HR is not there to be your friend. It’s there to protect the company
November 9, 2017

When Susan Fowler found herself on the receiving end of inappropriate chats from her male manager, she documented the exchange and reported him to the company’s human resource department. Fowler, who was at the time an engineer at Uber, thought they would handle the situation. Instead, she was told to either find another team or remain in her current position and risk getting a negative performance review from that manager later on.


This was the first in a series of disappointing interactions that Fowler had with the company’s human resource department. After she left the company, Fowler wrote a widely shared blog about her experience, which triggered an internal investigation and eventually led to the firing of more than 20 employees. It also raised important questions about the way that human resources departments deal with issues like sexual harassment and discrimination. What role should HR play at a company? And why did Uber’s HR department do nothing to protect Fowler?


Turns out, the role of HR was never to protect employees. Their number one priority was always to protect the company. It just so happens that sometimes the two align.


From keeping unions out to being compliance cop

Human resources departments started in the early 1900s when companies were trying to figure out how to reduce turnover and maximize performance through new compensation systems. The HR staff would conduct exit interviews and collect grievances about issues that caused companies to lose employees or led to unionization efforts.


"By the 1930s human resources started to become and be seen as advocates for employees and the reason for that, frankly, was because companies were trying to keep unions out,” explained Peter Cappelli, professor of management at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Center for Human Resources. “The idea of being able to tell people at the top of the company: ‘Hey, the workers are unhappy about this’ really mattered because they cared whether workers were unhappy because they thought they might unionize otherwise. In that period, HR developed this kind of reputation as being the workers' advocate and that's probably true up to 1970.”


Then in the 1980s, union membership began to drop off and companies no longer wanted to hear about what people wanted. They had other things to worry about — like making sure that they were complying with all of the new worker protection laws that were being passed.


"By that period, HR's mandate kind of shifted to protecting the company,” said Cappelli. The main task for HR was — how do we stay out of trouble with the government? “In those periods, we started to see HR becoming much more of the compliance cop and trying to make people behave on issues of sexual harassment, discrimination, those sort of things," he explained.


And while the main mandate was to protect the company, sometimes that also meant protecting employees — like if they were being discriminated against by their line manager or harassed. In this case, HR would want to interfere to protect the employee from their manager in order to prevent a potential lawsuit.


This is also why a lot of the sexual harassment claims in the workplace end up being settled, instead of going to court. Typically, such settlements come with a non-disclosure agreement, which ends up protecting the company’s reputation.


Should you trust HR?

While employees should not think of HR as an employee advocate, there should be an expectation that HR would take employee complaints seriously, according to Cappelli.


“When someone is breaking the law, the expectation should be that they are not going to blow you off,” he said. "They are the company's representative. They are protecting the company. In some cases that means taking what you say really seriously."


However, not everyone trusts HR to handle these types of situations — especially not if they have had an experience similar to Fowler’s.


“I desperately wanted to not have to interact with HR ever again,” Fowler wrote in her blog.


While 61 percent of employees believe that trust between employees and management is important, just 33 percent are actually satisfied with their relationship, according to the 2017 survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.


Uber does not deny that its HR department failed in its handling of Fowler’s complaints.


“As I dug into several issues in Susan's blog, it was very clear to me that she wasn't well-served by the HR team,” Liane Hornsey, who joined Uber as chief human resources officer just weeks before Fowler’s blog was published, told the Associated Press.


Afterwards, Uber held 200 listening sessions with its employees. Yet most complaints that echoed Fowler’s did not come up during those. Instead, they were submitted over the anonymous “integrity” hotline set-up by the company.


Investors want robust HR ... to protect their investment

Hornsey told the AP that the HR team at Uber was “inadequate numerically” and that junior employees were “given too much to do without enough guidance.”


“What happens is in a startup that is super successful, that is absolutely the business end just growing, growing. Often the processes and the support functions get left behind,” she said.


Uber is an example of how not to do things when it comes to HR, said Raffaella Sadun, a professor at Harvard Business School who focuses on strategy, management and organizational change. According to her, many founders think they can do everything themselves and have a tendency not to delegate even as the company grows.


