Does anyone agree that Human Resources (HR) is ultimately useless?

HR's real function when ti comes to employee/management disputes is to prevent a lawsuit (which usually involves siding with management, leaving the employee less grounds to sue).

If you're not upper management, HR is certainly not your friend.

It depends on what the upper management allows hr to do. If they just relegate them to paper pushing then it can be of very minimal value. But HR can be very valuable in helping to mitigate employee issues and also professional development as well as policy and training development. Mostly HR can be great benefit to .management but in some cases depending on the company they can be a good support for employees. I work in the non profit sector so I'm glad that HR actually helps the employees

I agree. In fact when they tell you your conversation is private it may not be. Side note: Our HR lady was cheating on her husband. The whole building knew except poor him and their infant son.

We all went to her about a problem boss. She says in front of said boss (later in the office), "Didn't you all come to me earlier saying you had a problem with Mr Doe?" She totally ratted us out and made our lives miserable.

So later I said something along the lines of: Well, My boyfriend cheated on me which is horrendous. cowardice, and completely scummy. so compared to that this is nothing. I can deal with Mr Doe a little longer until I find a more reputable job.

I enjoyed letting her know what a piece of crap she was and I hope she got what I was saying. But she may have been to dense to get it.

EDIT: I want to add that in other companies I worked at I did not face that same issue. I think it was just her. BUT I will never confide in anyone again. I will also never care that much. I would just leave.

HR is paid by the company. That says it all. They to the company's bidding and couldn't care less about any issue an employee may have outside of benefits or staffing. UNIONIZE!

All HR I've dealt with have been cünts. Bullies who will sell you out to keep themselves safe. Thankfully I'll never have to deal with them ever again.