Hey fellow HR pros. Kinda a weird one for ya, I am heavily contemplating taking FMLA for my mental health and going into an out patient program. I’ve overseen leaves so I know all the nitty gritty. My question is for any other HR who has taken FMLA yourself, did you tell your manager first?
I am the only one who knows how to do payroll, we have a PEO so they’ll figure it out, but I have a ton of guilt around requesting it.
For some reason the things we offer to others, for some reason feels like we’re not also entitled to it? Idk. My therapist is helping me with that part.

But I guess just looking for some words of encouragement and advice, if you’ve taken it for something other than having a baby, did you tell your manager first?

Hello,

I have just a little over 4 years of HR experience and only been with 2 different companies...

In the last 3 months I have been applying for HR positions. I have done like "personality tests" kind of assessments but never a project.

So I applied for this job, I did a first round screening interview. Answered typical questions skills/experience/background and even some behavioral questions. And then was told I need to do take home project for them. The role is heavy in employee relations and it's basically asking me to do an investigation summary on a specific outlined scenario. Then if they like my investigation case summary project, I can proceed to the 2nd round with the hiring manager itself and then there is a 3rd and final round of interview.

Browsing through reddit most people recommend don't do these kind of projects as they are "free labor" and doesn't guarantee a job. They even set a deadline to have it in within 5 days, amidst my busy work schedule and applying for other jobs which I also agree to other reddit that our time is very valuable to not be compensated or have returned of investment guarantee.

I want to specifically ask people in the HR industry, does anyone in HR do these projects before for the application process and received an offer?
You can even tell me at a recruiter side do you think these projects should not be part of the recruitment and let the behavioral questions speak for experience and capability?

I’m a HR manager at a small company and have been there for almost five years. I have a fairly good working relationship with the CEO (my direct boss) and over time I’ve been brought into more business ops decisions and discussions throughout my tenure. I say this because I’d like to believe it’s indicative of my boss trusting my feedback and judgement, however it can be dependent on what mood they’re in. I want to have a very frank discussion with them and tell them that they are driving their leadership team nuts with their micromanaging.

For example- Several times per week, I am getting messages from the CEO asking where employees are, what their schedules are, why someone is leaving early, etc.. The CEO does not check our HRIS or wait for their manager’s response before reaching out to me asking where a random person is. Half the time the person is just away from their desk or in the bathroom. We have employees on adjusted schedules to accommodate for childcare, medical reasons, etc. all of which were run by the CEO and approved. The CEO just doesn’t remember or gets frustrated and then asks to rehash the entire discussion with the department head and myself.

It’s not just employee scheduling, that’s just the easiest example. There are multiple/repetitive “check-ins”, “status checks” and “touch bases” that are really just a recap of every task his department heads are working on throughout the week. This is on top of a weekly priorities list we are required to fill out for all our peers to see in Slack. I’ve had to explain to the CEO that it’s not a good idea to ask HR to put my “priorities” in a public forum, as those priorities are often confidential and shouldn’t be put out for all to see.

I am trying to find a tactful way to say “Let your managers be leaders and stop micromanaging. If I get another Slack message from a department head being pissed that you’re wanting to have another ‘touch base’ about Billy Bob taking a shorter lunch to accommodate for school pick up, I’m going to lose my mind”

Any advice that doesn’t result with my CEO being pissy with me?

I'm an HR manager for a fortune 500 company at a location w/ about 700 employees. Essentially, I'm an HRBP for the location (we dont have that title in our organization chart).

A while ago I found out a peer makes over 20k more than I do. Counterpart is in a state w/ lower cost of living, significantly less risk regarding employment law, about 200 less employees, and about 2 billion less in revenue at their location.

The peer has more experience than me, so I'm not opposed to them making more than me even with all of those factors. However, I'm having a hard time reconciling 20k+ in my head.

Is it worth bringing up, or am I just committing career suicide for future advancement? I like my org, but I'm also aware that future positions would require me to relocate which I'm on the fence about as well.

Edit: Not looking to have a convo about me vs my peer, I realize in my phrasing it sounds like I have a grand plan to march into a teams call demanding my pay matches my peer. Looking for advice on how (or if) I should broach that convo, there's no desire to bring up my peer.

