Jumping to conclusions
One thing I learnt over many years working in Human Resources is this:
Never jump to conclusions.
It's easy to do. We all do it from time to time.
Managers would sometimes come into my office frustrated with an employee.
"They're always away on Mondays."
"They're constantly taking sick leave."
"They're letting the team down."
Then we'd look at the attendance reports.
Quite often, the facts didn't support what people believed. They weren't away every Monday at all. It just felt that way because those were the absences everyone remembered.
It was a good reminder that our opinions should be backed up by evidence, not assumptions.
On another occasion, we'd reached the point where we thought an employee's attendance had become unacceptable. There had been warnings, frustration and difficult conversations. The meeting was expected to be the final one.
Then we listened.
The employee shared that they had been dealing with serious health issues—something they hadn't felt comfortable discussing previously.
The conversation changed completely.
Instead of talking about ending someone's employment, we started talking about how we could support them while still meeting the needs of the business.
Then there are times when the opposite happens.
A long-serving employee, who held a key role in the organisation, arrived at work after attending a funeral. It was a Friday evening and, from all appearances, they seemed to think they could quietly get through the shift without attracting attention after most of the office staff had gone home.
Unfortunately, they were clearly under the influence of alcohol.
There was no way they could work.
We arranged a taxi to take them home safely.
A few days later they returned with union representatives, who argued that the incident shouldn't remain on their employment record.
My response was simple.
"There is never a time to come to work under the influence of alcohol."
They received a first and final warning, but they also kept their job.
Some people may have thought that was too lenient.
I didn't.
The risk to safety was serious, but so was recognising that one poor decision didn't necessarily erase an otherwise long and committed career.
Then there was another experience that has stayed with me.
I was asked to attend a meeting where one employee was being confronted by several people. As the meeting went on, I became increasingly uncomfortable. The employee was visibly distressed and eventually ran from the room in tears.
I followed to make sure they were okay.
Later, I was called into my manager's office and told that I should never have gone after them.
I remember saying,
"I'm not here to gang up on employees. I'm here to do the right thing."
That has stayed with me throughout my career.
People often say that HR is there to protect the employer.
Yes, HR has an important responsibility to the organisation. Policies matter. Performance matters. Safety matters.
But I also believe good HR listens before judging, looks for the facts before making decisions, and remembers that every employee is a human being first.
That doesn't mean avoiding difficult conversations or overlooking poor behaviour.
Sometimes the right decision is to support someone.
Sometimes the right decision is to hold them accountable.
The challenge is knowing the difference.
I've worked with people whose values and mine didn't always align. I also understand that many people have mortgages, children and responsibilities that make speaking up difficult.
For me, though, I always wanted to be able to look back and know I'd acted with integrity. If I ever found myself in an organisation where my values no longer aligned with the way people were treated, I knew it was probably time for me to find a different place to work.
Looking back now, I don't think the best HR professionals are the ones who simply follow the rule book.
I think they're the ones who have the courage to ask one more question, listen to one more answer, and remember that behind every workplace issue is a person with a story.
Because sometimes...
the story changes everything.
