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It can take a lot of courage to approach the Human Resources department of your company with a complaint. This is especially true for women who already face various forms of discrimination in the workplace. Research finds it’s common for women who work in male-dominated workspaces to feel they need to prove their worth at the office and if you’re already in that mindset, you likely won’t want to ruffle feathers by bringing an issue to HR.
But fear shouldn’t stop you from calling attention to concerns and attempting to make your work environment better for you and your colleagues. The thing is, most of us don’t know what’s normal when filing a complaint with HR, and having some idea of what to expect can alleviate anxieties. We spoke with Sarah Morgan, the Chief Excellence Officer of BuzzARooney LLC, a consulting boutique that helps startups and small businesses create inclusive, equitable workplace cultures. Morgan filled us in on what to expect after filing an HR complaint. Companies interested in learning more about Morgan’s strategies can listen to her podcast Leading In Color or attend her virtual workshop The Human Return on Investment (HROI) Summit on October 20th. Learn more here.
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How private is my information?
“HR is responsible to keep your information and complaint confidential, meaning they should not share it with anyone who doesn’t need to know about it. Depending on the level of seriousness, it is normal for HR to alert the supervisor(s) of the employees involved that a complaint has been made as their investigation may cause disruption and/or changes in that department.”
