First warning, no matter your relationship with the HR team, there is certain information you should never share with them.
Do you want to know these things you should never say to HR?
Stick around because the article gives details on those things you should never share with HR no matter the circumstances as an employee.
I know the HR department has helped you from taking a shot at you during your job interview to you becoming a manager, assisting with issues that rise up at work including lawsuits, and even when you got promoted.
But you have to remember that there are certain things you should never say to the HR department.
Although they are considered as good people, the ones that help you with different paperwork; the truth is that they would only help you as an employee for the good of the organization.
Article Road Map
Who Is The HR?
The Human Resources (HR) department is a division in an organization that is in charge of hiring, interviewing, recruiting, and training new workers and other programs that benefit the employees.
In every organization, the HR department is needed regardless of how big the organization is.
HR department maximizes employee productivity and protects the company from issues at the workplace.
The HR responsibilities include but are not limited to employee compensation and benefits, hiring and firing workers, and knowing recent laws that can affect the organization and the workers.
In simpler terms, HR is the set of people that makes up the workforce of every organization.
HR Responsibilities And Duties
There are certain responsibilities and duties that the HR department has to do for the good of the organization; they include:
- Managing employees
- Motivating employees
- Supervising the work that goes on
- Avoiding office politics
- Dealing with sexual or racial discrimination at the office
- Interviewing and recruiting new workers
- Determining to hire either temporary or permanent staff
- Establish discipline in the workplace
- Resolve disputes at the workplace
- Dealing with employees with low performance
- Ensuring equal opportunities for all employees
- Training employees
- Managing employee’s salary, compensation, and benefits
- Laying down rules and regulations for the organization
- Ensuring the organization laws follow various regulations
- Preparing employee records and policies
- Managing employee union relations
- Passing important information to every employee
- Determining and providing the needs of the employees
- Prepare employee records and personal policies.
- Disseminate information in the organization so as to benefit its growth.
Things You Should Never Say To HR
Second warning, there are certain things you should never say to HR no matter how cool they are or the relationship and niceties between you and HR.
Here are 16 things you should never say to HR:
- Your nightlife
Don’t share information about your nightlife with HR.
What you do after work hours like going to the bar, getting high should be personal information you keep to yourself.
In cases where you couldn’t complete an assigned task, HR might just conclude based on your personal nightlife activities.
- Illegal activities
Although you should not be involved in illegal activities like bribery, buying stolen goods, and more, if you were involved keep it to yourself.
Illegal activities that you’ve participated in, major or minor, though it happened outside work, you should never share with HR.
HR would have to react concerning the information and may even involve the police in the matter.
Even if the illegal activity is minor, if shared with them, will affect you at your workplace and organization.
- Lying
If you need time off, certain privileges or some favorable treatment from HR don’t lie about it, if you can’t say the truth then keep it to yourself.
Lying about a death of a family member just because you need time off would be very disastrous when the family member actually gets ill or die.
At that moment, you would have to explain to HR where you went before and how you lied.
This will put you in an unfortunate position, because your contact with the organization might be terminated.
It is important to say thye truth to HR at all times and if you are taking time off it should be for a valid reason.
- Irrelevant information on CV
If during your interview, you put irrelevant or untruthful statements and you got hired into the organization and went through the required training, just keep it to yourself.
Telling the HR or HR finding out about it would lead to adverse effects for you and even termination.
Claiming things that are not true in your CV would lead to you looking for another job.
Although you shouldn’t cover up the lies you wrote in your Cv, never tell HR what you did.
- Other jobs
You should not tell HR about other organizations you are working for or other jobs you are doing mostly if the job is a full-time job.
HR considers an employee commitment and loyalty to the organization.
If any issues rise up like you come late to the office, or you miss meetings, or you miss work the HR would blame the other job once.
HR would conclude that you are doing the other job for extra benefits and you may not get opportunities to get benefits at the organization anymore.
My advice, keep the other jobs you are doing to yourself.
- Work assault
Work assaults and abuse is a very serious issue at the workplace.
You shouldn’t be the one to report an assault unless it directly affects you because even if its a joke it will be reported to the boss and legal actions might even be taken.
- Issues at your last job
If you had issues with your employer at your last job and you had to leave, do not mention anything to HR.
Even if you had good reasons for filing the complaint legally against your last employer, kep it to yourself.
HR normally manages lawsuits and if you say anything HR might suspect your motives and conclude you are a potential lawsuit.
HR can take your actions as you are threatening them so if you want to remain in the organization, it’s best to not tell HR.
- Your love life
Do not discuss your love life or your relationship issues with HR no matter the circumstances.
Especially if your partner is in the same organization or environment. Make it clear that your love life is not a topic you are interested in sharing information to HR.
By this, HR won’t judge your work with office love and won’t outline your mistakes by your romantic relationship and abilities.
Even if you are going through a breakup or having relationship issues, keep it to yourself.
- Medical issues
If you are having medical issues, don’t go around telling everyone at the office not even to HR.
If your health condition is very bad, take medical leave and treat yourself properly until you get better.
Sharing your health issue or condition with HR can lead to you missing promotions, transfers and opportunities in the organization.
- Relocating
In situations where an issue arises and you need to relocate to another location, maybe your spouse is being transferred.
Be very sure of the relocation and make sure the news doesn’t get to HR.
Don’t tell HR about the relocation if it’s not stable yet and you don’t have the main story.
If you go ahead to tell HR and then it doesn’t work out for you, the consequences can be very major.
Ranging from your duties might be given to someone else, to you might not get promoted if you were already expecting one, to you will not get any new projects or deals, you might still end up getting suspended.
- Personal life
Do not share details of your personal life and family with HR.
Personal issues like filing a lawsuit against a friend, fear of ex-boyfriend, abortion that happened a year ago, issues with your drunk father should be kept to yourself.
Telling HR can affect their opinion about you in the workplace even if it’s subconsciously.
My advice, keep your personal life and issues away from your HR.
- Religious belief
Do not engage in conversations where you discriminate against other religions with HR.
Don’t misunderstand me, you can have your own personal religious belief but don’t try to convert other people.
Discriminating against other religious beliefs can lead to HR terminating your contract with their organization.
- Political belief
Do not engage in conservations about your political belief or affiliations with HR.
Political information relating to yourself should be kept personal and private.
HR can use your political belief to judge how you would be able to tackle different job roles.
Keep the information to yourself.
- Partner or spouse job
Information about your spouse’s job or income should be kept to yourself.
If your partner gets millions monthly from their organization, doesn’t mean HR should know about it.
In fact, HR might not even consider you for a position anymore since there will be others that will benefit more than you.
Don’t share the information with HR so you won’t risk your own career.
- Complaining
When HR assigns new tasks to you or transfers you to a new department, do not complain about it.
Complaining or grumbling can be seen negatively and result in some adverse effects.
If you have issues with the new workload, you can report it but don’t complain to HR.
- Criminal Record
If you had any criminal record before entering the organization its best to say it before HR runs a background check on you.
But if you are engaged in any criminal activity in the workplace or while working, you better keep the information to yourself and don’t tell HR.
Denying criminal activities or confirming a criminal record can lead to HR terminating your contract.
Third warning, not all information about yourself should be said to HR and there are some certain things which this article has covered that should be kept despite your relationship with HR.
Have a great day.