Why People Hate Human Resources (And Why Michael Hated Toby)
Associate Evan Gibbs is published in Above the Law for his biweekly column, “Why People Hate Human Resources (And Why Michael Hated Toby).” Gibbs discusses the common negative perceptions of HR, using the popular TV show The Office for illustration. He writes, “One of the main reasons Michael Scott and most people in corporate America aren’t fond of the HR department is because it’s often viewed as the department of ‘No.’ … I think the other reason HR professionals (and lawyers, too) are viewed negatively is because they’re sometimes thought of as the fun police. HR sometimes has to put the kibosh on things that may go too far and expose the company to risk (or be damaging to morale, etc.). The same thing that lawyers must frequently do.” He concludes, writing, “Overall, I think HR departments and lawyers get a bad rap since we’re just trying to do our jobs to mitigate risk and ensure compliance for the company or our clients. But I think good messaging can go a long way in helping our reputations and keeping us from becoming as reviled as Toby Flenderson.”