HR is not your friend or career consultant… the IEU is.
Ever visited your HR and asked for assistance only to feel like you are not on the same team – that the school suddenly becomes a priority and you are now battling them for your rights?
You are not alone – the IEU deals with HR/employee issues on a regular basis unfortunately.
That is why we want you, our members, to clearly understand that your Human Resources Department (HR) is not your friend or your career consultant.
If you read job websites such as Indeed, they describe a Human Resources Department (HR) as:
“Human resources is a department of a company responsible for supporting employees. They hire team members based on their skills, administer compensation and handle any employee-related issues. They’re also in charge of ensuring a company’s practices comply with applicable laws and protecting the company from liabilities. In order to encourage the safety and productivity of employees, HR representatives develop company policies and may implement employee programs and team-building activities. They perform largely administrative roles, maintaining employee records and ensuring a company has proper staff paperwork.”
There are 2 key statements in this quote that the IEU encounter regularly with school HR on behalf of its members – HR is:
- responsible for supporting employees [and]
- protecting the company from liabilities.
While employees may feel HR processes should right workplace wrongs, company leadership may think that HR is there to protect the organisation. HR can’t effectively do both for the same person – you.
“HR is responsible for supporting employees”
Employees often believe that HR exists to fix their problems, assisting with career progression or matters, managing workplace misconduct or workplace injury; and often expect them to advocate for them when they are in tricky situations.
WRONG! This is the role of the IEU – we assist members in all these situations, confidentially, before you approach your HR.
Inc. Magazine contributor, J.T. O’Donnell notes: “it’s best to talk to someone outside the company who has an extensive background in HR. Why? He or she can ask you all the questions you’ll get asked by your HR department and help you make sure you’re answering them correctly. Think of it like a court case. There’s a reason lawyers “prep” plaintiffs before they take the stand. Saying the wrong thing can discount your credibility and get your claim ignored. Or, even worse, turned around to make it look like you’re the troublemaker.”
But here is the problem – many members go to HR first, encounter issues and then come to the IEU when the matter has progressed. It is vital for your career and well-being to CONTACT THE IEU BEFORE you contact your HR.
For non-members of the IEU, they have no-one else to turn to when things go wrong at work. A trip to HR can feel like a safer option than bringing up an issue with a boss directly, and more proactive than complaining to trusted colleagues.
We get many calls for help to our office from non-members wanting to join, as their HR and school management are not on ‘the employee side’ and the employee’s career is literally in the balance—we cannot help non-members and we definitely cannot help new members with pre-existing issues.
“HR’s role includes protecting the company from liabilities”
HR Advisors have a tough job: balancing the desires of CEOs and Boards to achieve organisational objectives; managing risks and workplace liability; and then getting these messages to the right people at the right place and time.
Marvin Chege says: “HR is technically in place to support the needs of employees, but their bigger purpose is to keep employees happy and motivated so they remain good producers and keep strong loyalty to the company. Therefore, when an employee comes to HR with a negative claim or issue, HR’s first thought is, “How do I minimise the impact of this on the entire organisation?”
That often means the organisation comes first and the employee is now ‘on their own’.
Employees will lay bare details of experiences to an HR professional, “only to be shocked to discover that at the end of it, they are in a losing battle”, says Organisatinal Pyschologist Dr Gena Cox. Raising an issue could even rebound. “The minute you walk into HR, you have to decide, is this a big enough issue that I’m willing to risk the possibility of retribution.”
The answer is IEU membership – call us at the very first instance
We understand that you may encounter situations with students, colleagues or management that risk your livelihood—particularly if you stand up against injustice to your students, your colleagues or yourself. That includes fighting for better conditions and fair workload.
Importantly, we also understand that to do your job effectively, your employer should treat you with respect, professionalism and fairness.
Many of us in the IEU office (and Executive) are, or were, teachers. We are people like you. This makes the IEU your ideal support team, enabling you to focus on teaching.
Members should contact our office on 8410 0122 or enquiries@ieusa.org.au BEFORE you raise a matter with your HR.
Non-members should join the IEU today and get the support they deserve. You can be sure you won’t get the same support from your HR or school. https://ieusa.org.au/join-the-ieusa/
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/jt-odonnell/what-20-somethings-need-to-know-about-complaining-to-hr.html
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend
https://marvinchege10.medium.com/hr-is-not-your-friend-358847dee75a
https://www.hrmonline.com.au/section/legal/workplace-liability-hr-held-responsible/