"Making that shift is not easy because it goes against the primal instinct of the founders, in majority of the cases," explained Sadun.


That might be why Uber did not hire its first official head of HR until 2014. By then, the company already had around 500 employees, according to Recode. Uber employees who spoke with Recode said that Travis Kalanick, the founder and then-CEO, believe HR’s job was “largely to recruit talent and also efficiently let go of personnel when needed.”


Kalanick is not the only one to think like this.


While investors are concerned about compliance with anti-discrimination and equal employment opportunity regulations, their main concern is whether the company they are investing in has the right talent to be competitive, said Bill Filip, who advises investors as a co-founder and managing director of Delancey Street Partners.


“If you do not have a strategic and thoughtful HR capability I think you're at much bigger risk of literally being uncompetitive or irrelevant in your market space,” he said. “I honestly think that the companies are winning today are winning because they understand that they have to have the best talent. I know that sounds really trite but it is absolutely true and there's so many great market examples of that.”


Investors should insist on robust HR departments at startups because many modern entrepreneurs have never worked for big companies and as a result “never learned this stuff,” said Cappelli.


"It's fair to say that the kind of people that start companies, typically are people who don't know much about management,” Cappelli said. "Then you start seeing companies like Uber where they think it's perfectly normal to fondle people in the office and do shots as part of company meetings," he added.


https://www.marketplace.org/2017/10/30/business/human-resources-protect-employee-employer

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5 Benefits of Automating Open Enrollment with an HCM Platform

August 5, 2026
Originally published July 15, 2025 | Updated August 2026 Open enrollment season can quickly become a yearly juggling act of compliance requirements, employee questions and administrative work. If your team is still managing benefits through spreadsheets, emails and disconnected systems, a more streamlined approach may be worth considering. At Simco, we have seen firsthand how automating open enrollment through a unified Human Capital Management , or HCM, platform can make the process easier for HR teams and employees alike. Here are five benefits of making the switch. 1. Reduce Errors and Save Time Through Automation Manual benefits administration often requires information to be entered, reviewed and updated across multiple systems. That creates more opportunities for mistakes, delays and inconsistent records. A unified HCM platform connects benefits information with HR and payroll data, reducing duplicate entry and helping ensure that enrollment changes are reflected accurately throughout the system. Benefits can include: Real-time updates when an employee’s status or eligibility changes More consistent application of eligibility rules Fewer manual payroll deduction updates Less time spent answering repetitive enrollment questions By reducing routine administrative work, HR teams can spend more time preparing employees for enrollment and addressing situations that require personal support. 2. Give Employees a Smoother Self-Service Experience Employees are accustomed to managing many parts of their lives online, from banking and shopping to scheduling appointments. Benefits enrollment should offer that same level of convenience. Through a centralized self-service platform, employees can review available plans, compare options, make elections and update personal or dependent information from one place. This can help employees feel more informed and confident throughout the process while reducing the number of questions directed to HR. The need for a better experience is clear. According to our technology partner isolved’s 2026 Voice of the Workforce report, 70% of employees say benefits enrollment is stressful , including 38% who describe it as extremely stressful . Employees also identified easier plan and cost comparisons and technology that simplifies enrollment as two of the most important ways employers could improve the benefits experience. 3. Support Compliance Without the Last-Minute Scramble Open enrollment involves a range of federal, state and plan-specific requirements. HR teams may need to monitor employee eligibility, manage coverage changes, distribute required notices and maintain accurate enrollment records. When benefits information is spread across spreadsheets, email threads and disconnected systems, gathering the necessary details can become time-consuming and difficult to verify. A comprehensive HCM platform can help build more consistency into the process through configured eligibility rules, organized records, reporting tools and structured workflows. While technology does not replace professional compliance guidance, it can reduce manual errors and make it easier to prepare for deadlines, audits and reporting requirements. 4. Strengthen the Employee Experience Benefits are an important part of the overall employee experience. However, even a strong benefits package can lose some of its value when the enrollment process feels confusing, stressful or difficult to navigate. According to isolved’s 2026 Voice of the Workforce report, 40% of employees say a poor benefits enrollment experience would prompt them to look for a new job . Employees also reported that the top improvements they would like to see include: Easier comparisons between plans and costs: 60% Technology that simplifies enrollment: 50% More affordable options: 48% More flexible or customizable options: 34% A streamlined enrollment experience can demonstrate that an employer values employees’ time and wants to help them make informed decisions about their coverage. Providing clear information, accessible technology and an organized process can help improve employee confidence, engagement and satisfaction. 5. Free Up Valuable Time for Your HR Team Open enrollment season often brings a significant increase in administrative work. HR teams may be answering employee questions, checking enrollment elections, updating dependent information, reviewing eligibility and coordinating payroll deductions, all within a limited timeframe. When benefits management is manual or spread across several systems, much of that time is spent entering information, reconciling records and correcting avoidable errors. Automating open enrollment can reduce repetitive data entry and create a more organized workflow. This gives HR professionals more time to focus on employee communication, strategic planning, talent development and other initiatives that support the organization. The right technology does not remove the human element from open enrollment. It gives HR teams more capacity to provide meaningful support where employees need it most. Is Your Open Enrollment Process Ready? Your organization may benefit from a more automated approach if: Employee information must be entered into multiple systems HR manually tracks elections, missing forms or eligibility changes Payroll deductions require separate updates or reconciliation Employees frequently ask where to find plan information Last-minute changes regularly create additional administrative work A unified HCM platform can connect benefits enrollment with HR, payroll and employee self-service, creating a more consistent experience for everyone involved. At Simco, we help employers use HCM technology to support the full employee lifecycle. Our team can assist with system setup, benefits enrollment, payroll integration and ongoing support so your organization can approach open enrollment with greater confidence. Contact us today to learn how a unified HCM platform can help make your benefits process more organized, accurate and employee-friendly.