Hello all

About the Role
Our client, an automotive supplier, is seeking an experienced HR Manager to lead all Human Resources functions at their manufacturing plant. This is a high-visibility leadership role responsible for driving team member relations, HR operations, compliance, safety, and talent strategy in a fast-paced automotive manufacturing environment. You'll act as a trusted advisor to plant leadership and a key liaison between management and the workforce.

What You'll Do

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of HR professionals across Benefits, Compensation, Recruitment, HRIS, Payroll, Safety, Security, and Training  
• Build and maintain positive team member relations grounded in trust, fairness, and open communication  
• Serve as the primary partner to plant management on performance, attendance, conflict resolution, and corrective action  
• Own HR policy development, interpretation, and consistent enforcement across the plant  
• Manage workforce planning, staffing strategy, and recruitment for both hourly and salaried positions  
• Direct plant safety and health programs, ensuring regulatory compliance and team member well-being  
• Oversee training and development programs, including onboarding, leadership development, and required compliance training  
• Track and report on key HR metrics (headcount, turnover, attendance, safety incidents, overtime) to senior leadership  
• Manage the HR budget and annual business plan  
• Act as primary point of contact with labor counsel and government agencies on employment matters

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience)  
• 6+ years of progressive HR generalist experience; manufacturing/automotive background strongly preferred  
• 2+ years of supervisory experience in a manufacturing environment  
• Strong working knowledge of employment law (ADA, FLSA, HIPAA, FMLA, NLRA, Title VII, etc.)  
• Proven experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership and large groups  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); HRIS experience preferred (Oracle, Halogen, Kronos a plus)  
• PHR or SPHR certification preferred  
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills; comfortable in a fast-paced, multicultural environment  
• Ability to travel occasionally (0–10%)

Work Environment

• Split between an open-office setting and the plant floor (standard automotive manufacturing environment)  
• PPE required in plant areas (safety glasses, steel-toe shoes, hearing protection, etc.)  
• Some flexibility for on-call support during abnormal operating conditions

Benefits

• Competitive compensation plus incentive/bonus eligibility  
• Paid time off and paid holidays  
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage  
• 401(k) with company match  
• HSA, FSA, and dependent care FSA options  
• Additional elective benefits available

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Pay range is $100K–$120K, with a relocation package available.

Hi!

I'm currently planning to take the SHRM-CP in December and recently started studying. Right now, I average around 83% in PocketPrep in a variety of question types. I also bought the McGraw-Hill All-In-One Study Guide for studying.

I wanted to see what was the recommended score in PocketPrep before feeling confident in the exam, and if the resources I have would set me up for success.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve worked in HR since 2018, (last job being HRBP) independently handling all hats in HR but even more importantly, ADA accommodations, interactive processes, medical documentation, and leaves.

I recently interviewed for an ADA accommodations position and left feeling great. I was genuinely excited because ER, Leave, and ADA are my favorite areas of HR. The interviewer was incredibly sweet, friendly, and smiling throughout. The reception was so incredibly warm I thought I was doing well.

Then I received feedback 10 minutes after the interview ended that made me wonder if we were even having the same conversation and is making me wonder if I don't understand ADA at all and should pivot to something else or get mental help so that I'm not a horrendous liability.

I was asked to describe a complex ADA case I’d handled. I explained a situation involving an employee with severe depression who requested to start work one hour later. Their manager initially objected due to frustration and financial concerns, since the largest patient load occurred during that first hour.
Rather than accepting the objection as a denial, I continued the interactive process. I asked the employee whether a 30-minute adjustment would meet their needs, and they agreed. I brought that alternative back to management, who approved it. I then obtained signatures and issued the formal accommodation approval letter.
I explained all of this, including the financial impact on the business.

However, the feedback suggested I hadn’t clearly identified the stakeholders or explained the process surrounding accommodation denials. I was confused because I thought I’d demonstrated exactly that by explaining how I worked with both the employee and manager to find an effective solution.

Another question involved requesting medical documentation. I answered that I’d request it “if appropriate,” since that depends on whether the disability and accommodation need are already apparent or established. I understood those distinctions but apparently didn’t explicitly explain them enough. Maybe the use of "appropriate" was too broad?

The hiring manager’s feedback described me as having “some exposure to accommodations,” questioned my experience with complex cases, and suggested manager preference may have influenced my decisions without a clear interactive process.

