If it feels like everyone’s piling on HR lately, you’re not imagining it. A recent article in the Financial Review: “Why is everyone piling on HR these days” captures a growing tension: employees doubt HR’s neutrality, while executives want harder evidence that people initiatives move the needle.
It’s a squeeze from both sides that makes HR unusually exposed at the very moment work is getting more complex (AI, hybrid, cost constraints).
Why do employees hesitate? Does it matter?
A persistent perception is that HR’s first duty is to the organisation, not the individual. That perception erodes trust and, with it, early reporting and early resolution. Research and commentary[1] have tracked this trust gap for years and suggest clearer roles and better problem-solving pathways to rebuild confidence.
At the same time, what employees want from work has evolved: work-life balance, security and a fair process. The expectation – reality gap is still sending talent out the door, even in a cooler market[2].
[1] How HR Lost Employees’ Trust — and How to Get It Back
Today’s HR must hold multiple truths at once:
- Protect the enterprise and support the individual.
- Deliver compliance and psychological safety.
- Navigate AI-driven change while justifying people investments with outcomes data.
That dual mandate is intensified in Australia, where employers carry a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment and related harms – proactively, not reactively – and must also manage psychosocial hazards under WHS laws. In short, it’s not enough to respond to incidents – organisations must show active, systemic prevention[1].
The missing middle: A safe and impartial first stop
Here’s where an off-the-record avenue like Ombpoint fits in. A workplace resolution support service gives employees a confidential, impartial place to reality-check concerns, weigh options, and plan constructive next steps without immediately formalising a complaint.
Done well, this:
- Catches issues early
- Builds capability by coaching employees and managers on practical next moves.
- Strengthens HR’s mission by funnelling better-prepared, better-framed matters into HR when formal action is actually needed.
It’s important to highlight that services like these do not replace HR. They complement it – providing a low-friction ‘side door’ for sense-checking and de-escalation, while keeping the ‘front door’ (HR’s formal channels) intact for policy application, investigations, and organisational action.
How does this help HR and not just employees?
- Earlier signal, lower risk. Anonymous trend data from an external, impartial channel gives HR line of sight on hotspots before they crystallise into investigations or claims – aligning directly with positive-duty expectations for prevention.
- Better case quality. When employees do step into a formal HR process, their concerns are clearer, options explored, and documentation tidier – saving HR time and reducing misalignment. Employees often engage in these formal processes with a better sense of what are likely outcomes given their situation.
- Psychosocial risk control. Offering a safe, impartial pathway is itself a control measure under WHS approaches to psychosocial risk management (identify → assess → control → review).
What about lawyers?
Legal advice is vital, especially for serious or rights-based matters. But they are escalatory by design and can harden positions early.
A neutral, impartial conversation can often stabilise the situation first, clarify goals, and help the person decide if formal escalation is actually the right next move. Recent reporting shows why some workers are turning to independent advisers for exactly this “behind-the-scenes” coaching before they engage formal channels[1].
The bottom line
Giving people a safe, impartial first stop reduces downstream conflict, meets Australia’s prevention-first obligations, and makes HR more effective at what only HR can do i.e. uphold standards, run fair processes, and build a psychologically safe workplace. That’s not a workaround, it’s an advantage.
How can Ombpoint help your organisation?
Ombpoint can tailor a safe, impartial first stop solution to support your people. Contact us today at hello@ombpoint.com
