If a new employee in HR enforces new rules/policies, was he hired to make those changes, or were those changes his own decision?

Question

Let’s say an HR employee enforces the following rules:

— all employees will be required to punch-out to use the restroom.
— support staff will no longer be paid hourly, but instead a set salary (their current hourly salary multiplied by their standard hours); no overtime no matter how many hours they work.

FYI — previously, only the non-legal staff was paid a set salary, such as partners, associates, etc.  And the “punch out for restroom” was due to several employees goofing off in restroom instead of just relieving themselves and getting back to work.  Did the new HR guy enforce this on his own, and does his boss (the partner) have no say in this?  Or did the boss hire him to make these changes and straighten things up with the “slackers”?

minx · Answer

It is not easy to answer the question if you only knew or heard one side. In HR there's always a reason why things have to be done or change, but for sure every decision does not come easy and everybody will not be pleased. In times like this, don't take it directly to the person implementing the change, remember he/she is also an employee who is required to do his job. https://femargarettuazon.wixsite.com/g3-virtual-services

babyboomer1001 · Answer

What does it matter?  He was hired to do a job and he is doing it.  Either follow the new policies or move on.

Anonymous · Answer

I am damn tied of all these hypothetical HR questions.  Face it, you havent had your first job yet.

A Hunch · Answer

We don't know what occurred between the partner and the new employee.

If you are in the USA, who is paid hourly or salary is usually dictated by a law called the Fair Labor Standards Act and the job duties that someone does.
- It's likely that when the new employee came to the company, they realized that the employees were not being paid correctly and made the change.

As for the restroom break bathroom policy, that's not legal in certain states (we can guess you aren't in one of those states).  To me, it's a bad policy IF you aren't getting paid for the bathroom break.  However, just because they having you clock doesn't mean it's still unpaid.  They might have you clock to see issues but paying people for the time.

Anonymous · Answer

"Did the new HR guy enforce this on his own, and does his boss (the partner) have no say in this?"

Of course the boss has a say if s/he wants a say.   Maybe s/he created the policy and assigned enforcement to the HR person.   Or maybe s/he delegated the whole she-bang to the HR guy.  HTF would anyone here know what transpired between two unknown individuals at an unknown company?

If a new employee in HR enforces new rules/policies, was he hired to make those changes, or were those changes his own decision?

5 Answers