For most executives, human resources is a trusted ally. HR is viewed as the voice of fairness, the department that ensures both the company and its people are protected. It is assumed that when a dispute arises, HR will handle it with balance, transparency, and a commitment to compliance. But what happens when this trust is misplaced?
In a recent investigation I conducted at a wine farm, a senior manager’s professional credibility was called into question; not due to poor performance or misconduct, but because HR failed to uphold the most basic principle of fairness. The manager was denied the chance to respond to allegations, requests for dialogue were rejected, and an undated, unsigned HR report was circulated to executives as though it carried authority. The result was reputational harm for the manager and risk exposure for the company.
This is the HR trap: the silent danger that occurs when the very function meant to prevent injustice becomes the source of it.
HR as a protective bubble
HRM operates in a protective bubble. Executives often assume that HR always acts with the company’s best interests at heart. Because of this trust, HR enjoys a privileged position, rarely questioned, seldom audited, and frequently given the benefit of the doubt. Unlike finance, which is audited annually, or operations, which undergoes safety and compliance checks, HR performance is almost never subjected to independent scrutiny.
This creates a dangerous blind spot. If executives assume HR is always right, they risk overlooking serious flaws. The truth is that HR does not always act in ways that are best for all parties. Sometimes it acts in self-preservation, sometimes with bias, and at times, with an authoritarian streak that silences those it is meant to protect.
When HR fuels narcissism
Narcissistic leadership thrives in environments where there are no counterweights. Instead of restraining such behaviour, HR can sometimes amplify it. By shielding executives from accountability, ignoring complaints, or insisting that disputes be channelled through narrow and biased procedures, HR can become a partner in dysfunction.
More concerning still is when HR itself becomes the narcissist. This happens when HR:
• Deflects accountability with claims that process was followed.
• Gaslighting complainants makes them doubt their own experiences.
• Withholds information to control the narrative.
• Issues unilateral conclusions without allowing managers to respond.
In the wine farm case, these behaviours played out in full. HR became judge, jury, and executioner, leaving executives to believe fairness had been served when, in reality, injustice had been institutionalised.
The risks of HR failure
The consequences of HR failure are significant:
• Legal risk: CCMA and Labour Court challenges become inevitable when procedural fairness is ignored.
• Reputation risk: Skilled staff lose faith in the company, and news of unfair treatment spreads quickly.
• Cultural risk: A climate of fear and cynicism replaces trust and collaboration.
• Productivity loss: Managers spend time defending themselves rather than leading.
When HR fails, the entire organisation is exposed. Trust in leadership erodes, employee engagement collapses, and the company risks being defined not by its successes but by its failures in fairness.
Who checks HR?
The most important question is: Who audits HR? Finance is checked, operations are inspected, but HR is often left to mark its own homework. This must change. Independent HR audits, transparent grievance processes, and oversight committees should be as standard as financial compliance.
Executives cannot afford to blindly trust HR. They must hold it accountable, demand transparency, and ensure it serves both the company and its people, not its own interests.
The lesson is simple, but urgent. HR is supposed to safeguard fairness, but without checks, it can become the silent saboteur of justice. The wine farm case is not unique; it is a warning. Every business that leaves HR unchecked is at risk of falling into the same trap.
To prevent this, businesses should implement independent HR audits, guarantee the right to respond in all disputes, and involve leadership directly in oversight. Only then can HR return to its rightful place as a safeguard, not a liability.
Fairness is not a luxury in business; it is the foundation of sustainable performance.
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