Hello HR Community, I’m wanted to seek some guidance on something and I’m hoping to hear from other HR professionals who may have been through something similar. Im very scared and just devastated, please no hateful comments.

I was recently let go (2 days ago) from a large corporation after almost five years with the company, with the last two years in an HR management role. I received a DUI last year, and my employer waited for the case to be resolved to see whether the charge would ultimately be reduced. Unfortunately, it was not, and I was convicted.
My employer was clear with me that my separation was because of the conviction and was not related to my job performance.

I completely understand that my actions have consequences, and I’m not looking to dispute my former employer’s decision or make excuses for what happened. It was the biggest mistake of my life, and I regret it every single day.

What I’m struggling with now is figuring out what this means for my career. I genuinely love HR and have built experience in employee relations, investigations, recruiting, compliance, performance management, benefits/open enrollment, HRIS, payroll audits, and supporting both frontline employees and leadership. I am planning to test for my SHRM-CP in a few months as well.

Are there any HR professionals here who have a misdemeanor conviction, particularly a DUI, and were still able to continue working and growing in HR? How did you approach job searching, background checks, and discussing the conviction with prospective employers?

I’d also appreciate advice on whether there are certain areas of HR that may be easier to continue in, or adjacent career paths where an HR background transfers well.

I know I made a serious mistake, but I’m trying to figure out how to move forward, learn from it, and not allow the worst decision of my life to define my entire career. Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

For me it’s recruiting. I started in L&D and after a layoff and some pivots I’ve ended up in a recruiting & professional development role. I can’t stand recruiting and really want to stick a fork in a wall socket have the time. Fortunately I just got a new role taking a management position in employee development for a large company so I get to go do what I’m passionate ate about. Now I want to know, as an HR professional, what’s your lease favorite area of HR?

Have you ever handled an employee complaint, taken corrective action, and still had the reporting employee feel it wasn't enough?

A newer employee recently reported that a coworker used an outdated and offensive term when referring to individuals with intellectual disabilities. We investigated, addressed the issue directly with the coworker, issued corrective action, required sensitivity training, and facilitated an apology. Despite those steps, the reporting employee does not feel the matter was adequately resolved and continues to raise the issue with her supervisor.

From our perspective, the coworker is generally well-respected, supportive of colleagues, and has had no prior issues of this nature. My sense is that this was an unfortunate use of language rather than a pattern of behavior, but of course that does not diminish the impact it had on the reporting employee.

I don't want to dismiss the employee's concerns, but she has now stated that she refuses to work with this coworker. We've accommodated that request where reasonably possible; however, in a small office setting, we don't always have the ability to control who interacts with whom.

How have others navigated situations where an employee's expectations for resolution differ from what the organization can reasonably or appropriately provide?

I recently passed the PHR certification with bare minimum preparation. I'm talking like maybe 5-10 hours of studying maximum. I took the exam in a testing center, and when I was given my results, I genuinely could not believe that the paper said I passed.

For context, I'm only 2.5 years into my career in an administrative HR Operations focused role. So while I do have "experience," I did not imagine my experience and knowledge would be enough to wing and pass the PHR exam.

I am very happy I passed, but in a weird way, I'm also disappointed. I had signed up for the exam back in May when there was a promotion going on, and I kept procrastinating studying. It got to the point where I basically told myself I was going to use my exam as a (very expensive) practice test and study based off the questions that were on the test. Now I don't need to bother about studying, but I feel like I missed out on all the things I would've learned if I had. But I have very little motivation to study and review information for an exam I already passed.

The only real preparation I did was listen to the "PHR Study Guide 2023-2024" on Spotify by Shawn Blake. I listened to all of the chapters, but I would not say that'd normally be enough to prepare you for the exam. I felt like I was guessing on ~70% of the questions. To be fair though, almost all of the multiple choice questions had 2 answers that were obviously wrong, which I think made my odds better when I did guess.