HCM vs. WCM: What the Next Evolution of Workforce Technology Means for Employers

July 29, 2026
For years, Human Capital Management, or HCM, has helped employers bring important workforce functions together in one place. Payroll, HR, benefits, timekeeping, onboarding, talent management, and employee records can all live within a connected system rather than being managed through separate tools and manual processes. That foundation is still essential; what is changing is the workforce itself. Artificial intelligence is no longer limited to helping employees draft an email or summarize a document. AI tools are beginning to take on more active roles inside businesses, including completing tasks, monitoring activity, identifying risks, and supporting decisions. That shift is creating a new question for employers: How do you manage a workforce that may eventually include both people and AI agents? isolved, our HCM technology partner, is introducing a new category called Workforce Capital Management , or WCM, to address that question. What Is Human Capital Management (HCM)? Human Capital Management refers to the systems and processes organizations use to manage their employees throughout the employment lifecycle. A connected HCM platform may support areas such as: Recruiting and onboarding Payroll and tax administration Time and attendance Benefits enrollment HR records and compliance Performance and talent management Employee self-service For small and mid-sized businesses, the value of HCM is often straightforward. It replaces disconnected systems, reduces duplicate work, improves access to information, and gives employers a more complete view of their workforce. Instead of managing payroll in one system, benefits in another, and employee records through spreadsheets or paper files, HCM brings those functions together. What Is Workforce Capital Management (WCM)? Workforce Capital Management builds on that HCM foundation. The difference is that WCM is designed for a workplace where human employees and AI agents may operate side by side. An AI agent is more than a chatbot that answers a question or a tool that generates content. It can be assigned a specific responsibility, take action within approved boundaries, monitor an ongoing process, and escalate a matter to a person when human judgment is needed. Under isolved’s WCM model, these agents would be managed through the same type of structured oversight businesses already use for employees. That includes defined responsibilities, permissions, accountability, monitoring, and eventual offboarding. In simple terms: HCM manages the employee lifecycle. WCM extends that structure to a blended workforce of people and AI agents. This does not mean replacing the human side of HR. It means giving employers a way to introduce AI with clearer rules, visibility, and accountability. Why Governance Matters Many businesses are already experimenting with AI, sometimes without a formal process for managing it. An employee may use one tool to prepare communications, another to analyze information, and another to help complete administrative work. While these tools may save time, employers may not always have a clear view of what is being used, what information is being accessed, or who is responsible for reviewing the results. That can create practical concerns: Who approves the work an AI agent performs? What information is it allowed to access? How are its actions reviewed? What happens when the system is uncertain? How can the organization document what occurred? When should a person step in? WCM is intended to bring more structure to those questions. Rather than treating AI as software that operates in the background without clear ownership, the model treats each agent as part of the workforce. It has an assigned purpose, operates under established permissions, reports to an accountable human, and remains subject to review. For employers, that structure may become increasingly important as AI begins interacting with sensitive areas such as payroll, benefits, employee records, and compliance. From Assisting With Tasks to Owning Outcomes Most workplace AI tools today are designed to make an individual task faster. They may draft a message, summarize a report, organize information, or help an employee find an answer. The autonomous agents isolved has announced are intended to go further by taking responsibility for a defined outcome while keeping a person involved in the process. The first six agents introduced by isolved are designed around common workforce challenges: The Guardian The Guardian monitors payroll activity and identifies potential problems before payroll closes. The goal is not simply to help someone review payroll more quickly, but to help prevent errors before employees are paid. The Advisor The Advisor supports employees during benefits enrollment by helping guide them through the process based on their individual needs. Its intended outcome is a more complete and accurate enrollment experience. The Signal The Signal looks for early indicators that a valued employee may be at risk of leaving, giving HR and leadership an opportunity to respond before a resignation occurs. The Orchestrator The Orchestrator coordinates onboarding tasks across connected systems so new employees are better prepared for their first day. The Watchdog The Watchdog monitors regulatory changes across the states where an employer operates and helps surface upcoming compliance