Employers: Cease Relying on HR for as Neutral Conflict Resolvers – It’s a Lawsuit Waiting to Happen
Employers should reconsider relying solely on their Human Resource (HR) departments as conflict resolvers. While, in most instances, HR does not hold a suitable title to help identify their duties that partake as neutral, they find themselves taking on such duties whether they volunteer to do so, or not. Most companies garner expectations around HR being able to leverage their responsibility to help balance the risk that may be foreseeable or non-foreseeable. However, HR professionals may not possess the requisite expertise or training in conflict resolution.
HR acts as an operational and administrative pillar within your company and in no way are they experienced to resolve conflicting matters between employees. While HR departments play a vital role in managing various aspects of employee relations, including conflicts, expecting them to navigate complex interpersonal disputes without specialized training can be counterproductive.
Conflict resolution requires nuanced understanding, active listening, and impartial mediation skills, which are often beyond the scope of HR’s primary responsibilities. HR can subconsciously create self-inflicted biases solely based on the position that they are in within the company. Should a toxic manager whose focus is to fire an employee based on the fact that they do not like them or false merits, it shows that HR tends to take the side of the hierarchy positioned employee. This can cause an unbalanced perspective that fuels misunderstanding.
Furthermore, placing HR in the position of conflict resolver may inadvertently create perceptions of bias or favoritism, undermining trust and exacerbating tensions within the organization. Employers should invest in professional conflict resolution training or seek external expertise to ensure that conflicts are addressed effectively and impartially, fostering a healthier and more harmonious work environment.
Long story short, DON’T DO IT!
Author: The Impartial Lab. (M.TIL)
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