired well, treated people well and kept to the law.

But these organisations you mention have HR teams backing up the businesses. This is the lie you won't let go at the heart of the matter. HR is there to protect the business. That might mean protecting an individual but only if that is in the interests of the business. If it isn't, HR will sort the hit and make it look like an accident, and obviously not tell you.

I appreciate you can't tell people when you're doing this, and it isn't your decision to fire people, but you chose the job where you have to do these fixes and act like you're their friend while you do it. Expect £90k. Don't expect love.

I am not going to bother engaging with you after this post as it is a waste of time. You will probably respond anyway - I am sure you will want to have the last word, so go ahead if so. I have nothing more to say & any response will probably say more about you than it does about me.

Briefly:

'You pretty much showed your cards when you said you didn't give a shit what anyone thought because you earn £90k...Expect £90k. Don't expect love'

For a second time: I never said that I earned £90k. And I specifically stated that I didn't expect to be loved.

'nor am I pretending that no job in the world is more worthwhile or important than mine. Again, it's the bloody dishonesty.'

I never 'pretended' or said any such thing.

'But these organisations you mention have HR teams backing up the businesses. This is the lie you won't let go at the heart of the matter. HR is there to protect the business. That might mean protecting an individual but only if that is in the interests of the business.'

I haven't stated any such lie. I actually said the very same thing in my first post. And what you say is untrue; HR frequently protect and support individuals even if it is against the immediate business interests. The HR teams I work for anyway.

You are responding to something that's in your head rather than to my posts. Because you hate HR. Fine, go ahead and hate them. No skin off my nose, I am never likely to be short of work.

@NonPlayerCharacter it's me that earns £90k (£93k actually) and trust me, I give as many shits in real life what most people think of me as I do on here.

If it helps though, just in the last week I have helped an employee with cancer navigate her sick pay, I care what she thinks. I want her to think I care, and that I understand how scary the situation must be without the stress of work/paying bills - because it's true.

But hey, low intelligence...

I am not going to bother engaging with you after this post as it is a waste of time.

You said that in the last post.

For a second time: I never said that I earned £90k.

Then what was the "90 thousand reasons not to give a shit what anyone thinks" stuff about?

HR frequently protect and support individuals even if it is against the immediate business interests.

That "immediate" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Their job is literally to protect the business; you were the one saying something about businesses paying you not 90k because you're worth it to them. Are you trying to suggest HR is actually some sort of brilliant double bluffing cover up operation and will in fact risk all for the sake of Gerald in payroll while making it look like they're actually doing their job?

You'd think such a slick operation would be better at paperwork.

@BlackBean2023 well I wish my experience with NHS HR reflected highly qualified, intelligent HR professionals. Sadly I had to deal with an almost total absence of understanding of the Equality Act, disability discrimination and an inability to fill out forms required for medical retirement, all of which was very stressful and made worse by HR failing to admit any mistakes or acting to uphold organisational values and enactpolicy. If the performance I witnessed is worth £90K PA then Christ that's a disgrace.

it's me that earns £90k (£93k actually) and trust me, I give as many shits in real life what most people think of me as I do on here.

Ah, I see. My apologies, other HR person, you guys tend to blend. And I absolutely believe you don't give a shit what people think because you earn so much cash...no idea why HR people think this is a revelation to us. It's literally the problem we have with you!

If it helps though, just in the last week I have helped an employee with cancer navigate her sick pay..."

I can't believe you just exploited a cancer patient to try to big yourself up on the Internet to win in an argument you claim not to care about. The discussion was kind of funny (to me) up to that point, but that's actually really horrid.