HR and Manager Personal Relationship

[MizzIndependent]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MD

Question...

What can be done about our Human Resource Generalist and Manager having a personal relationship outside of work? Granted, since its outside of work, its their business, but they do not conduct themselves professionally on the job. Its clear they are together. A lot of the employees feel they cant go to the HR because they have in the past, and whatever they've told her in confidence, he's found out. Nothing is ever in confidence with her. If someone has complained about him, she's told him, and then he's made personal vendettas against them. A female was being sexually harassed by him, and was scared to go to the HR because she felt nothing was going to be done, so we had to report it to other means.

How can this be, when we cant report proper issues because they are pretty much swept under the rug because of the circumstances? Is there anything we can do?

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MD

Question...

What can be done about our Human Resource Generalist and Manager having a personal relationship outside of work? Granted, since its outside of work, its their business, but they do not conduct themselves professionally on the job. Its clear they are together. A lot of the employees feel they cant go to the HR because they have in the past, and whatever they've told her in confidence, he's found out. Nothing is ever in confidence with her. If someone has complained about him, she's told him, and then he's made personal vendettas against them. A female was being sexually harassed by him, and was scared to go to the HR because she felt nothing was going to be done, so we had to report it to other means.

How can this be, when we cant report proper issues because they are pretty much swept under the rug because of the circumstances? Is there anything we can do?

Not a darned thing.

It's not illegal.

If someone is being sexually harassed, they need to be taking it up with HR immediately.

 

[pattytx]

However, "pillow talk" is just damned unprofessional. Unless there is a valid business reason that she's telling this other person about issues brought before her, the complainant should take it up the chain. How do these people know that she has told him things she has no business reason to tell him?

 

[cbg]

And we all do understand, don't we, that HR cannot do their job if you tie their hands with "confidentiality", right? For example, how can they investigate a sexual harassment claim if they cannot discuss it with the alleged harasser, with upper management, and with any potential witnesses?

 

[pattytx]

Oh, I agree with cbg 100%. Just saying that there may be some things she is telling him she has no business reason to.

 

[cbg]

It may be. It also may be that he's just a jerk, and she's coming in for blame because they assume she's passing on information.

 

[pattytx]

It may be. It also may be that he's just a jerk, and she's coming in for blame because they assume she's passing on information.

That could be, too. Which is why I orginally asked, how do people KNOW that she is the one doing the pillow talking?

 

[MizzIndependent]

That could be, too. Which is why I orginally asked, how do people KNOW that she is the one doing the pillow talking?

we know its her because she's here when people go to her or things happen and he's not, then he hits them with "I saw this, or I saw that" knowing damn well he was NOT here to see this or to see that. It all stems from her.

 

[eerelations]

Still not illegal, though.

 

[cbg]

And of course, there is NO possibility at all that anyone else is saying anything, or that he's overhearing discussions in the elevator, or that he was within sight or hearing distance but no one noticed him.

Or even that she's discussing these issues as part of an investigation.

 

[Beth3]

It's not illegal for the HR manager to have a relationship with another manager; for obvious reasons it's not a good idea but it doesn't violate any laws. Same goes if she is discussing work related issues with him.

The only thing you/your co-workers can do is find some way to inform someone in more senior management about the relationship and apparent conflict of interest and see if they will bring the hammer down on the two of them but that's the extent of what you can do.