That really threw me off. I’ve independently handled these processes for years, and the entire point of my example was that I didn’t simply accept the manager’s objection.
I understand ADA requirements and apply them in practice, but I tend to explain my experience conversationally rather than reciting EEOC guidance word for word. Instinct is telling me that she wanted me to demonstrate attorney level knowledge or just parrot the ADA website back rather than explain my experience on my own terms.

I also understand that final approval authority varies by organization. So, saying I don't understand who can give final approval doesn't seem like a fair statement to me. I gave final approval. I told the hiring manager that.

I’m genuinely wondering whether my answers raised legitimate concerns or whether the interviewer expected a much more technical explanation than I realized.

For those experienced in ADA accommodations, would my answers have concerned you? Am I overlooking something substantive, or does this sound like a communication style disconnect? I am autistic too which I do find communication hurdles sometimes, but I thought not at this interview.

I’m open to constructive criticism. I just want to understand what happened because this feedback has really shaken my confidence and I'm thinking maybe I should cancel the other ADA Specialist interviews I have lined up if I can't get it.

Does anyone here have experience using Go1 as their LMS for harassment training? Working to reconfigure our system but really out of my depths as majority of my experience is in TA. Appreciate if anyone would be willing to connect on how they configure trainings automatically and re enroll corporate and retail employees in required trainings. TIA

I’ve been in HR for a long time and got laid off for the 2nd time in less than a year. I was listening to a career coach who said that you need to know what yours is and to be able to articulate it well. Honestly if someone asked me that I would have a hard time answering it because I feel I am good at a lot of things regarding HR. I am empathetic which I feel allows me to be the person people trust and they will tell me if there are issues somewhere, etc. I’m also detailed and analytical. I’ve caught many discrepancies across organizations that could have caused issues, etc. But I honestly don’t know that I would want to leverage those as a super power for a senior level role. So my question to you is, what is your title, what is your super power and how do you feel it benefits the company that you work for?

Hi all, keen to understand what practical steps you are implementing following changes in the sexual harassment legislation

I know our plans like the back of my hand as I worked in Benefits. I will sit with our employees and plan out their best course of action. I helped launch our new enrollment system, yet OE is here and I cannot for the life of me chose a plan. I'm running numbers in my head, have my guaranteed medical expenses spelled out completely and I still am having trouble pulling the trigger switching from our PPO to HSA.

The difference in price is about $90 but the deductible, $500 vs $1700, and out-of-pocket max, $2000 vs $5000, difference feel huge.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Hey everyone!

I’m relatively new to ER, & while I genuinely enjoy what I do, I’ll be honest, I’ve never had any formal training, so I’ve pretty much been winging it. Luckily, things have been going well so far :) However, I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle w confrontational people, especially claimants who seem to think they’re untouchable bc they’re the ones who complained first.

I’m currently closing out a case where an employee alleged discrimination by their supervisor. I interviewed the witnesses they provided, along with others who were present during the incident, and none of their allegations were substantiated. What did come out of those interviews, though, was that the claimant became unprofessional and started using profanity in front of several people during their interaction with their supervisor. Of course, they completely left that part out during our interview, so I was pretty disappointed to learn about it from roughly six other people.

The claimant also said they were being pushed out or excluded. However, I learned that this employee has a history of threatening legal action and openly complaining about leadership, which has made others hesitant to engage with them. I mean, I can understand why someone might be apprehensive about interacting with a person they fear could take legal action against them.

Anyway, now I get to be the lucky person who has to tell this employee that their allegations weren’t substantiated, but that concerns about their own conduct came up during the investigation and may warrant correction. Knowing how emotional and confrontational this person can be, I fully expect the conversation to escalate into accusations of discrimination or retaliation, so I’m a little nervous about how to approach it.

My question for those of you who are more experienced in ER is, how would you handle this conversation?

This is someone who has threatened legal action, previously contacted the EEOC regarding other concerns, and has a history of becoming highly emotional during difficult conversations.
How much am I actually supposed to disclose during the closeout? Do I tell them that multiple ppl reported their unprofessional behavior and use of profanity, which violated policy? Do I let them know they can expect a write up, or do I leave that conversation entirely to leadership?

