The recent outpouring of complaints from women about mistreatment in the workplace illustrate the complicated role human resources departments play in harassment cases, The New York Times reports.
The complaints included numerous accounts of being ignored, stymied or retaliated against by human resources units—accounts that portray them as part of the problem, not the solution. The lack of trust manifests itself as a self-perpetuating quandary: Women are hesitant to approach human resources departments and those departments cite the absence of complaints as proof of a respectful workplace.
A 2016 study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that of all the options available to workers experiencing harassment the least common response of either men or women was to take some formal action.
Experts point to a several contributing factors. Human resources departments, while officially responsible for fielding employee complaints, also work for a company that faces potential liability—an inherent conflict of interest. And for some human resource officers, conducting an investigation into harassment allegations against a top executive or star performer can be hazardous to their own careers. The result can often be that human resources personnel are more inclined to suppress allegations than get to the bottom of them.
“Most H.R. people I interact with—and I’ve probably interacted with thousands—are pretty empathetic people,” says Joseph Beachboard, a lawyer who advises companies on dealing with harassment and discrimination allegations. “They want to resolve these disputes, but they’re stuck in this middle ground between are they kind of advocating for employees, or do they represent management.”
