How Do You Handle Friendships at Work When HR Duties Cause Tension?

Right now, I am having a problem because I gave a memo to my colleagues who are actually my friends. However, they now have hard feelings towards me, and they don't talk to me anymore. I am just doing my job as an HR officer, and I don't issue memos without proper basis or reports. Do you have any advice for me?

P.S. The memo I issued may lead to their termination.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Rick Jason Fernandez

H.R. Officer

Dear Rick,

First and foremost, it is important to understand that the job of HR is often thankless, and we cannot let emotions drive our decisions. If a memo was deserved, it was given, and the matter should end there.

Secondly, whether it is HR or any other role, a manager must make decisions based on logic rather than emotions.

Ok...

DVD

Thank you for your suggestion. After receiving your advice, I crafted this letter to him:

"Be informed that no one is above our policy. I am tasked with implementing our policy with fairness, justice, and equality. This responsibility is delegated to any HR personnel authorized to deliver a memo signed by me to ensure full implementation of our policy without exceptions. However, if you are found not guilty, such a memo will be justified by your reasons and accepted during my clarification and investigative process, where all parties involved are given the chance to be heard and declared not guilty. A note will be added to the memo to clarify that the allegations contained within it do not confirm the derogatory act as alleged, thus rendering it void and non-impacting on your records."

Thank you.

Regards,
Rick Jason Fernandez

Hi, Rick,

I had a similar experience when I transitioned to the HR field years ago. However, I found a solution that I have been practicing successfully. My approach involves setting up a dedicated email account such as 'xxx-HR Notice' for HR notifications. This account is used to send email notices for employment terminations before HR engages with the employee in person. Feedback from employee surveys has indicated that individuals can recognize that the notice is from the organization rather than from an individual, even though we always include the key contact person's name at the bottom of the email.

Continuing with this method, we have established additional accounts like 'XXX-Employee Communication' and 'XXX-Social Club'. The rationale behind this is to guide our employees to understand that the message is from the organization as a whole, not from an individual. The organizational group is responsible, not any single person.

Thank you.