requirements. The Helper The Helper responds to routine employee HR questions at any time, helping employees receive answers without every request becoming a manual HR ticket. These capabilities are expected to be introduced in phases throughout 2026 and 2027. The isolved Connector for Claude is available now, allowing authorized users to connect their isolved account and ask questions or complete approved actions through natural-language conversations. HCM Is Not Going Away WCM should not be viewed as a replacement for HCM. A business cannot effectively manage AI-supported workforce processes without a reliable foundation underneath them . Accurate employee records, connected payroll and benefits information, defined policies, and clear workflows remain essential. In many ways, the quality of an organization’s HCM foundation will influence how prepared it is to use more advanced technology responsibly. If payroll, HR, benefits, and employee data remain spread across disconnected systems, adding AI may create more complexity rather than less. A connected HCM platform gives employers a cleaner starting point by establishing one system of record and a more consistent set of processes. That is why the shift from HCM to WCM is best understood as an evolution. HCM connects and manages the human workforce. WCM builds on that structure to manage a broader workforce that may include both employees and AI agents. What Does This Mean for Small and Mid-Sized Employers? It may be tempting to view autonomous AI agents as technology intended only for large companies. In reality, smaller and mid-sized employers may have some of the clearest use cases. These businesses often operate with lean HR, payroll, and administrative teams. One person may be responsible for several areas at once, leaving little time for proactive work. Technology that can monitor payroll for possible errors, coordinate onboarding tasks, answer routine employee questions, or flag compliance developments could help relieve some of that administrative pressure. The goal should not be to remove people from the process. It should be to allow people to spend more time where their judgment, experience, and relationships matter most. That may include: Supporting employees through complex situations Developing managers and future leaders Improving workplace communication Strengthening retention efforts Planning for growth Making informed workforce decisions AI may help handle repetitive monitoring and routine activity. Human leaders remain responsible for setting expectations, reviewing outcomes, making judgment calls, and protecting the employee experience. Questions Employers Should Begin Asking Businesses do not need to adopt every new AI capability at once or develop a complete strategy overnight. A more practical approach is to start with a few simple questions focused on current needs, manageable opportunities, and appropriate oversight. Consider asking: What repetitive tasks take the most time away from our team? Is there one process where better automation could reduce errors or follow-up work? Are employees already using AI tools, even informally, to complete their work? What information should always require added care or human review? Who should help evaluate and approve new AI tools as we explore them? Where could AI support our team without replacing personal service or human judgment? Do our current HR, payroll, and benefits systems give us a reliable foundation to build from? Employers don't need to answer every question today, but starting with one or two can help identify practical next steps, create clearer expectations, and make future AI adoption feel more manageable. The Human Role Becomes More Important, Not Less As AI takes on more administrative work, strong leadership and human oversight become even more important. Someone still needs to define the outcome, set the rules, evaluate performance, recognize when context is missing, and step in when a situation requires empathy or judgment. That is especially true in HR, payroll, and benefits, where decisions can directly affect an employee’s pay, coverage, privacy, and experience at work. WCM is not simply about what AI can do. It is about how employers can manage what AI does responsibly. The strongest model is likely to be one where technology and people work together, with AI supporting speed and consistency while humans provide accountability, context, and care. Preparing for What Comes Next The transition from HCM to WCM will not happen overnight. For many employers, the most practical first step is to strengthen the systems and processes they already have. That may mean connecting payroll and HR, reducing manual work, improving employee data, reviewing permissions, or establishing clearer internal policies for AI use. From there, businesses can evaluate new capabilities based on the problems they are trying to solve, not simply because the technology is available. Here at Simco , we believe employers should not have to navigate that change alone. As an isolved Network Partner, we combine connected HCM technology with implementation guidance, responsive support, and practical expertise to help businesses use their systems effectively today while preparing for what comes next. The workforce is evolving, and the opportunity is not to adopt AI as quickly as possible, but to introduce it thoughtfully, with the right foundation, appropriate oversight, and people still firmly at the center.

