Advice needed:

Gladys

January 18,2023 at 4:55PM UTC

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Advice needed:

Following a mandatory company training, I reached out to HR rep-1 to discuss the bullying behavior of a manager I have had only one project inaction with. The presentation info encouraged us to say something if a witness or victim. HR rep-1 then reached out to this manager - her close colleague. An email response regarding a collaborative project and his behavior I received from the manager was scathing. He basically called me an idiot. I never heard from HR rep-1 again.

Two days ago, I needed clarification on company benefits info and another HR rep-2 referred me back to HR rep-1. She has not responded and most likely won’t. I’m a permanent part-time employee and have been for 3+ years. I’m kind, professional and detail-oriented. I have saved all email interactions.

Where should I turn next up the managerial hierarchy without sounding like a whiny employee? I just want benefits info, which should be provided by HR but, even as admitted by HR rep-2, is buried in the company website where one cannot find it unless guided.

Grrrrrr! Thanks in advance!

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AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 5:58PM UTC
Do you have an ethics and compliance department that you could contact.
GladysJanuary 18,2023 at 6:55PM UTC
Looking into that now. There doesn’t seem to be a Senior HR professional….
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 2:54PM UTC
HR exists to protect the company. They are never on the employee's side.
AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 7:15PM UTC
Similar situation years ago and HR did not handle the situation well and I was retaliated against - just like your situation. I was able to refuse working with the other manager. But that required my manager having my back.
AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 8:49PM UTC
Sadly in my decade+ experience in tech HR is there to protect leadership.
AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 1:39PM UTC
Unfortunately, the place to go for information regarding benefits is HR, and HR is not being responsive. Keeping your paper trail is potentially going to be a very positive move. Since you indicate that there is not a senior HR rep, you may want to reach out to HR rep-1 again, with a copy sent to HR rep-2 and your direct manager asking for the information by either attaching the pages in your personnel handbook or providing the URL on the company's website where you can find it.
Bonnie CoventryJanuary 19,2023 at 1:53PM UTC
Depending on the size of your company you may want to consider seeing your company has a dedicated Total Rewards/Benefit Dept. Or even reach out to LOA dept and once you have them on the line ask for the benefits contact. If your company has an intranet site go on there and search for the benefits dept. HR can be very minimal and can be very large. Do you have a new employee handbook that may help direct too. If your immediate manager isn't helpful go to their manager, sometimes copying the manager's manager will help with being directed with follow up. The structure can just vary cpy to cpy. Good luck.
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 1:30PM UTC
Remember HR's #1
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 3:07PM UTC
I am jaded, but here are my 2 cents:
These sorts of mandatory company trainings are for them to check a box that they have done this type of training. These training sessions are typically sourced from a third party vendor and the companies that use them just pass them along to staff so they can check the box.
HR is not there to help you.
I hope you learn from this experience. I think you put your finger in the fan on this one. Sorry that this sounds harsh, but if you've been in the workforce this long you should have picked up on this.
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 3:45PM UTC
Agree with the other who said HR is not for the employee they are not they just a check a box the information has been provided , when they say to let them know when you see bad behavior or are a victim of it, that’s a lie and was said purely to show they did it
I doubt you wil get any help or anything good actually it’s hard to come back from tis especially since they told the manager and the the rep 1 won’t even respond
see if you can find a colleague who has found the information for benefits they should be able to help you find it , your getting. The cold. Shoulder from HR they are most likely friends with the manager you complained about I’m sorry you had to go through this I learned this lesson about HR the hard way as well it sucks
Kristen ScanlonJanuary 20,2023 at 4:18PM UTC
It’s sad to me that HR is seen now as not helpful. I have worked hard in my organization to be supportive of staff. It’s a balance between the organization and staff, but I have been clear that poor behavior will be called out regardless of position. Otherwise, why have HR? Yes, protect the organization, and that includes managers who are bullying staff. That puts an organization at risk. Anyway….
I would reach out to HR rep 2 and ask if HR rep 1 was out on vacation or something since you have not heard back from them. Benefit information can be time sensitive so you really need that information. You can cc HR rep 2 on a follow up email to HR rep 1 if you’d rather go that route. Start the paper trail. It strengthens a case against them.
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 8:39PM UTC
I agree with this. Having been in HR for over a decade, I can say I have participated in having managers terminated, demoted, etc. HR always gets the blame for a toxic work environment, but it is not always able to be changed by those in HR. That does not mean all HR people are amazing, even I have worked with a couple who were not. However, if I was not able to do what was right, I left those companies for ones that did do right by their employees. Always blaming HR like in so many of the comments below and everyone saying HR is not there and does not care is sad to hear.
AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 4:40PM UTC
My honest suggestion? Put your resume together and find a new job. I was bullied at a job and when I went to her manager and HR, nothing happened. I then found out this co-worker was bad-mouthing me to one of our vendors. I went to my boss, her manager and HR again. Nothing happened. Two weeks later I was terminated. Apparently her contributions to the company out-weighed mine. I’m in a fantastic job now with supportive HR and managers. That bully at the old company? She’s someone else’s problem now.
GladysJanuary 26,2023 at 8:03PM UTC
Many thanks for the insightful advice provided. I appreciate each of YOU!