HR is the owner?
luvit137
1 Post
Anybody able to tell me if it is against the law in NJ for HR to also be the bosses wife? I thought HR was for the workers but in my company being as though HR is the bosses wife she makes sure everything is handled in there best interest, which subjects us to a lot of unfair treatment.
Comments
No, it is not against any laws. Unfortunately, there is nothing to
say that HR has to work in the employee's best interests. Those in HR
get paid by the same owner that you do. You are not the one
paying her salary.
If you want that, you need to look into
starting a union. And even then, that is not guaranteed to 100%
be in the employee's best interest because they must negotiate to get
what they really want and that usually means negotiation and compromise
on both sides of the table. Neither walks away 100% satisfied.
The
law doesn't require "fair treatment". It does require certain
nondiscrimation, non-harassment behavior. Past that, the owners have
the rights to run the company as they see fit and the employees have
the right to get another job from someone else.
Anybody able to tell me if it is against the law in NJ for HR to also be the bosses wife? I thought HR was for the workers but in my company being as though HR is the bosses wife she makes sure everything is handled in there best interest, which subjects us to a lot of unfair treatment.
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There are a lot of different ideas about what HR is, even within the HR profession. Even certain companies that advertise that their conception of HR is there to champion employee interests to management, that's not really what they want. I recall the story of a friend who set herself up to interview as an advocate for employee interests in her interview with a major soft drink company that publicly stated that this is what they wanted out of HR. After excluding her from second round interviewing, she was told that it was because they didn't really want employee advocates in HR.
Just out of curiosity, what does your company do and is it publicly traded?
I have always said that those in HR walk a very fine line. We are there to look out for the best interest of the company, but also put a human side to some of the policies and procedures that companies want to implement. Numerous times over the years I have sat at the table and said "come on, put yourself in their shoes, would you want that to happen to you (or would you want to have to do that?)"
The issue within business today is that there may be a law that says an employer can do something but if an employee doesn't like it, gets an attorney and has a sympathetic jury/judge, the employers reputation can get slashed through the mud (not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars it may cost to defend themselves). We have to think of these things when we make decisions. That is why numerous times on this BB you will see the comment, check with your attorney before you precede with this issue.
Hey, there is a misconception that HR is like a nice old grandma who employees can run to "kiss it and make it all better" whenever there is a problem with management, when it is really how IT HR just described it; HR is there to administer policies, procedures, and benefits--hopefully in a sensitive manner.
And there is also a misconception that in a family-owned company, it's always "them" (the family) versus "us" (employees) because the employees know that the family gets the profits. But who is better to watch the cookie jar than the owner's wife (who may be a trained HR professional)?
Think our blogger would be happier in a job with a larger corporation owned by stockholders or a government agency.
What is the role of the Production Manager? It is to manage production in a way that will bring profit to the company. What is the role of the Shipping Manager? To manage shipments in a way that will bring profit to the company.
Same thing: the role of the Human Resource Manager is to manage human resources in a way that will bring profit to the company. That doesn't mean that the HR manager is for or against the workers. But it does mean that the HR Manager has to balance what is legally required, what is legally not allowed, how to best protect the company against frivolous law suits, and how to best motivate workers so that they are productive all the while making sure that the company is not losing money.
LadyAnn: that was perfect.
The only potential for trouble I see here is if the company is publicly traded and there is something that seriously violates shareholder interests (SOX) or there is actual tortfeasance (civil liability) or illegal activity (civil and/or criminal liability) going on. My guess is that it's not publicly traded and therefore there is no legal remedy for the reported (but not detailed) problems unless those problems are themselves caused by illegal or high-risk activity on the part of the company..