💥The biggest mistake most employees make with HR (and what to do instead)

Hey there, office optimists who thought “open door policy” meant support, not surveillance.

This week, we’re exposing one of the most dangerous myths in CorporateLand - that HR is here for you.

Spoiler: They’re not.

They’re here for the company, the liability forms, and the pristine illusion that everything is fine as long as it’s properly documented.

So if your boss just body-slammed your confidence in a 1:1 and you’re thinking, “Maybe I should talk to HR?”, slow down.

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Now, back to matter at hand…

🧨 THE RANT - They're Not Your Work Mom

HR exists for three sacred purposes:

1. Protecting the company from lawsuits (you = potential lawsuit with legs)

2. Collecting enough paperwork to build a small fortress

3. Maintaining the corporate theater that everything is "totally fine" as long as there's a form for it

They don't give a rat's posterior about your feelings, your existential workplace crisis, or the fact that your manager treats you like a sentient stress ball.

Let's start with the obvious: it's literally called "Human Resources." Not "Human Relations" or "Human Happiness" or "Human Advocacy." RESOURCES.

As in, you are a resource to be managed, optimized, regardless if you eventually become depleted.

You know what other things are called resources? Oil. Lumber. Natural gas. Things you extract value from until they're used up, then move on to the next deposit.

What Actually Happens When You Visit HR

What you think you're doing: Seeking support from caring workplace advocates

What you're actually doing: Volunteering for corporate anthropology research on "Problem Employees in Their Natural Habitat"

They'll nod sympathetically while mentally calculating how many forms they'll need to fill out to document your "concerning behavioral patterns."

That heartfelt confession about workplace stress becomes Exhibit A in the case file titled "Why We Should Probably Start Looking for Your Replacement."

📊 DATA THEY HOPE YOU IGNORE

That's not even enough time to find a decent therapist to deal with the trauma.

🔦 Subscriber Story Spotlight

💬 Real Talk

This story is a gut punch, not because it’s rare, but because it’s routine.

This is why we don’t tell readers to walk into HR with a speech and good intentions.

We tell them to bring a file. A timeline. Receipts. A plan.

You deserve support, but what protects you isn’t vulnerability. It’s preparation.

So if you ever find yourself staring down betrayal with a badge swipe, here’s what actually helps.

💡 POWER MOVE OF THE WEEK

If your concerns are serious enough to involve HR, don’t walk in unarmed.

Next time, skip the hope and bring a strategy.

Here’s what to prepare before (and after) you talk to HR.