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"Human Resources ironically supports and defends the very toxicity that it's designed to protect employees from"

The main function of HR is not to serve employees. The main function of HR is to protect the employer from legal liabilities.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Confidential-Secrets-Compan...

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This is offtopic, but I have to point out that these sort of cynical pronouncements are somewhat dangerous. You are probably coming from a good place and trying to warn people about being too trusting, but I see a risk in these sort of statements in making younger readers believe that this is a normative statement (as opposed to the positive sense I think you meant it in). Ideally HR does have something to offer the employee, balancing their interest with the company's. Let's not retreat entirely from that ideal.

Sure, I wasn't trying to suggest people turn sociopaths the moment they become employed by a large corporation. I expect people to be decent human beings and that includes compassionate interaction whatever the situation.

It's just good to remember HR is not an agent of the employee but of the employer, and you can't lean on the HR representative as you would for example on your own lawyer.

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