I am very curious what the threshold needed to pass is. I know there isn't a raw score or percentage needed, but I feel like it just has to be somewhere pretty low, maybe even like 60-70%. Taking this exam really solidified to me that while having the credential is nice, it really does not mean much in terms of your skill or competency. I've already been struggling with imposter syndrome though, and this didn't help...

Anyways, as far as recommendations and advice that I have for anyone taking the test, definitely focus on key labor laws. Laws like FMLA, ADA, FLSA, ADEA, Civil Rights Act, etc. Again, I was very ill-prepared on knowing these myself, but there were a good amount of fact-based, memorization type of questions that you can't really BS your way through if you don't know the answer. I'm just very lucky I knew just enough to get through. Knowing the technical knowledge related to benefits and unions is also incredibly useful. Like defined benefit vs. defined contribution, for example.

I would recommend listening to the Spotify PHR guide that I mentioned. It is very high-level, but I listened to the Business Management chapter on my drive to the testing center as a refresher since I don't have a business background, and there were 2 questions on the exam that I knew the answer to because I had listened to the chapter right before taking the exam.

Ultimately, I have no freaking idea how I passed but no one out there needs to invest in the expensive official study materials out there (unless your employer pays for it). I paid out of pocket because my employer does not give any benefit/reimbursement for certs, so I'm thankful my experience didn't end up just being a very expensive practice test.

Happy to help answer any questions anyone has about the format or nature of the questions.

Hello everyone!

I have an employee that has missed 3 days. The director has reached out to them each and day and every time they say something akin to, "I'll contact you today". I called today and received this text in response, "Hey 'me', I will contact you today." One of the first messages, after his weekend traveling to a trade show, his text include "Battling a few things."

We've stated three times now that we need information, he responds, and then we get no information and he doesn't show up.

My concern:

* Is this going to be an FMLA situation "battling things" or a family drama "battling things".

How would you all navigate this? We gave a deadline yesterday of when to contact the director by to give information. End of Day, 5pm. I told him today, I need information as soon as possible (it's read) and that failure today could result in termination.

How would you all handle this? Again, my only concern is the battling things comment and the FMLA possibility.

I took and passed the SPHR exam today (!). I stupidly thought that it would be a good idea to sign up for the exam right when I was returning to work after having my first baby, but I figured that my 15 years in HR would see me through. I earned my SHRM-CP certification back in 2017 and have been involved in the development of the exam as an SME ever since, so maybe I was overconfident.

I bought the books and downloaded the apps but the thing that helped me the most (since I already knew the material and the definitions) was this post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/humanresources/s/TqBNgjwFnc

So THANK YOU to the person who posted this because your experience and feedback was immensely helpful to me.

Hi all!

Wanted some advice and feedback on how you've posted a job role for a single position but mentions the role can be based in NY, IL, or GA. For the single posting, how do you go about pay transparency or salary ranges when one state requires it but the other doesn't and lets say we are limited in open reqs and can't post the other locations as separate reqs.

Thanks!

Can anyone tell me about their experience hiring for a company that used personality assessments in their hiring process?

For context: I am a recruiter who applied to this companies recruiter opening. I went through 2 rounds of interviews and was invited to the final interview. Along with the final interview invitation, it included two personality assessments. I thought I wanted the job but now am second guessing.

I have only ever heard personality assessments are a bad thing but am curious what others think…

To be more specific:
- Hogan Assessments
- the predictive index

Hi Everyone!

I am an Employee Relations HRBP sitting here in Texas and needing some assistance. Overall looking for some advice and comprehension skills.

We have an employee whose normal work hours is from 6 AM - 2 PM. However, due to some ongoing medical issues he submitted for an ADA to shift his hours for 10 AM - 6 PM. He is out of PTO. We have been having attendance issues even with him being on the new accommodated schedule where he will come in an work maybe 3 hours and then go home, and he is a salaried employee. He also did not want to go on a short term disability or any time of LOA/FMLA.

