Current Events > I don't like my current department at my job. Can I talk to HR?

(+) Yeah! (+)

And asked to be transferred out to another department. I work in a facility that has 3 major departments. The warehouse, the production or assembly floor, and then the office/customer service.

I started out in the production area and assembly floor. I liked it actually, looking back, anyway. Could use ear buds and just zone out.

But I also like driving forklift and such so I saw an opening for the warehouse and took it.

Little did I know only the top dudes get to do that. I've been stuck unloading trucks and then sorting individual packages by the same part number. I'm talking 1000s of boxes each with different numbers, etc etc. and you have limited time and space to do so in our undersized warehouse. Then our boss in the warehouse sucks whereas the old one one the floor was cool. Ever since I joined the warehouse I've dreaded going to work.

They have internal openings for jobs back on the floor and in the Customer Service area. Would it be considered rude or in bad faith to email HR and let them know my concerns about my current position and that I'd like to transfer back and re-apply to the internal openings?

I mean, people change departments back and forth all the time, right?

I just can't stand unloading trucks and sorting thousands of packages daily. The assembly line work was just a few parts that you put together and pass along to the next person....

Tldr if you're unhappy at work, talking to HR and letting them know you'd like to transfer areas is a good thing...right?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


I do, but they direct supervisor is brand new taking over for the old one who just retired. I feel he is kinda exacerbating the issues in a way. I'm kinda intimidated by that dude. Like his presence is really forceful compared to the old one.

I wouldn't contact HR, I'd simply apply for one of the other positions. Then when asked why you want to switch again simply tell them it isnt what you thought it would be. I wouldn't gripe about not getting a turn on the forklift, in those types of environments you have to put in your shit job time before becoming an operator. "Earn your keep" as they often put it.

HR is not going to help you. Use connections within the company to find another position and just get out.

Cuticrusader09 posted...

HR is not going to help you. Use connections within the company to find another position and just get out.

I see. I've heard varying things on HR. Sometimes they help, sometimes they hurt. I I know technically they exist to protect the company, but I've once had a similar situation where I needed to transfer and they were helpful (different job years ago). So maybe HR is slightly different at each company?

Baker_Mayfield posted...

I see. I've heard varying things on HR. Sometimes they help, sometimes they hurt. I I know technically they exist to protect the company, but I've once had a similar situation where I needed to transfer and they were helpful (different job years ago). So maybe HR is slightly different at each company?

Correct, HR exists to keep the company out of legal trouble. If there's an outside threat of legal issues they'll side with whoever that affects. The vast majority of the time with an internal issues HR will side with management. So if you go talking shit about your department to HR, probably not good for you.

This doesn't really sound like an HR thing. It sounds like despite being a shitty job, everything is on the up and up. HR doesn't make hiring decisions, they just keep things legally sound. This is a management problem, you would need to speak to management.

I don't know how things officially work in your company, or how big it is. Do you have twenty employees? A hundred? A thousand?

A lot of jobs, especially in large factories, are union and have contracts with strict rules for how pretty much everything works, including changing positions. If your job works like this, a talk with anyone whether HR or a supervisor or whatever probably won't do anything.

Where I work, to change jobs requires you to go through what we call bidding. It's not what it sounds like, though. It's just applying for the different position. However, that position has to first be available and then there's rules for how the position is awarded. If you and eight other people try for the position, the company weeds out anyone not eligible (for example, you're on a final warning for job performance or missing a lot of work) and usually goes by seniority (how long you've been there.) Some positions require a more formal interview and are based on qualifications, like if you want to be a maintenance tech or in a leadership role. At my job, going to HR is pointless for switching job roles.

It's possible. It's not better though.