Dear Friends,
I want your valuable inputs to understand how do I/We handle impossible HR Head.
I have been working in this organization (13+ year old organization with 10K+ Employees) for more than 5 years. The company had its best and also its worst times ever, finally we have come out and we are stable. With the best and the worst times one thing has been very consistent HR Head's impossible policies.
HR department works in its own time, as if they are in different universe than ours.
1. Office on Saturdays: He says there is some serious norm in Labor laws of India which prevents us from not having office on Saturdays. So we are subjected to 4 hours of office on Saturdays, which is absolute waste of time as we are a Head Office and most of everyone's work is related to the senior management, who are never present on Saturdays. After long fight with HR, we could get 2 non-working Saturdays (2nd & 4th) but we still have to work for the rest of 2/3 Saturdays, with is completely absurd. On top of all this, he speaks like everyone in India works on Saturdays.
2. Bio-metric Attendance/Overtime: A very good initiative to register attendance but the policy is flawed, many departments work till late nights/early mornings but they do not get any overtime compensation, the very next day they cannot come even 1 minute late else it will sum-up to salary cut.
3. Appraisals take time for few departments (always): Appraisals are taken every 6 months but the result of appraisals can only be seen after 6-9 months later. HR speaks about so many policies, processes and how all departments should follow it for fair and proper functionality of the company but they do not fall in this bracket, they will take their own appraisals-are-like-pregnancy time.
4. Biased to departments: HR is very specifically biased towards few departments, labeling them as "you are not a department, you are a support function", with this they treat us as 2nd/3rd grade employees.
5. The dance of Bell Curve: Irrespective of how employees work and rated in appraisals, they have to be normalized with bell curve. As they are biased to few departments, they make sure they always normalize to these departments whereas the other departments are not subjected to any such treatment.
6. Salary disparity: There is so much salary disparity in the company that its unbelievable to even listen/read about it. The freshers who join the company/department have more salary than a 4 year old employee in the same department with the absolutely same/lower role. They had so much disparity that when Labor department announced minimum wage for the state, they had to increase salary of at least 6000 people. There are so many people who are more working for more than 5-8 years in the company and with big titles but have less salary than the people who work under them.
And every time someone in the company want to complain this to the HR, they just don't listen.
There is also a HR grievance Hot-line, which many people call and complain but there is no response, after some inquiry we happen to know that no issues are taken to HR head.
After all this, many of us even went to speak to HR Head, and the way he speaks puzzles anyone in the world. The first thing he uses is lies, says that the onus is not on him as the currently spoken issue is pending with either some other department head or with the management or with the CEO or with the board members. The next thing in the line is, "Only you have the problem, but everyone are happy with this" situation where he make anyone fell as if we see the problem as problem which no one does so we also have to rename the "problem" to "normal situation". The another punch he gives to everyone is, "if you don't like it then resign... no one is stopping you". This is one of the worst things, people really did resign, but their managers fought with HR to keep them, but HR forced them to leave the company but verbal blackmail like "if you stay back, you will never get good appraisals", etc.
I know, after reading this, even you are thinking why am I complaining and why I am not leaving the company. Well the company had been through very good and very bad times and I have a substantial contribution (I was top performer for more than 80% of my appraisals) towards the company also my manager is very good who lets me grow in experience, in role, in knowledge, etc. but due to HR there is no growth in salary or designation. And everything contributes to the HR Head.
So please friends, advise on what can be done? Should I complain to Labor Department? Should I go to Media? I am very confused.
From India, Delhi
I want your valuable inputs to understand how do I/We handle impossible HR Head.
I have been working in this organization (13+ year old organization with 10K+ Employees) for more than 5 years. The company had its best and also its worst times ever, finally we have come out and we are stable. With the best and the worst times one thing has been very consistent HR Head's impossible policies.
HR department works in its own time, as if they are in different universe than ours.
1. Office on Saturdays: He says there is some serious norm in Labor laws of India which prevents us from not having office on Saturdays. So we are subjected to 4 hours of office on Saturdays, which is absolute waste of time as we are a Head Office and most of everyone's work is related to the senior management, who are never present on Saturdays. After long fight with HR, we could get 2 non-working Saturdays (2nd & 4th) but we still have to work for the rest of 2/3 Saturdays, with is completely absurd. On top of all this, he speaks like everyone in India works on Saturdays.
