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Comment by reverend_gonzo | Hacker News Reader

Remember the following:

HR is not your friend. HRs duty is to the company. If what you need and what the company needs are on the same page, sure, HR is on your side, but if not, they will do whatever it is that benefits and protects the company.

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This seems to be a US thing. Worked in HR departments across several European countries. Obviously, HR’s duty is first and foremost to the company. It’s the same for everyone else in the company (to whom else should it be?! [1]). HR is chasing managers for policy adherence as much as it is chasing employees. At least in the companies I’ve seen, managers are typically even more so in the crosshairs of HR because they are supposed to enforce company policies at the frontline. Obviously, this breaks down if you talk about Board-level executives where the Supervisory Board will be involved more strongly.

If there are problems between employees and managers, HR should try to mitigate along company policy, where typically the first step would be to get the facts on the table.

Potentially this is lived more strongly in Europe, where employees have pretty powerful means after a dismissal to receive severance in case of any wrongdoing of the company

[1] and yes, it should be first to yourself but that’s the same for HR

I don't know, I worked for a large UK multinational and if you saw HR about then you generally knew someone was in trouble - their role appeared to be purely damage limitation.

On the plus side they took no interest in hiring.

This advice is about as useful as the also ever-present HN saying, “if you’re not paying for it, you’re the product”

In other words, entirely useless and just a derailment of the thread.

I disagree. This is a cautionary statement for other people in the same situation as the parent post - if your boss has it out for you, HR is unlikely to have your back. Polish your resume, get an offer somewhere else, be explicit in your exit interview and don't sign any NDAs.

I like the saying: "If you look around and don't see a price tag, it may be on the back of your head. Don't forget to bring a few mirrors or a trusted friend with you."

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