Avoid Showing Anger at HR When Complaining About Discrimination / Harassment

angry-employeeAnger rarely benefits anyone at workplace (or anywhere else for that matter). No one likes angry people and no one wants to help them. Angry people rarely get large verdicts from a jury or a judge because it’s hard to be generous with someone who show temper. This applies to testifying at a deposition or in a court as much as it does to dealing with human resources personnel.  Some employees think that attacking their hr department by accusing them of being incompetent or hostile and being “aggressive” with them will encourage hr and other management to be more eager to help. Nothing is further from truth, and taking out your frustration on your higher management departments is pointless at best, and is likely to be harmful to you for at least two major reasons, no matter how justified your anger might be.

First, few if any hr managers are directly to blame for creating an environment of discrimination or harassment. At worst, they fail to take action to remedy discrimination or harassment, but the power of hr department employees is often limited by the orders that they get from their managers.  They usually just do what they are told to do. Further, even if your hr manager has the authority to go an extra step to help you, sending harsh e-mails or raising your voice at him is not going to help, and it’s only going to have the opposite effect.

Secondly, when you lose your temper with your hr manager, you run the risk of being disciplined. If you are an “at-will” employee (most employees are “at will” employees who don’t have a contract of employment and who can be terminated for any reason or no reason), you can be easily demoted, suspended or even terminated just for that, and that will be perfectly legal. Arguing later that the real reason for your termination was an illegal retaliation for your complaints rather than your rude communication is possible, but will be much more challenge, if you gave your employer an actual, legitimate reason to discipline or terminate you.

In some, there is no benefit in being angry at or attacking your hr department. It will either be pointless or it will lead to discipline or even termination.