I dont understand those bad experiences with HR here
All hr stuff that ive been involved in was getting hired, questions about taxes, days off calculations and health provider related stuff
Like... what happened to you?
Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
31–40 of 235 posts
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#32I disagree with the "mostly harmless" take in the article. HR is the group everyone, regardless of where they stand in a company, must be the most careful in dealing with. They are beurocrats and, in modern western companies, are becoming ideological commissars. One of the strongest suggestions I would make to anyone going into white collar work is to avoid HR as much as possible, and be extremely careful of everythi…
If someone's going to drive company culture, why shouldn't it be HR? They seem well qualified to do so. For example, someone in HR would be in a good position to do the research to figure out if work-from-home improves productivity or employee happiness, and they would also understand the tax and legal implications of a possible work-from-home policy.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#33> Your employer definitely got legal advice on anything they put in front of you, why shouldn’t you do the same before signing? Because it costs $700/hour
I tend to work for smaller companies so I've been laid off a few times. I've hired employment lawyers each time. I've paid them approx $2K-$3K each time and have receive much more back.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#34"HR aren’t evil, they’re just doing a job".
HR people aren't evil, they are just people who have freely decided to apply evil and cynical policies 8h a day 5 days a week on a group of other people.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#35Companies in general aren't anyone's friend, in that, ideally, a company is a machine designed to make money within the constraints of law and the ethical rules the leadership decides to follow. Companies, like nations, have no friends, only interests.
I'm not sure what you mean by ideally there. Do you mean that the platonic company is a money making machine? If so, that's certainly the case. In practice, though, isn't it better if companies have non-monetary goals? Think Newman's Own, B-corps, etc.
I mean a company is, inherently, a money-making concern, and the ideal company obeys both the law and a code of ethics more restrictive than the law. Even a company that devotes all profits to charity has to end up in the black or else it ceases to exist and can't be a charity anymore.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#36People think the "resource" in human resources means that the team is available as a resource for employees should they need anything. In reality you are the resource they are referring to.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#37I get the whole "HR can be evil" point, but this article could have also been, "Having friends in management is fine, but management is not your friend". Personally, I'm so sick of the cynicism in general. Can we make points and articles about protecting yourself, as an employee, without resorting to such things? As a manager in a company, I've both had friends in HR and also had HR been my friend. Need to fire that…
> As a manager in a company, I've both had friends in HR and also had HR been my friend. Need to fire that horrible employee who is demoralizing the team and not being productive? HR is your friend. Need to hire the next best engineer? HR is my friend.
That's not a friend, that's a co-worker doing their job. There's a big difference between a friend and someone you get a long with well in a professional setting.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#38Companies in general aren't anyone's friend, in that, ideally, a company is a machine designed to make money within the constraints of law and the ethical rules the leadership decides to follow. Companies, like nations, have no friends, only interests.
More precisely: They are totalitarian dictatorships. You receive orders from above and maybe hand them down further.
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#39HR as a function will always represent and serve the company. Thinking anything else is foolish.
But building a strong and friendly relationship with your HR partners is universally a good thing and something one should strive for (be at as as people leader or individual contributor).
Re: Having friends in HR is fine, but HR is not your friend
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're hiring a top law firm. Plenty of lawyers can be had for $100/hour and are well qualified to review employment terms.
If you’re in any big city, you’re not going to get more than a “consultation” of half an hour for $100. Most of the answers you’ll get in that meeting are the ones you can find by a quick Google search, anything more and it will cost you a lot more. The only cheap option, if you’re lucky, is the local bar association usually does pro bono office hours that you could possibly sign up for and get in. Those don’t work f…
Well don't go to a lawyer in a big city? You can easily interact with a lawyer virtually.
Even if all they do is tell you what you could find out in a Google search if you knew what to search, it's going to be more useful for the average person because lawyers have the confidence to interpret legal terminology, contextualize what they are telling you, and recognize what is and is not normal (e.g. notice predatory terms in a contract).