Telling HR won’t fix your problem
Possibly the world’s best kept secret…HR is not on your side
Question 1: do you actually know anyone who has been fired?
Question 2: do you actually know of a time when someone reported something to HR and things improved?
Blinded by what you’re “supposed to do”
Picture this: something undesirable is happening at work, let’s say you’re being bullied. Now, think back to all of the e-learning modules you’ve ever completed about inappropriate workplace behaviours and the advice thus provided:
Step 1: Speak to your manager.
Step 2: Speak to Human Resources (HR).
The burden of speaking up
What this advice doesn’t consider is the weight on the shoulders of the person speaking up.
Firstly, could speaking up make things worse if the perpetrator gets told of your complaint?
Secondly, do you want to be potentially viewed as a nuisance for speaking up, rocking the boat, and thereby ruining your career opportunities at that company?
Thirdly, what if HR wants to have a mediated group conversation (p.s., HR always want to have a mediated group conversation).
Fourth, what is ACTUALLY going to change? Is everyone going to get a slap on the wrist and told to behave (essentially, this will maintain the status quo), or will the bully actually be removed from the situation.
It doesn’t matter if these things are valid, the what-ifs of speaking up go on forever in the mind of the speaker upper.
So what should you do?
Well really you have 4 options:
- Do nothing and maintain the status quo
- Having considered the what-ifs, report the issue anyway
- Objectively decide to let the problem go (see my article on how to do this professionally)
- Remove yourself from the situation.
I’ve done it all
In the past I have taken all four of these approaches at various times and my advice to you dear reader, is to either get over it and get on with your job, or leave.
From my experience, raising an issue makes it worse, HR makes your own mental burden even heavier for no result and doing nothing will do your head in resulting in finding yourself at square one over and over again.
HR is not on your side
While potentially controversial, it’s my belief and experience that HR is there to protect the company from damage resulting from workplace disputes (e.g., reputation, law suits, etc.). It is not there to resolve employee squabbles (no matter how large or small). And finally HR will always ask for the other side of the story meaning you will be discredited (the perpetrator will of course lie when confronted), your reputation will be shredded from the aforementioned lies, and your future at the company will likely be jeopardised.
Need help?
In a horrible work situation and unsure what to do? Flick me a message and let’s chat – chances are I’ve been there and experienced that pain.
