The Arsonist in the Office by Pete Havel

Author:Pete Havel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing
Published: 2019-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

HR IN TOXIC ORGANIZATIONS—POURING GASOLINE ON THE FIRE?

You just read what can happen when an HR department loses its way—or more appropriately, is perverted from any reasonable definition of what their role is supposed to be.

I have worked with numerous great HR departments and one that was corrupted beyond recognition.

HR departments reflect the top of the organization. In healthy organizations, that means the HR department joins with the company’s top leaders to help the enterprise soar to new heights. In toxic organizations, HR departments can help guide a company and its employees over a cliff in a number of different ways.

This chapter is not a “bash HR” rant. Far from it. In fact, many items within this chapter and throughout this book have been strengthened by leaders within the HR world. HR departments can do great things—if they’re empowered to do so. Or they can do some not so great things if they’re forced to do so. Especially if those things defy what a good HR function is supposed to do. Cultures and ethics matter, and people in HR departments are as affected by those things as much as anyone. We’re all human.

This book deals with toxic workplaces, and this chapter focuses on toxic HR departments. Nothing in this chapter, other than the basic descriptions of what traditional HR departments do and don’t do, deals with the way most companies or all HR departments operate. I am talking about what can happen if HR departments are forced to be part of a toxic team and the ability they have to spread toxicity like wildfire. As with any other high-pressure, unethical culture, normally good people can do some very destructive things. And some very destructive people, if placed in HR departments, can make their profession look bad.

Human resources departments are badly misunderstood and usually underutilized for the expertise they bring to personnel decisions and their understanding of workplace dynamics.

HR departments can greatly benefit all employees if they have a seat at the table when decisions are made. Or, as they are in many toxic companies, they sometimes are stuck watching from the sidelines when decisions are made and are brought in at the last minute to implement some very bad ideas.

No matter what type of culture you are in, the purpose of an HR department is not to protect you as an individual employee. I repeat, HR is not there to protect you. Instead, HR is there to serve a company’s goals as defined by management in a variety of ways, including processing payroll, hiring and firing, benefits, and keeping a company in compliance with federal state and local laws. Perhaps most importantly for those dealing with a toxic environment, HR plays a major role in minimizing legal and financial liability concerning any personnel matters.

What is not included in that list?

HR is not your priest, your buddy, or your lawyer. They are not required to keep discussions confidential. If you don’t want your thoughts—no matter how legitimate they are—discussed with

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