86% of workers said they are afraid of HR representatives, new report finds
90% of employees said that their concerns weren’t adequately addressed after reporting them to HR.
While HR teams are meant to offer their employees support and assistance, they are frequently a source of anxiety and mistrust in the modern workplace. A new report shared by MyPerfectResume found that 86% of workers are afraid of HR representatives.
According to the report, employees’ fear of HR greatly impacted their willingness to discuss work-related issues. Eighty-five percent of workers said they hesitated to approach HR, citing concerns such as a doubt of confidentiality or a fear of repercussions. A large majority – 71% – also believe that HR departments are too involved in office politics.
Many employees agreed that they lack confidence in their HR teams. The report found that 37% of employees felt HR was both unapproachable and ineffective. Oftentimes, workers choose to take matters into their own hands as 31% said they’d prefer to resolve issues on their own or with their manager’s help. Nearly a quarter said they were reluctant to collaborate with HR due to uncertainty surrounding their response.
Beyond the uncertainty and distrust in HR, negative perceptions prevent employees from opening up to HR. The report found that 68% of workers feel that HR focuses more on procedures than people and 67% agree it’s hard to get a timely answer from HR.
Read more: What benefits do employees want in 2024? HR leaders are listening
A majority of the employees surveyed shared personal experiences where HR failed to address their expectations or needs. Overall, 90% of employees said that their concerns weren’t adequately addressed after reporting them to HR. Forty-seven percent of employees said their needs had not been met in one instance, however 43% said they felt their needs weren’t met by HR on multiple occasions.
In response, the report recommends that HR teams critically evaluate and improve their practices – implementing strategies to ensure they meet their employees’ needs when it comes to confidentiality, security, support, and efficiency. Also always important is the promotion of a positive work culture and building healthy relationships.