2. Bio-metric Attendance/Overtime: A very good initiative to register attendance but the policy is flawed, many departments work till late nights/early mornings but they do not get any overtime compensation, the very next day they cannot come even 1 minute late else it will sum-up to salary cut.
3. Appraisals take time for few departments (always): Appraisals are taken every 6 months but the result of appraisals can only be seen after 6-9 months later. HR speaks about so many policies, processes and how all departments should follow it for fair and proper functionality of the company but they do not fall in this bracket, they will take their own appraisals-are-like-pregnancy time.
4. Biased to departments: HR is very specifically biased towards few departments, labeling them as "you are not a department, you are a support function", with this they treat us as 2nd/3rd grade employees.
5. The dance of Bell Curve: Irrespective of how employees work and rated in appraisals, they have to be normalized with bell curve. As they are biased to few departments, they make sure they always normalize to these departments whereas the other departments are not subjected to any such treatment.
6. Salary disparity: There is so much salary disparity in the company that its unbelievable to even listen/read about it. The freshers who join the company/department have more salary than a 4 year old employee in the same department with the absolutely same/lower role. They had so much disparity that when Labor department announced minimum wage for the state, they had to increase salary of at least 6000 people. There are so many people who are more working for more than 5-8 years in the company and with big titles but have less salary than the people who work under them.
And every time someone in the company want to complain this to the HR, they just don't listen.
There is also a HR grievance Hot-line, which many people call and complain but there is no response, after some inquiry we happen to know that no issues are taken to HR head.
After all this, many of us even went to speak to HR Head, and the way he speaks puzzles anyone in the world. The first thing he uses is lies, says that the onus is not on him as the currently spoken issue is pending with either some other department head or with the management or with the CEO or with the board members. The next thing in the line is, "Only you have the problem, but everyone are happy with this" situation where he make anyone fell as if we see the problem as problem which no one does so we also have to rename the "problem" to "normal situation". The another punch he gives to everyone is, "if you don't like it then resign... no one is stopping you". This is one of the worst things, people really did resign, but their managers fought with HR to keep them, but HR forced them to leave the company but verbal blackmail like "if you stay back, you will never get good appraisals", etc.
I know, after reading this, even you are thinking why am I complaining and why I am not leaving the company. Well the company had been through very good and very bad times and I have a substantial contribution (I was top performer for more than 80% of my appraisals) towards the company also my manager is very good who lets me grow in experience, in role, in knowledge, etc. but due to HR there is no growth in salary or designation. And everything contributes to the HR Head.
So please friends, advise on what can be done? Should I complain to Labor Department? Should I go to Media? I am very confused.
From India, Delhi
Dear Slax,
On the one side there is a long list of complaints against HR Head yet on the another wide you have continued in this company for more than five years and you have given very good performance as well. Now whether to continue to discontinue in this company is your call.
In your list there are few labour related issues and few HR issues. You may make a complaint to Labour Officer for labour issues. However, for this you will have to disclose your name and the complaint will not be against the HR Head as such but the company itself. Therefore, your complaint will rub top officials of your company in a wrong way. Are you prepared for that?
As a via media, you may send letter the MD and other Directors of your company. This letter can be anonymous. Going further, covertly try to record the voice of HR when he speaks in group. Send the audio file to along with this letter. Wait for some time to check whether any change happens.
Last but not the least why not to create fictitious account on the social forums like these and divulge the name of the company? Social media is a double edged sword. Benefit of being in 21st century is the social media. It has given voice to every single individual. Unless people are not made aware, how these people will improve? Social media is not just actual media to unravel wrongdoings of the politicians but it is for corporate also. Avail of the benefits.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
7883On the one side there is a long list of complaints against HR Head yet on the another wide you have continued in this company for more than five years and you have given very good performance as well. Now whether to continue to discontinue in this company is your call.
In your list there are few labour related issues and few HR issues. You may make a complaint to Labour Officer for labour issues. However, for this you will have to disclose your name and the complaint will not be against the HR Head as such but the company itself. Therefore, your complaint will rub top officials of your company in a wrong way. Are you prepared for that?
As a via media, you may send letter the MD and other Directors of your company. This letter can be anonymous. Going further, covertly try to record the voice of HR when he speaks in group. Send the audio file to along with this letter. Wait for some time to check whether any change happens.
