Human Resources has a mixed reputation. In pop culture, HR gets to be hero, or the office laughingstock. It’s a mixed bag. In real life, it’s often the HR team who gets saddled with everything, from personal liability over botched FMLA leave, corporate liability over genetic testing, and even dealing with lunch thieves. HR, in real life and in television, can only play the hand it is dealt, and sometimes, it’s quite a mess.
This week, we bring you stories of bosses behaving badly, from marketing ruining the employment brand and creating headaches for HR to bosses drinking out of employee water bottles and causing cold sores for employees and headaches for HR. Thank you HR, for dealing with all the headaches that come your way.
TLNT: What a bad boss can do to an employee’s health
Anxiety attacks, sleepless nights and constant fight-or-flight response are some of the possible side effects of bad bosses. How bad can a boss get? The stories are epic, and the movie “Bad Bosses” barely scratches the surface. Yelling, glowering, intimidation, manipulation—all of these are very real issues in the workplace for some. The employees are often unmotivated and dreading coming to work, but the repercussions can impact long-term health and well-being. And, guess whose desk the issues will fall on? That’s right—HR is called upon to vanquish the bad boss.
SHRM: Popular TV and films love to hate HR
Today, “The Office” brings tips on what not to do in HR. SHRM argues that the presence of HR in media shows the importance of the role. And, if you’ve watched “Mad Men”, you know why we need HR—SHRM’s got this one right.
Harvard Business Review: A Bad Reputation Costs a Company at Least 10% More Per Hire
Marketing can make your life more difficult. For those of you who are nodding your head, its effects may be more costly than you think. Your marketing, your brand, determines who your company is in the public arena. And, if your company has an image that is anti-women or anti-intellectual for example, your brand may be limiting your hiring pool in a harmful way. The HBR study tied a bad brand image to as much as a 10% increase in hiring costs.
NPR: Stop, Thief! When Colleagues Steal From the Office Fridge
Is it your job to police the fridge? Turns out, employees often go to HR with fridge theft when there’s nowhere else to go. If you found out your CEO was stealing food from the team, what would you do? To add your comments, please join us on Facebook.