HR is not there to protect you. HR does not work for the worker. Saving emails, documenting incidents and bringing them to HR isn’t always in your best interest. HR’s sole purpose is to protect the company from liability and resource management. Workers being the resource. Workers being the liability.
I often see advice from people on this sub suggesting “document everything about your shit manager and bring it to HR.” “Go to HR to protect yourself from wrongful termination”.
HR is not there to protect the worker. They work for the company. They are there to help employers legally fire employees without liability. They don’t often decide who is or is not disciplined. That is usually dependant upon the supervisor. HRs job is to assist the supervisor in carrying out lawful disciplines. Depending on the size of the company sometimes HR does the disciplines themselves. They will help the employer carry out the process of finding legal cause for termination. They will help terminate employees who are a threat to others.
Let’s say someone attacks you at work and you fight back. HR will not care if you are ok. They won’t pay for your hospital bill. HRs job will be to terminate both workers. Why? Because both engaged in behaviour that is reasonably thought to endanger the health and safety of the workplace and other workers. If you got attacked, ended up in a fight and then ended up in another fight next week it would be a huge liability for the company for having you in the workplace. HR and the company knew you previously engaged in dangerous behaviour in the workplace. Why are you still in the workplace? That will be the question when another employee is suing the employer. HRs job is to limit those types of liability.
HR workers are of course people too. People have hearts and are kind. Some people value morals, honesty and integrity over a paycheck. Some HR workers may work to the mutual benefit of the employer and the employee. So this doesn’t apply to every single HR worker out there. But please understand the main function of an HR department is to protect the EMPLOYER NOT the EMPLOYEE.
Edit: A little blurb from investopedia. Emphasis mine.
An HR department is tasked with maximizing employee productivity and protecting the company from any issues that may arise within the workforce. HR responsibilities include compensation and benefits, recruitment, firing, and keeping up to date with any laws that may affect the company and its employees.