L'enfer, c'est les autres

I had to tell a couple of my team they were being made redundant this week.  In typical fashion HR always comes last, when all the dirty work has been done!  Its never nice, but I think as an HR professional its also good to have to put yourself through the things that you support managers to do.  Its easy to snigger amongst yourselves about Bob the line manager getting worked up about telling his team member they are being made redundant, it another thing when you are Bob.

So I was sitting there in the morning getting my head around what I was going to say and the potential questions I might be asked when one of the team members I was going to speak to came in to the office.  He was obviously on edge and upset and my initial reaction was that he had found out what I was going to say to him.  Anyway I sat him down and asked him what was wrong and he tells me that his wife has been diagnosed with cancer and he is beside himself with concern and worry.  We talk about it, I listen, I support, we arrange some additional health cover and he leaves to go to a meeting.

I sit back and reflect.  What am I gong to do?  If I can't speak to him then I can't speak to any of the others.  If I do speak to him, what is the impact going to be on his health and well being?The HR man in me is telling me that there will always be something going on in someones life, that no time is good and to stick to the plan.  The HU man in me is telling me that nothing is more important than life itself, that this guy has taken enough and the business can go swivel.  At this point normally there would be an HR rep advising the manager, but that person is me.

After much soul searching I sat the guy down and told him that I really didn't want to tell him this today, but I hoped he'd understand.  That the business was changing and we needed to change with it and that time doesn't account for personal circumstances.  You know what?  He took it like a champion.  Said that there were more important things in life than work.  That he respected my honesty and openness and that I had his complete loyalty until he left.

And that brings me back to assumptions.  I'm not saying that what I did was right.  Maybe the other route would have brought untold benefit.  But the fear was in my head and the worst case scenario I had painted was limiting my ability to act.  When I chose to act, the nightmare subsided.  Is this luck?  Or is it a lesson, that as long as we deal with any situation honestly, openly and with dignity, the worst will never happen.  

I honestly don't know.

Can you imagine being one of the leaders that made the decisions that impacted on those 9,000 people and their families?  Can you imagine the lack of control, the lack of governance that led to this?  The people that allowed the bonuses and the pensions to be paid to the leaders.......

Can you remember all the column inches given by Personnel Today and People Management to the wonderful HR practices at RBS, the awards, the centre spreads?  

But also, stop and spare a thought for the poor HR person involved.  Often perceived by the employee to be the hatchet man (how many times have I heard of managers saying "HR have told me....."), loathed my the line manager for making them deliver a message they would rather have nothing to do with (funny how they always want to own the promotions and the salary increased) and battered and bludgeoned by the Unions as being the voice of Management.

My team have been doing this for the last month, dealing with emotional, angry and confused employees.  Managing emotional, angry and confused Managers.  And in more than one case then going home to a partner who is also being made redundant in their own workplace.

Sure its the job we do and we need to "take the crunchy with the smooth sometimes"  But spare a quiet thought......