I help my employees all the time navigate their benefit issue; whether it is missing ID cards, problems at the pharmacy, claims being denied, etc.

Once I get them the info they need (Policy # or claim forms, etc) or help them with their issue, I always close with…."In my HR Benefit world – no news is good news". So, they know not to wait till it is a crisis, to let me know they are having a problem (very common among employees).

For no one calls HR to say "thanks for sending my ID card" or "thanks – my claim was processed with no issues".

Sadly, HR is usually notified when there is a problem. That is just the nature of the job. But I do find many of my employees didnt realize I could help them with some of their issues with the providers. So, always glad to help them out, when I can.

LOVE your column!!!

They need to understand that everyone is not glad to see them when they show up because they are in HR. Respect comes from your client groups because they feel you understand their issues and will try to help.

Key and critical. Help management remove those thorns that they find in their respective "paws". Don't become another thorn.

EHRL, I figured you of all peeps would support it because it's just the right thing to do.

… actually, this is where most HR people really fail to get it.

Most people are decidedly *not* replaceable. Feeding that myth, even entertaining it lightly, is a deeply dangerous thing to do.

People tend to have institutional knowledge that, when it walks out the door, has tremendous costs to replace.

Lets be real. Some people *need to go* (e.g. the incompetent, the lazy, the *complacent and just watching the clock*). Others need to be retained – and HR needs to make sure things never get to the point where that retention is ever really a question. If HR is ever to be more than a euphemism for the "person-risk management department", it needs to get beyond the "people as cogs" mindset.

I love the concept of having a "yes" minded culture rather than a "no" minded culture. But, I'm a big ROWE person myself. (Results Oriented Work Environment)

The other kind see their job as controlling people. These are the "evil" HR people – they micromanage, they put out blanket rules with no understanding of individual needs or specific business challenges. Their default answer to everything (except to the boss) is no.

I don't think the difference between the former and the latter is communication. It's almost a personality trait, and I don't think it can be easily changed.

Of course, most people think they are good, and most people thing they are in the first camp. But they are not. Ask yourself this question: if an employee comes with a request, say "can I work different hours", what is your first internal thought? "OMG what if everybody wants to work 2-10pm" or is it "What would need to be done to allow this employee to work these hours"? Is it all the reasons why this cannot be allowed, or all the ways you could explore that would allow it?

There are some HR folks out there that seem to want the power and control of doing everything their way because they know the "right way". I am proud that our managers are confident having these conversations and involve us as a partner and ask for help when they need it.

If more HR departments operated this way, we would be much more highly respected as professionals and partners.