I've seen a lot of people saying how they've had their confidence betrayed by HR. This is a misunderstanding of what HR is, what you want is a union. I'm a former HR person, I will explain our function and why you should be aware of it before talking to us.
We are an extension of management, we work for management. HR stands for Human Resources, we manage the resources that are human and the issues that arise, onboarding paperwork, benefits, payroll. We help the company, not the employees. Unless your HR person came up to you and asked what kind of health insurance do you want of ALL the options instead of the ones approved by management, they work in the interest of the company.
The company wants you to think we help you, it was no accident that you think we will help you. This is how they satisfy that urge employees feel for a personal representative, this is so everyone in the company thinks HR throwing you under the bus must mean you were wrong. This is to stop your team from organizing. Truth is, we are supposed to tell our bosses everything you tell us and they tell us how to proceed. You know what happens if an employee tells management that they went to HR and the management wasn't told by HR? HR person is fired. Even the good ones who give a shit about you are going to protect their jobs. They're not going to tell you what their function is because they could be fired for it.
There was only one place I worked where I spilled the beans and was willing to share my knowledge base with the employees. I was not officially HR, I was paid and classified as a receptionist after the owner lied about the position changing in a month. Kinda stupid of him to think that getting my skills that cheap wouldn't have a cost. What's he gonna do, tell unemployment that the receptionist who managed payroll, finances, insurance, accounts payables and receivables told all the employees about the company finances and how they were being misclassified while the person hired for those responsibilities had no idea how to do any of it? No, he'd risk a giant fine for misclassifying me! Haha.
Anyway, go to your HR person for questions regarding your pension, health insurance, payroll issues, that's what we do. DON'T go to HR over legal, harassment, management complaints, that's what an attorney or the labor board is for. Call the labor board with questions, that's something we're never allowed to recommend. Harassment stuff is for lawyers, HR will use your statements against you, lawyers won't. If you want employee representation, form a union.
HR exists to protect your company from you, not for you.