Just What Is Human Resources? Are We a Thing?

I’ve always been stymied by the term “Human Resources”.  Most of us don’t even notice the insensitivity of this term.  If you are applying for a job, you must go to Human Resources to apply, or get “processed” or for a leave of absence, or for any number of reasons.  At least they could call it the Human Being department, or Taking Care of Work Related Business Department.  But Human Resources should be a tip off right away that you are expendable.  Especially now.  Especially in the 21^st century, where everyone is expendable and discarded.  At the very least we should call it the Humanity department. After all, isn’t that where we pee into a bottle, often referred to as drug testing in some companies?   And get finger printed to make sure we are not sexual predators?  Guilty until proven innocent, after all.  Can’t be too careful! 

 

The Human Resources has often been called the “engine room” of any organization.  Your health care benefits are also in “Human Resources”.  How’s health care a resource?  I thought health care packages were a drain on a company rather than a resource?  When you retire, that’s the place where you going to go to find out about that retirement package for the 30 plus years you put into the company?  “Human Resources”.  Exactly,  how is retiring a resource?  Seems more like a drain on the company than an added benefit to the company.  Training programs as a Human Resource?  How so?  Is that meant to enhance the worker’s job skills?  Well, then maybe that one is a human resource, or at least an attempt to be a resource, if the training actually produces resources to help the weary human!

 

 

It seems that the dehumanizing of people in the modern workplace does warrant the handy, catch all term, “Human Resources”.  It’s certainly the engine that roars!  When you don’t know where something fits, it could be placed into the silo labeled, “Human Resources.” 

  

Maybe that term needs to be humanized so that we mere humans feel we are welcomed into a company or institution and that we are not a disposable resource to be used and discarded.  Maybe we could sort out the hodge-podge of “stuff” we randomly place into Human Resources because we don’t know where else to place it.  Maybe we could be more humane to our workers and treat them with dignity.  A first step would be to change the name “Human Resources” to ????  It’s your dignity at stake; you name it!