Are you an employee facing a workplace situation such as: discrimination, sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, claims of poor performance, claims of impropriety, bullying, fear of termination, among others? Are you thinking about reaching out to HR for guidance? While this is not the wrong path to take, reaching out to HR comes with some caveats to keep in mind. For guidance on the best approach to reporting concerns to HR, schedule a consultation with Sheree Donath, Esq. at sheree@donathlaw.com.
I am frequently contacted and asked whether an employee should contact HR or if this is a waste of time.. Many employees who are faced with a work dilemma are torn about what steps they should take to stand up for themselves, obtain assistance and protect themselves at work. They are also worried about being retaliated against for reporting concerns to Human Resources (HR).
Employees are often told that HR is there to assist them should they have any issues that cannot be resolved directly with their manager, but most employees are torn about whether reporting their concerns will cause more harm than good even with the promises of no retaliation that the employee is provided by HR and in their company employee handbook.
The people who work in HR are employees like yourself. As such, just like you, they are also concerned about their jobs and how their actions can impact their livelihood. HR’s job is to assist you, but they must do so cautiously. Same as you, HR employees report to others and must take those actions that are expected in their role. There are some situations in which HR can assist an employee and that it is extremely important that the employee reach out to HR for intervention. There are other situations that HR cannot directly intervene and take any action(s) to obtain the final result that the employee may be looking to achieve.
If you are considering contacting HR, there are a number of factors to be considered. Amongst those factors are how to be heard, what are your looking to achieve and how to get your message across in the best possible way so that HR can intervene and take those steps necessary to resolve your concerns and quell your fears about retaliatory actions.
While not all companies have an HR department, the above worries are pertinent in all employment situations. Employees are not generally taught how to take actions or stand up for themselves, even if they do this in their daily job for others. It is different when it is personal to the person and most people feel insecure and scared because the stakes are high.
Donath Law, LLC can assist you in understanding your options, timing, and can guide you through the uncertainty you may be feeling. You are not alone. Don’t let your employer make you think you that you don’t have any options. There are paths that can be taken to modify your situation.
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