Is It Normal for an HR Manager to Discipline Employees Directly? Seeking Advice on Overreach

I am a mid-level manager in a small mom-and-pop company of about 50 employees. I manage approximately 20 of these employees in my division (the largest division in the company). The two owners (husband and wife) did double duty in handling what few HR issues we had and had always handled them very well. Two years ago, the owners decided to hire a full-time HR Manager.

This person quickly bullied the owners into implementing hundreds of policies (relevant or not) as if we were some Fortune 500 company. In the two years past, this person has now overrun the owners and now acts as though she runs the place, which brings me to my question:

This HR Manager is letting it be known to all other managers that if (just one example) they don't take her advice to write up or discipline their employees, she herself will do so. Correct me if I'm wrong, but do HR managers have the authority to directly write up or discipline an employee? Traditional HR, as I know it, says absolutely not.

Thanks for your replies in advance.

Regards, John Eiserman

It appears you have a hyperactive HR Manager who wants to get everything done her way. This is not in line with the typical HR role or functional requirement. She is able to have her way because the organization is pretty small and manageable. However, individuals with such characteristics will likely struggle to survive in the long run and may ultimately face their downfall.

Dear John Eiserman, most of the members of this forum are from India. For them, what you have written could be contrary to what happens in India. For the first time, I am seeing an assertive HR professional. The extent of assertion is so high that it has overshadowed the authority of the owners themselves! In contrast, in a large number of companies in India, HR professionals are docile and pushovers. Therefore, whether we, the members of this forum, will be able to give the correct solution to your problem is a point to moot.

Anyway, the solution will be given based on our common sense. Analysis of the problem is as below:

a) Owners of your store have swept off the HR Manager's feet. However, the sooner they regain their authority, the better. But then how to do that?

b) If you are a long-serving employee, then please tell the owners to convene a town hall meeting as early as possible. The probable cause of the HR Manager exercising her assertiveness is a lack of upward communication. You need to foster means to develop that.

c) What type of personality are you? Being an operations person and that too one who controls 40% of the manpower, you are expected to be a highly authoritative person. Right from the beginning, if you had kept HR under leash, this problem would not have come. Nevertheless, it is time for you to be assertive now.

d) What is your length of service? Do you have a high-level rapport with the owners? If not, start developing it.

e) The brand image of your store will depend on operational excellence. How do you measure the performance of your department? Can you introduce a few new measures?

f) Yes, discipline is absolutely important in any company. Discipline is a foundation for any organization. Nevertheless, we cannot just rest on the foundation; we have to build a superstructure also. This superstructure will be in the form of employee suggestions, innovations at the workplace, etc. Convince the owners that the sudden imposition of discipline could put off the staff, and they may not come up with new ideas. Therefore, they need to take into account the cost of lost opportunities also.

g) Policies are important, but then do policies foster bureaucracy in your company? If yes, then bring it to the notice of the owners.

Final Comments: HR function is a people function. HR is expected to motivate the people in the organization. HR is expected to be a person where employees can vent their feelings. Far from acting as a valve, if the HR starts suppressing the people, then it is high time to nip it in the bud. But then someone has to take the initiative to bring it to the notice of the owners. Otherwise, it could be too late for them and for you too!

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

HR Manager's Overreach and Its Impact

In this case, HR is allowed to go overboard by the owners who seem to be blissfully unaware of it or are ignoring it. It is very surprising that the HR policies steamrolled by the unconventional HR manager have not resulted in a strong reaction from employees. I am sure such a plethora of uncalled-for policies would have shown up in low productivity, dissatisfaction, and low morale of the staff.

In one word, the HR manager does not seem to know his job and is completely a misfit for the organization. The sooner he is separated, the better for the owner/organization.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant