When Human Resources Does Nothing to Help

By Joseph Devine

Tensions and problems occur in all levels of businesses and institutions. The truth is, businesses and institutions rely on internal relations and communications in order to operate properly. It is the job of the Human Resources department to take care of any problems that may arise between individuals or between one individual and the business or institution.

Human Resources (HR)

The Human Resources (or HR) department, for the most part, strays from business related practices and concentrates on how work is performed by people within a company and how people relate to each other. They are also the number one department that employees count on when a dispute or problem arises within his or her department. An employee usually tries to speak with his or her boss about a situation, and when nothing comes of it, the HR department is the next place to go to in order to ensure that everything is taken care of and that an employee's and employer's needs are met.

Unfortunately, people who work in HR are still people and therefore still subject to working under their own boss and making biased decisions. If the supervisor of an HR member decides that a claim is outrageous and needs not be concerned, then the HR member is likely to listen to the supervisor. In some cases, employees have complained of a certain situation in the job place to HR and were fired or "laid off" not long after. Both these sorts of cases may grant an employee compensation in the court of law.

Employer Relations

Unless forced by an immediate supervisor, most of the time employee's complaints start at the bottom. They may confront their supervisor about a certain problem in the workplace. Problems can be anything, including complaints of sexual harassment, workplace safety, fraudulent activity, labor laws and worker rights, or compensation. If there is indeed a problem, the employer has an obligation to fix the problem and report any errors if he or she is required to.

Many times, an employer will not approach a subject with the care and attention it deserves and is therefore willing to chance going to court. If the problem an employee has is centered on the employer and he or she relays this concern to the employer, he or she should still be communicative and able to help. If he or she does nothing to change his or her actions and fails to report his or her actions to the Human Resources department or other supervisor, he or she may cost the company in court.

For more information on the obligations of Human Resources and your employer, contact the Houston employment lawyers of the Ross Law Group.