The Case against HR

[sasguru]

sycophantic

On the other hand I like the word psychophantic. Suggests a whole population of murderous arse-lickers .

[KathyWoolfe]

On the other hand I like the word psychophantic. Suggests a whole population of murderous arse-lickers .

I agree, I think we should write to the OED and get them to change the spelling!

[NotAllThere]

Can you explain how this was possible?

Not really - I got a nice payout to keep quiet...

oh, ok. First of all, the boss set me up to fail on one project. It was clear from the start that it wouldn't meet the deadlines. I knew he was doing this, so I made sure that all communications with him where via email - confirming what he'd said, what the requirements were. And, when it became obvious that the timescales were impossible, informing him, making suggestions of ways round etc. etc.

Then we had an internal audit, and, what a surprise, one of my projects - just going into the testing phase - was selected. There were some initial findings, including a few that looked pretty critical - but later turned out to be negligible.

Then the boss pounced. He had a meeting with me and one of the partners from the consultancy we used. He said he'd bring in the partner, and put him into my position, with me supporting said partner. On the grounds that I'd blown the audit. I refused, pointing out that the partner was being paid for out of my budget. I terminated the meeting there and then by walking out.

This next bit happened twice: I sent my boss my account of what had happened in the meeting and setting out what he said would happen. He replied, saying my understanding was correct. I said it was unfair to spring such a meeting on me, as I'd not been given time to properly respond to the issues raised. So, he arranged another meeting. I presented my findings, and then he brought out a whole new raft of accusations.

All of this was nicely documented, and in the last email I sent him, I cc'd HR. They arranged a meeting, where I was offered a position in my department, instead of running it. I explained this was constructive dismissal. They said "no it isn't, you were promoted internally". I said "no I wasn't, I was recruited externally into the position". They said "oh smeg" - or something similar, once I had been rapidly expelled from the meeting room

A deal was struck. I had them over a barrel - bad publiclity, court case, oh what fun! And all documented and agreed to by my boss. Because he had screwed up so badly, he was jettisoned shortly before I left,

[DodgyAgent]

sycophantic

I dont get to use long words very often

[KathyWoolfe]

I dont get to use long words very often

Thats ok, I try not to get too obsessed about correct spellings but sometimes I just can't resist
- and as sasguru pointed out I think your spelling was inspired.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

From the FT online by Luke Johnson

.........

the backs of the productive workers. Other divisions that can become the enemy include IT, legal and marketing. They don’t sell or produce: they consume. They are the amorphous support services.

Whilst I agree with much of what this dude says about HR, the above is pure tulip, done right, marketing and IT are essential contributors, although employing contractors is clearly the best approach to IT - but to view IT purely as a resource drain is insanity. Now as for legal.......

Training advisers are employed to distract everyone from doing their job with pointless courses. Appraisal experts are contracted to critique staff relations. Experts are drafted in to devise an appropriate corporate social responsibility agenda – whatever that is.

Only the bad ones - I've learned some of the most useful stuff at work on courses.

Bosses who do a poor job can be as bad as workers:

No tulip, sherlock - tell us something we didn't know!

no one seems to accept blame for anything. Rose Gibb, chief executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Health Trust, received a £75,000 pay-off after at least 90 patients died from clostridium difficile in hospitals she ran. The message is: reward for catastrophic failure.

Indeed - the devil has some interesting news on this - apparently she's set up her own consultancy!

[Churchill]

Define IT!

The MIS department at our place are worse than useless, they screw-up on a daily if not weekly basis!

I'd outsource them tomorrow!

As for HR...

[AlfredJPruffock]

Indeed - the devil has some interesting news on this - apparently she's set up her own consultancy!

Dear PS, I'll gie ye some advice,
You'll tak it no uncivil:
You shouldna paint at angels man
But try and paint the devil.


To paint an Angel's kittle work,
Wi' Nick there's little danger: -
You'll easy draw a lang-kent face,
But no sae weel a stranger..

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Dear PS, I'll gie ye some advice,
You'll tak it no uncivil:
You shouldna paint at angels man
But try and paint the devil.


To paint an Angel's kittle work,
Wi' Nick there's little danger: -
You'll easy draw a lang-kent face,
But no sae weel a stranger..

OK - that looks like Rabby Burns to me - but what's his/your point (sorry am too dense to get it)