Monday's Opening Thought: October 11, 2021
This week's opening thought: I know that many of y'all do not trust Human Resources. You don't trust the HR folx who work for your employer. You've witnessed them gaslighting people. You've watched, powerless, as they harm people of color and marginalized folx, either directly or through defending those who aim to hurt them with aplomb. You've seen them do and say harmful, racist, sexist, patriarchal, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, ableist, ageist, and do it all behind a veil of being a decent and "well-meaning" person. If you're a person of color, you've likely been on the receiving end of these words and actions. Same for if you're part of a marginalized community. And don't get me started on how most HR "professionals" view those with intersectional identities and handle matters connected to intersectionality and oppression. I want to say that I get it.
I get why you don't trust HR or even have a little bit of faith in HR having your best interests at heart. I know you wonder how much they care about you if they seem to be unwilling to mitigate your possible harm at the hands of oppression and white supremacy in the workplace. And because I get it, I want to say…that you are justified in your beliefs and gut instincts. Your experiences with HR are authentic and valid. Real talk?
You shouldn't trust HR.
Hell, I work in HR, and I don't trust the HR people I work with to mitigate the racism, microaggressions, and harm being done to me, let alone anyone else. And for me, much of the oppression and white supremacy I find myself on the receiving end of is being done to me or witnessed by me being done to others by other HR "professionals."
You didn't think I was going to tell you that you should trust HR, did you? C'mon. I would hope you'd expect more from me than that. I can't in good conscience advise y'all to do something that I wouldn't do. I'm sure that many of you reading this have found HR to be more harmful than helpful when you've found yourself being attacked and mistreated in the workplace because of your intersectional identities. If HR folx – those that I've worked with in the past as well as those I currently work with - aren't willing to support and believe me, their token Black "colleague," against the words and actions of white supremacists and oppressors at work, they are not going to be here for you either.
The best advice I can give you is to learn and understand your rights as an employee. Take the time to bone up on labor laws in your state. Attend trainings and seminars around labor law updates. Find out which agencies and labor bureaus in your region, city, or state you can go to for help if you've been facing discrimination, oppression, and racism in your workplace and have been gaslit or denied support by HR. File a complaint with those agencies and take action when you've gotten to the point where you can't endure being harmed at work any longer. Research labor lawyers in your area and file a lawsuit if needed. But don't suddenly think that HR is going to finally decide to help you on your umpteenth time coming to them for help with your white teammates saying and doing racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, and ableist things to you and others. HR ain't here for you. They are here to tow the company line first and mitigate white people's discomfort with facing repercussions for their hateful actions second.
You shouldn't trust HR because they have not shown you that they are willing and capable of centering your humanity over the company's interest and the comfort of white people and people of color with privilege. And that slice of reality is something you can trust.