Hosting a Graduation Party or Summer BBQ? What Upstate NY Homeowners Should Know About Liability

June 5, 2026
June in Upstate New York has a way of bringing everyone outside. Graduation parties fill backyards, grills get fired up, pools open for the season, and weekends start revolving around family, friends, neighbors, and good weather. Most homeowners think about the fun parts of hosting: food, seating, parking, decorations, and whether the weather will cooperate. Insurance is usually not at the top of the checklist. But when you invite people onto your property, you also take on a certain level of responsibility for their safety. That does not mean you should be afraid to host. It simply means it is worth understanding how liability works, where common risks show up, and when it may be a good idea to review your homeowners insurance before summer gatherings begin. What does liability mean for homeowners? Liability, in the context of homeowners insurance, generally refers to your financial responsibility if someone is injured or their property is damaged and you are found legally responsible. For example, a guest could trip on uneven patio stones, fall on a wet pool deck, get bitten by a dog, or be injured during a backyard game. In some situations, the liability portion of a homeowners policy may help with expenses such as legal defense costs, settlements, or medical-related claims, depending on the details of the situation and the terms of the policy. Every policy is different, and coverage depends on the facts of the claim. Still, liability coverage is one of the most important parts of a homeowners policy, especially for people who regularly host guests. Summer gatherings can create more exposure than homeowners realize A typical backyard party may feel casual, but from an insurance perspective, there are a lot of moving pieces. Guests may be walking through your yard, driveway, garage, deck, patio, or pool area. Children may be running around. People may be using stairs, outdoor furniture, grills, fire pits, trampolines, or playsets. If alcohol is served, the level of responsibility can become even more complicated. In Upstate NY, summer entertaining often includes properties with larger yards, older homes, uneven walkways, detached garages, rural driveways, lake access, pools, docks, or recreational vehicles. These features can make a home a wonderful place to gather, but they can also create risks that should be managed thoughtfully. The key question is not, “Could something go wrong?” The better question is, “Have I taken reasonable steps to make the property safe, and do I understand what my insurance may or may not cover?” Common hosting risks to think about before guests arrive Some risks are easy to overlook because they are part of everyday life at home. A loose step you have learned to avoid may not be obvious to a first-time guest. A dog that is comfortable around your family may react differently in a crowded backyard. A pool that feels routine to you may be a major attraction for children at a party. Before hosting, it is worth walking your property the way a guest would. Look for uneven walkways, loose railings, poor lighting, wet surfaces, cluttered stairs, exposed extension cords, unstable outdoor furniture, or areas where children could wander unsupervised. If you have a pool, trampoline, fire pit, grill, pond, dock, or other attractive feature, think carefully about supervision and access. These are often the areas where accidents happen quickly. You don't need to make your home perfect. But taking a few practical steps before a party can reduce the chance of injury and help show that you took safety seriously. Alcohol adds another layer of responsibility Many graduation parties, BBQs, and summer gatherings include alcohol. For hosts, this is an area where caution matters. New York has laws that can create consequences for providing alcohol to minors. Even beyond legal concerns, alcohol can increase the chance of falls, arguments, poor decisions, or unsafe