I understand that disciplinary action involving other employees is confidential, so I wouldn’t disclose those details. I can simply explain that their concerns were taken seriously, the investigation is complete, and any appropriate follow-up will be handled internally.
Where I’m less confident is knowing how much I should disclose about the claimant’s own behavior and what they should expect moving forward.

I’m really just looking for guidance on how to navigate these conversations professionally, especially when there’s a strong possibility that the employee will try to interrogate me with how I led the investigation because they view any accountability as retaliation for raising concerns.

I’d appreciate any advice from those of you who’ve been doing this longer than I have. Thanks in advance!

Less than a year into my role I filed a formal complaint against my manager. (Scariest thing I’ve ever done in my career).

After weeks of investigation, they were terminated. Yes it was that bad.

Unfortunately My body remains in perpetual fight or flight mode. I’m getting all the mental health support I can (therapy, meds). I’m considering another medical leave to work thru it but concerned for the reputational impacts and job security.

Compared to my peers scope and impact at our level…I’m not meeting the bar. Annual review time is happening and I have very little to show for it. I get the feeling they aren’t sure what to do with me.

I’ve let my HRBP know I’m struggling (not all the details) They are supportive (outwardly).

Weirdly I’ve received some positive feedback from some senior folks and I just don’t know if I believe it. (Yes this investigation really F me up). I feel like I’ve lost myself.

If you’re this company, what are you thinking? What can they do? If you’re me, what do you do?

Hello everyone! I am considering pursing a masters degree but I’m struggling to decide. For context, I am a young HR professional in Canada with a bachelors degree in psychology and I have my CPHR designation.

I’ve been considering an MBA because of its potential for career progression and higher earning potential. But I’m very interested in the behavioral part of HR which I believe an MBA might lack. I’m also interested in potentially transitioning into Organizational Change Management down the line. A master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology could be a good fit, although I’ve heard the career opportunities are limited and I know I could also just obtain a Prosci certificate . Any advice on a masters degree that can help me earn well and be valuable for my career?

Took a new HR job as solo manager for a nearly 100 headcount company. They have Sage (payroll), UKG Ready, PurelyHR (PTO), HH2 (timekeeping). None of these systems are connected to eachother. Benefits and personnel/i9 files are all printed and done manually. Think old school. Sending paper files to storage. Bulk paper usage. Printing all the time. Making sure PTO report is added in before payroll runs… Reviewing benefit bills before paying. Weekly AND semi-monthly payroll processes. And lord knows what else.

Anyone else out here in the same boat? Anyone here take this same scenario and modernize the processes? Any advice? Where and how to start first for the most bang.

I’m just getting started and anxious to learn why they haven’t made more progress with tying systems together and bringing things together for ease, reduction in manual work (less errors), the whole gambit. Not sure if that’s because of the former manager’s resistance, lack of knowledge, cost, effort….

Any advice for me? There is a controller and AP clerk. My role is on HR side. I really want to make this more efficient. But also want to tread carefully and not seem like I want to change everything too fast and cause waves.

Under what circumstances would you consider or advise an area to hire an external culture consultant to have 1:1 discussions with each team member? Especially if this is not the norm for the organization?

We’re a 180-person private single-specialty practice, and we need a formal recognition plan stat. I’m in full budget-planning mode, and I’d appreciate info on what others’ recognition programs have budgeted on a per-person basis each year.

I am preparing for the 2027 year and wondering, what does your monthly employee engagement calendar look like? Tell me everything you do no matter how small you may think it is.

Currently, we don’t do much of anything and I’d like to change that coming into the new year. I plan to send monthly emails for birthday and work anniversary shout outs, holding small events or treat bags for things like custodian appreciation day, employee appreciation day, holiday door decorating contests etc.

We have around 500 full time employees.

I recently had a leader tell me for risk reasons we should be requiring at least two managers to be present during a performance review. We have never required this before and we have a well documented performance review process. Does anyone else face these concerns or have that as part of your process?

Hello!

I wanted suggestions regarding where I can learn about Payroll, attendance and leave management.

I have supported payroll input before but it was for a big company so it just included tracking and consolidation. Same for attendance and leave.

Can you suggest some free/paid sources which can give me more insight so that I can gain more exposure in HR Ops.

Thank you.

I’d really appreciate some outside perspective! I’m currently an HR Manager on a two-person HR team, where I’m responsible for several different areas of HR. The positives are that I’m well compensated, have a lot of flexibility when I need it, and genuinely enjoy the people I work with. However, I’m stretched incredibly thin and regularly find myself working seven days a week just to stay on top of everything.

