Please help me find the perfect word to shut down HR

[FromTheBubblegumTree]

I have agreed to help HR with their investigation (this is not a place where I work). They are sending me emails with a rude 'you will do what we say and comply with our processes because we are higher than you' tone. They have completely missed the point that I am not one of their employees and am doing them a favour. I owe them nothing.

I am in communication with someone else from the company. I want to say something along the lines of.

I am happy to help HR. I am not happy for HR to bully me.

Bully is too strong. I just want them to wind their neck in!

Please help. (I am rubbish at writing corporate emails)

Instead of bully you could say 'tell me what to do'.

Why bring someone else into it?

You need to tell HR as they're the ones sending the emails.

Dictating

I think they are sending standard messages to say you need to comply with their ways of working while you work for them rather than go off on a tangent or do your own thing. I don't think it means anything more than this.

Harass

You could email saying you were willing to support with the investigation, regardless of your lack of employment status with the company, as a gesture of goodwill, but it seems it will be more onerous and have a greater impact on your own business/productivity than you first thought, so you are reconsidering your involvement.

Could you paste one of the comments you're talking about?

’please reconsider the authoritative tone of these messages to me. I’ve agreed to help with this in my own time, but I refuse to respond to this style of communication’

?

Spot on.

Does the tone of their emails mean that you will withdraw from the investigation if they don’t show enough gratitude??

This is the person that I am doing the favour for and am primarily in communication with. It does make sense in this context to address this person as part of our email trail.

"I am happy to help HR. I am not happy for HR to be so belligerent towards me."

As you are doing them a favour out of the goodness of your heart I might say
”I no longer feel able to provide the assistance you are asking for”.
You don’t have to give a reason!

I am happy to help, but I can't agree to adhere to your wider practices. If this means I can't take part, so be it.

This one. Absolutely spot on.

I think you are over-reacting. The "tone" is almost certainly a standardised series of templates that are based on ensuring everything is done in accordance with policy and the law. If you wish to participate in an investigation of whatever this as about, then you will have to fit in with their processes - it is not a "favour" to anyone. If yoiu don't wish to participate, say so and withdraw.

Turn it back in them. ‘Your email tone and frequency suggests your becoming frustrated with the level of support I’m able to provide. Would you rather I stepped away from the project at this time so you can find someone better able to meet your requirements?’!

Can I kindly remind you I am cooperating with your department on a voluntary basis? I really would like for our internal communication to reflect this and respect the fact I am external to your organisation, voluntarily cooperating, and not a subordinate.

@Whatsitreallylike @nfkl These are both fantastic, thank you!

What Vauxhall said

Or just don't bother helping at all??

Can I kindly remind you I am cooperating with your department on a voluntary basis?

^

This is so Mumsnet!

So they aren’t paying you?

if they’re taking you on as a contractor for the investigation it’s not abnormal to make them subject to some HR policies I don’t think.

Presumably there is something at stake for an individual or company if there us some kind of investigation. It is normal for there to be a process and perameters around an investigation for it to be conducted fairly and within any relevant legal frameworks. It's not personal. I'm sure they are grateful to you etc

Unfortunately, there are people at risk so I can't really walk away.

Exactly .

Not being paid, my participation is voluntary