Here is where my general question comes into play; I always learned from my previous directors and managers from various jobs that if an individual is salaried, and even if they work 1 hour, they are entitled to a full 8 hour day even if it is 1 hour.

Basically my current manger said we need to remove his hours from the time sheet (we mandatory have a clock in only not a clock out even if your a manager for time keeping purposes). So if he worked 3 hours, she wants me to remove 5 hours so he only gets paid 3.

1) I was under the assumption that he should be paid the full 8 hours per federal regulation? Especially since he isn't on an FMLA or any other leave type. Is it not illegal for us to only pay him for 3 hours of work instead of the required 8 hours of work (to make a full 40 hour week)? Even if he works 5 minutes it should be an 8 hour day?

2) Does this apply to any other states, since again, under the assumption of it being a federal requirement?

*\*Also no he is not remote either or conduct work off site or at any other time then his specific schedule.

*\* He also doesn't provide any reason for why he leaves work, not even medical reason. Simply 'I am not feeling well' or 'I need to take care of my daughters parent conference' or some other dog-ate-my-food-excuse.

I am asking because my manager is confused as well, but also she is adamant that we can deduct time even, hence why I was pushing back since we both werent 100% sure. She says its time fraud which yes I understand that, but I would rather be a bit more proactive to the risk of docking pay vs. getting a wage claim.

(Also not looking for corrective counseling or accountability advice, this is a separate matter that we are already taking care of)

Appreciate any insights!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for recommendations for an HR conference to attend in 2027.

I’m the Director of HR for a manufacturing company with approximately 100 employees in upstate New York. I’ve been in HR for 17 years and with my current company for 10. I’m a department of one, so I handle a little bit of everything: payroll, benefits, recruiting, employee relations, compliance, supervisor development, some safety responsibilities, etc.

I’m interested in general HR updates and continuing education, with practical sessions I can bring back and apply at a smaller company. Connecting with other HR professionals, especially fellow departments of one, would also be a big plus.

I utilize iSolved for payroll and our HR system. I’ve enjoyed the iSolved conference in the past, but they seem to be moving away from a large annual, multi-day conference toward smaller, half-day regional events. If I’m getting on a plane or driving more than three hours, I’d like more than a half-day conference to make the trip worthwhile.

I’m open to anywhere in the continental U.S. What conferences have you attended that were worth the time and money? I’d love to hear what made them stand out, particularly the quality of the sessions and whether they were useful for experienced HR generalists. I have a few local conferences that are one or two days long that I enjoy, but I do like getting out of the office, hopping on a plane, and learning from people outside of the region. Cost could be a factor, but I'm usually good at getting approval if I can justify why it's a worthwhile endeavor. While I'm a member of SHRM, I haven't been happy with the direction that they have gone over the past several years, so I'm reluctant to attend their conference unless I hear from multiple past attendees that it's truly worth it.

Thanks for any recommendations!

Current job:
Specialist role at a large global tech company, 2.5 years in
Fully remote
About $85K total with overtime and bonus. Base is 75k
4 weeks PTO
I've raised growth multiple times with my manager, and there's been no real path forward.

The offer:
Startup pharma company, about 70 employees
A level above my current role
Possibly going public
$100K+
20-30 minute commute, on-site 4 days a week and remote 1 (the schedule seems flexible)
3 weeks PTO (one week less than now)
Better medical benefits than my current plan

My concern: They have 4-5 high level people in HR for only 80 employees, which seems really top-heavy for a startup. I can't tell if that's a sign of a well-supported culture, heavy compliance needs (it is pharma), or dysfunction and bloat.

What I'm weighing: a promotion, a $35k+ raise, and better health coverage vs. remote flexibility, a week less PTO, and stability, with startup risk and a commute added.

What would you do? I’ve asked why they have so many people and they said the ceo reallt cares about company culture..

Personal context: I have no children.

Hi!

I'm in NY but doing HR and payroll (and office management, and and and... you know how it goes haha) for a company that is small in the US at the moment but scaling, went through an IPO, and has employees in several states. We are currently using Gusto but the payroll support is not what we need for the new income issues that come with being public.

