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Should HR be allowed an opinion...!?

Emma

Hi All,

As a bit of background, I've been working in HR for over 10 years.  My current role is stand alone, with responsibility for c.50 employee in UK.  This my first "manager" position, also my first time working with Americans - We have an American parent company.  My manager, and all of the C level are American and based in USA.

I'm really struggling with this role (been here 2 years) as I feel like I'm constantly battling the US senior team on UK employment laws.  To be fair my boss is great, and he gets it - but I feel like the rest of the US team don't take me seriously.  I have a good relationships with the UK managers - but ultimately they are not allowed to make their own decisions.  Also, feedback I have had recently via my boss is that the US c level believe I'm too much "team employee" rather than "team company".

UK managers aren't allowed to make their own decisions, we often have performance and disciplinary processes enforced on us by the US.  I do try to outline the risks of certain actions objectively on a case by case basis, but ultimately I if I'm honest disagree with 70% of the decisions.  Am I supposed to just keep quiet, or should I be challenging more?

I enjoy my role here - and don't want to quit (I would feel like I've surrendered!).  I guess what I'm looking for in this post is an answer to the question - am I just being naïve and is HR solely supposed to be team company - no questions asked...…….?

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  • Yes HR is Team Company - ultimately they pay us and we are employed to design the people architecture to deliver the business objectives. But certainly not "no questions asked" - our role is to ask the difficult people questions (and often the non people ones as well) and ensure that all decisions that impact on our arena have been as far as possible well thought through and are balanced and thoughtful.

    It doesnt always happen and sometimes organisations balance other things over and above the people agenda and in those cases we have to make the best job out of a bad lot. In these cases its also important about how you challenge and how you put a case for a UK centric way of doing things - building up a clear picture that you get that you are on "the team" and working for the common good.

    Not all American companies operate in the way you describe, mine doesn't for one and as a UK management team we have wide autonomy to make the decisions we need to run our business - but within corporate guidelines. You are a relatively small business unit and its likely the Senior UK Managers are "relatively" junior to the C suite and therefore controlled more than many.

    Its sounds to me a little like this probably isnt the culture for you. When ever people start talking as staying so they dont surrender it rings loud and clear alarm bells for me
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  • Yes HR is Team Company - ultimately they pay us and we are employed to design the people architecture to deliver the business objectives. But certainly not "no questions asked" - our role is to ask the difficult people questions (and often the non people ones as well) and ensure that all decisions that impact on our arena have been as far as possible well thought through and are balanced and thoughtful.

    It doesnt always happen and sometimes organisations balance other things over and above the people agenda and in those cases we have to make the best job out of a bad lot. In these cases its also important about how you challenge and how you put a case for a UK centric way of doing things - building up a clear picture that you get that you are on "the team" and working for the common good.

    Not all American companies operate in the way you describe, mine doesn't for one and as a UK management team we have wide autonomy to make the decisions we need to run our business - but within corporate guidelines. You are a relatively small business unit and its likely the Senior UK Managers are "relatively" junior to the C suite and therefore controlled more than many.

    Its sounds to me a little like this probably isnt the culture for you. When ever people start talking as staying so they dont surrender it rings loud and clear alarm bells for me
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