Last but not the least why not to create fictitious account on the social forums like these and divulge the name of the company? Social media is a double edged sword. Benefit of being in 21st century is the social media. It has given voice to every single individual. Unless people are not made aware, how these people will improve? Social media is not just actual media to unravel wrongdoings of the politicians but it is for corporate also. Avail of the benefits.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
If you are not the only complainant and there are many others having similar complaints against the Head HR, who stops you from meeting your CEO individually (through your Deptt Head) or even collectively. At least you can initiate a mail to your CEO listing out your genuine grievances. You don't have to be anonymous if you can support your grievances with proofs. Please note that proposing a solution for each grievance will make your CEO more receptive. And if you complaint is signed by many employees across the departments, it may surely carry more weight.
How intelligently & meaningfully you approach the problem shall be governed by your style, but your intent should be to improve the work culture in your company which, probably, is subjective & based on the whims & fancies of your Head HR. You may give suggestions which introduce transparency & efficiency in the deployment of HR processes. As an example, if HR is managed on line & the CEO has a dashboard which gives live status of all key processes (such as: tracking progress on completion of Appraisals or time-bound management by HR of employees complaints & grievances),this may be counted as a positive suggestion. Remember, any complaint worded in the form of workable suggestions create a positive impact and are listened to by the management as progressive inputs.
Dinesh as an expert has already given you some valuable suggestions and I tend to agree with him.
From India, Delhi
How intelligently & meaningfully you approach the problem shall be governed by your style, but your intent should be to improve the work culture in your company which, probably, is subjective & based on the whims & fancies of your Head HR. You may give suggestions which introduce transparency & efficiency in the deployment of HR processes. As an example, if HR is managed on line & the CEO has a dashboard which gives live status of all key processes (such as: tracking progress on completion of Appraisals or time-bound management by HR of employees complaints & grievances),this may be counted as a positive suggestion. Remember, any complaint worded in the form of workable suggestions create a positive impact and are listened to by the management as progressive inputs.
Dinesh as an expert has already given you some valuable suggestions and I tend to agree with him.
From India, Delhi
Dear Slax
Actually your input here in this forum should have been read by the CEO/MD and other Directors of the Organization.If what you have mentioned is correct and many other employees are also having the same view, then it is a very serious issue and if the top management is not aware about it, then it is better to find another organization to work with.
From India, Delhi
Actually your input here in this forum should have been read by the CEO/MD and other Directors of the Organization.If what you have mentioned is correct and many other employees are also having the same view, then it is a very serious issue and if the top management is not aware about it, then it is better to find another organization to work with.
From India, Delhi
Thanks Divekar, Bhatia & Agrawal for your replies
I agree that if I/we reach out to labor department there will be some ripples in many aspects, I will surely look into filing complaint but not before communicating with our Management. An anonymous letter is a good idea, will draft one soon to the management. Very good point regarding social media as a double edged sword, but right now it is not a good move for the company as it is about to bag a very prestigious project and going public will hurt the company badly.
I/We stood with the company in its worst times, I/We survived the storm and also performed very well. The company is now coming back into form with a new level of elevation in our sector, and at this point when my and my fellow colleague's hard work is paying off in bringing the company from the dead, Why should I/We leave the company? Even if I/We want to leave the company, we will take what we worked hard for.
Our HR Head is closely wrapped with the CEO, I guess he feeds his brain with stories regarding us and how we are overjoyed to our lack of raise/appraisals. And that's how he/HR department gets his/their appraisals. I have to be very strategic to convey the message to our CEO or maybe think about connecting with our Board members.
I am still not clear on my strategy forward. :|
From India, Delhi
I agree that if I/we reach out to labor department there will be some ripples in many aspects, I will surely look into filing complaint but not before communicating with our Management. An anonymous letter is a good idea, will draft one soon to the management. Very good point regarding social media as a double edged sword, but right now it is not a good move for the company as it is about to bag a very prestigious project and going public will hurt the company badly.
I/We stood with the company in its worst times, I/We survived the storm and also performed very well. The company is now coming back into form with a new level of elevation in our sector, and at this point when my and my fellow colleague's hard work is paying off in bringing the company from the dead, Why should I/We leave the company? Even if I/We want to leave the company, we will take what we worked hard for.
Our HR Head is closely wrapped with the CEO, I guess he feeds his brain with stories regarding us and how we are overjoyed to our lack of raise/appraisals. And that's how he/HR department gets his/their appraisals. I have to be very strategic to convey the message to our CEO or maybe think about connecting with our Board members.
I am still not clear on my strategy forward. :|
From India, Delhi
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