"The failure of HR to stand up to power" is the primary reason many companies had to deal with sexual harassment scandals, writes Jan Bowler for SHRM. She is SHRM member, president of LowVolatilityStocks.com, and the former senior HR director for Peerless Systems.
Bowler acknowledges the challenges HR faces in addressing both employee and management needs. And while many HR professionals have won respect from management and are taken seriously, there are still too many times when "HR is still ignored, humored or, in the worst case, loathed."
"I contend that this is an issue of our own making--perfectly exemplified by the current wave of revelations about sexual harassment in every segment of the American workforce," Bowler writes, later noting: "HR is not for wimps."
Far too often HR has failed to seriously follow-up on complaints and stand up to their bosses when problems happen. The profession is in serious need of self-reflection for the role it has played in fostering the sexual harassment crisis from the last year.
"Have we ever been among those who looked the other way because we did not want to risk our relationship with higher-ups, our bonus or our livelihood?" Bowler notes. "Have we really held the high ground, or have we shrunk into powerlessness? The current steady stream of revelations creates the opportunity for us ALL to evaluate our past performance and raise the standards of acceptable behavior for ourselves and our teams."