A head of human resources issued a memo outlining how employees should use the rest room. Is that what HR thinks is important?
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Should HR Dictate Bathroom Behavior?
10 thoughts on “Should HR Dictate Bathroom Behavior?”
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I support this article. I am an HR professional with over 8 years experience in the field and still this is an issue for me. I work in a 200 FTEs multinational company where most employees are University graduates and people are still coming to me to complain about toilets, issue driving me crazy. I would issue such a memo in my company. People have great discipline issues most of the times and bathrooms are places where they can’t be controlled and guided so that’s where their true nature comes out. I am tired of people complaining that the toilets are dirty, clogged, people even have problems in using soap and water. So I support such a memo, even it may seem like a waste of time, it’s a way to correct education problems that people have from home.
Making people aware about the situation and educate them on right things can be the job of HR. People behave strange sometimes and it comes at the tabel of HR. This is the temption to HR to issue such memos.
It’s only the job of HR if that HR department wants to be marginalized into dealing with stuff like this and planning the company picnic. That’s certainly one vision for an HR operation, but not the only (or best) one.
We in HR don’t want to be the police, but when you are told by the CEO, or your boss, to issue the memo, then after giving your best reasoning as to why this isn’t what HR should be doing and getting told to do it anyway – well, that is what you do.
Though if you look at the source on Above the Law, it looks like this is an HR-driven tendency there, with a habit of random-thoughts memos.
“We should not tell you to stop speaking to people in the bathroom,”
Does that mean I am not supposed to express my admiration for the shoes on the woman in the stall next to me? Because I sure want my shoes admired when appropriate.
Dont be so quick to come down on HR. Just because the memo was addressed from the head of HR doesnt mean it was her idea. I wouldnt be surprised if the HR manager thought this was as silly as you do, but had to take care of it because she was directed to.
when my company (in Europe) did important refurbishment in its 2 floors building, it has been decided that all worker at the 2nd floor had to work those in the 1st floor. it created clashes due to heavy noise (unrelated to the refurbishment), hygiene issues.., HR issued a memo on how to behave with each other mentioning that passing gaz in cubicle will not be tolerate. of course, people were bewildered to read this and the HR manager lost lots of credibility because of that.
HR is not a police; their role is also to facilitate the smooth functioning of office and work. In certain issues there may be such incidences where HR is force (by the circumstances) to issues the memos and notices.
Really it’s a big issue and needed to discuss about it to our HR manager. Really sometimes we have to face some unusual condition at office toilet. But there is no rule for this you know. So such a memo can solve the issue I think…