Over time, I’ve also realized that there are certain areas of HR I no longer want to focus on, and I’d really like to specialize in one particular area. Unfortunately, that isn’t an option in my current role.

I recently applied for an external position in the area I want to specialize in and have made it to the third round of interviews, which will consist of at least 5 interviews. Through the first two interviews, though, I’ve gotten the impression that this is another small team where the workload could be just as demanding, if not worse, than what I’m dealing with now.

On top of that, the position would come with a substantial pay cut and a significant reduction in flexibility. I know the opportunity would allow me to learn a lot and develop expertise in the area I’m interested in, but I’m struggling to decide whether that growth is worth the financial sacrifice, loss of flexibility, and potentially longer hours.

At the same time, I worry that opportunities like this don’t come along very often, and I might regret walking away without seeing the process through.

If you were in my position, what would you do? Would you continue pursuing the opportunity or step back and wait for something that offers a better overall balance?

I am in HR and struggling with a conflict within the HR team and I am worried I am being retaliated against. I work in Compensation as a Comp Manager. The other employee works as an Senior HR Generalist.

This Senior HR Generalist has had several issues with other members of the staff although the only other people to speak up about this person's behavior is on my same Comp and Benefits team.

Our leader felt that the complaints were enough of a pattern to bring them to the HR Generalists boss the Director of HR. My boss is the Benefits leader. Both my boss and the Director of HR report to the CHRO. It sounds like the feedback was delivered to that HR Generalist during their performance review and all seemed to get better.

Now a few months later this Generalist is going to their boss saying I am pushing my authority and asking him to "answer to me". What happened was the HR Generalist wanted to starting being more involved with stuff I do typically and I had asked why do they want to be involved in a comp process.

Now that HR Director told me I am not allowed to question their Generalist if they want to be involved in something that is traditionally a comp thing because they are an HR Generalist and have every right to be involved in whatever they want with their team they support. My boss doesn't agree with that stance because asking for context is fair in a business relationship. And that's really what I told the HR Director too was that I wanted some context.

Now I feel like I am being retaliated against for literally doing nothing but raising a complaint to my boss. This HR Generalist in passing has shared he only thinks I am the one whole complained when there were others.

Besides trying to lay low, what else do I do?

So. I finished my first week at my first hr job, and I’m not sure how to feel. I’m a recent grad, this is not an entry level position, but I had a full time job before. I spent since May looking for a job in HR, and was offered this job. It’s in person but it’s a VERY long commute. Over an hour. It will be hybrid eventually, but after training.

For the actual job, it’s a small team, mostly consisting of different coordinators and another generalist. Everyone is easily 10 years older than me. I have seniority over a few people, which is weird because I’m a recent graduate, and I can already feel a tiny bit of resentment from them.

They’re cross training me on a few areas, mostly employee relations and compliance. It seems like I will be filling in whatever gaps the team needs, but I noticed today that they posted the same position as me online. Granted, I’m not the only one in this position, but I wonder if they’re already tired of me.

I was fired on day two of a job this year due to my health, and I was terrified to disclose these conditions to my manager, but I needed to. It felt weird; I can’t tell if she was upset I hadn’t mentioned it before, or if she was worried it would be a liability. It isn’t. It doesn’t stop me from anything, and in fact, the reason I had to disclose is it in case it happens at work, they need not worry and let me recover without aid.

Basically, I’m asking if I’m being paranoid about my security due to my past experience, or if I have legitimate cause to be concerned. I need this job. I am not qualified for it, on paper, but I can do it and I know I can do it well. I can’t lose it.

Did anyone else feel this way when they first began?

Sorry this is just a brain dump after this week. I’m tired.

Hello! I’ve been working in HRIS for the past three years and have never needed configuration experience until I started job searching this year. At the two companies I’ve worked at, we’ve had an HR Tech team that performs all our configuration needs and my team (HRIS) just needed to test and validate the changes. I’ve been rejected from two roles in the past six months for not having configuration experience.

For my HRIS professionals: is it common to have a HR Tech team you work closely with, but not identical scopes? These are our Business Analysts or Consultants. Should I be looking at a configuration project or certification? Thanks!!!