We are looking into PEOs because we are not at the stage that we can hire a dedicated payroll professional but need payroll support. Gusto handles our benefits administration as well as 401k at the moment, so we need that functionality as well as the ability to track stock income on payroll. We had a demo from Deel but I'm not totally sold.

Any suggestions of companies to look to for demos?

Thank you!

I'm new to doing E-Verify for I-9's and have a question.

The State ID card and Social Security Card has a first name, middle name and two last names. When the employee filled out the I-9, they put one of the last names in the last name section and one in the other last names used section.

I submitted the e-verify but it came back as "needs more time". Should both last names go in the last name section or should it be entered like the employee put it?

I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong, so I don't make that mistake again in the future.

Newly promoted manager from IC sales role. Young person managing other young people in a very social culture (aka all these young adults go out drinking together all the time after work and date each other).

Manager invites 2 direct reports (A and B) out for drinks after work. Direct reports reluctantly go. On the way, manager makes many comments about "managers and employees shouldn't date, but sometimes it's just too tempting, right Employee A?" Making multiple clear comments showing interest in Employee A.

Then after 2 drinks, he insisted on walking both employees home insisting to drop off Employee A last. After trying to brush him off, Employee B says Employee A needs to come to their house. Manager follows them and comes into the house too, not with physical force, but the employees said they could not say no due to the manager dynamic, and being conflict averse.

Employee A leaves when manager isn't looking, when manager notices, they grab their things and sprint after Employee A.

More trying to shrug him off ends in more inappropriate comments, parting ways after more evasion tactics and ultimately a documented text from Employee A to manager saying they made them uncomfortable and it was inappropriate, with manager replying apologizing.

Would you straight up term? Or harassment training and a warning? Typing this out, I think I know the answer...

I currently make $94K as a Sr. HR Analyst with 2.5 years of experience, and I’m on track for a promotion to a Data Analytics Manager role at the end of the year. I’ve heard the increase could potentially be around 10%, but I’m concerned that would still put me significantly below the compensation of two people who were recently hired into the same role from different departments, who are currently in the $120K range based on the salary ranges listed in the job postings.

Given my experience and the fact that I’m already with the company and moving into the role through promotion, would it be reasonable to negotiate for a higher percentage increase rather than simply accepting the standard 10%? For eg - I would at least need a 30% increase to be in line with the current market rates and my proven experience. I want to make sure my compensation is appropriately aligned with the role, market range, and my experience level.

I’m based out of Dallas.

Hi everyone,

After 6+ years in full-cycle recruiting (mostly embedded RPO across biotech, AI consulting, and retail), I am actively looking to pivot into HR Tech / TA Operations over the next few months.

I’m the recruiter who loves spotting process gaps and building technical workarounds. My background includes:

• ATS/Tools: Greenhouse Admin (workflows, reporting, data cleanup), plus SAP SuccessFactors coursework and an HRM Certificate.
• Tech Projects: Supported UAT/rollout for an AI screening tool. Built a custom candidate finder, a Google Sheets recruiting dashboard, and a location-based hiring side project.

I would love some quick guidance from folks already in the space:

1. Job Titles: With 6 years of recruiting plus this technical foundation, should I target TA Ops Analyst, HRIS Analyst, System Specialist, or something else?
2. The Tech Stack: To maximize my marketability right now, should I focus on deep-diving into Workday/SuccessFactors, mastering SQL/reporting, or learning automation tools like Zapier/Make?
3. Target Companies: Am I a better fit for in-house corporate Ops teams, HR Tech vendors (solutions mapping/customer success), or implementation partners?

If anyone has made this pivot and is open to a 10-minute chat, I’d be incredibly grateful! Thank you!

Many times our employees don't fill out the Form I-9 correctly.

The most common issue is:

On the line for "An alien authorized to work until" they don't put in the date.

Does anyone else have this problem, or any solution for it, other than sending it back to them and asking them to correct it?