driving after a party. If alcohol will be served, hosts should think about how it will be monitored, especially at graduation parties where underage guests may be present. Keep alcohol in a controlled area, avoid self-serve access for minors, and consider having non-alcoholic options readily available. It is also wise to pay attention to guests who may need a ride or should not be driving. This is not just a legal issue. It is a safety issue, a community issue, and potentially an insurance issue. Are pools, trampolines, and backyard features covered? Many homeowners assume that if something is on their property, it is automatically covered under their policy. That is not always the case. Certain features, such as pools, trampolines, diving boards, treehouses, docks, or recreational equipment, may need to be disclosed to your insurance carrier. Some companies have specific eligibility rules, safety requirements, exclusions, or underwriting guidelines around these risks. For example, an insurer may want to know whether a pool is fenced, whether a trampoline has a safety net, or whether there are certain structures on the property. If your home has changed since your policy was written, your coverage may not reflect your current situation. This is one reason a summer insurance review can be so valuable. If you added a pool, built a deck, installed a fire pit, bought a trampoline, added a dog, or started hosting more often, it may be time to check in with your agent. Why your liability limit matters Homeowners insurance policies include liability limits. That limit is the maximum amount the policy may pay for a covered liability claim, subject to the policy terms. The challenge is that serious injuries can become expensive quickly. Medical bills, legal fees, lost wages, and settlement costs can add up, especially if an accident results in long-term injury. Many homeowners have not looked at their liability limit in years. Some may have selected a limit when they first bought the home and never revisited it. But life changes. Home values change. Assets change. Families grow. Teen drivers, pets, pools, boats, camps, and frequent entertaining can all change your overall risk picture. A higher homeowners liability limit may be available, and some households may also benefit from a personal umbrella policy. When an umbrella policy may be worth discussing A personal umbrella policy provides additional liability protection above the limits of certain underlying policies, such as homeowners, auto, or recreational vehicle insurance. It is designed for larger liability claims where the underlying policy limit may not be enough. For summer hosts, an umbrella policy can be especially worth discussing if you have a pool, own a boat or recreational vehicle, have teen drivers, entertain often, own a rental or seasonal property, or simply want additional protection for your assets. Umbrella coverage is not a replacement for a homeowners policy. It works alongside eligible underlying policies, and it has its own terms, limits, and exclusions. But for many households, it can be a practical way to strengthen their overall protection. Do renters and condo owners need to think about liability too? Yes. Liability is not just a concern for traditional homeowners. If you rent a home or apartment and host friends for a summer gathering, renters insurance may include personal liability coverage. If you own a condo or townhouse, your condo policy may include liability coverage as well. However, the details can vary, and shared spaces may introduce additional considerations. For example, if a guest is injured inside your rented apartment, on your balcony, or in an area you are responsible for maintaining, your policy may come into play. If the injury occurs in a common area, the situation may involve the landlord, property owner, HOA, or condo association. The main point is simple: if you host guests, liability coverage is worth understanding, regardless of whether you own a house. A few simple steps before your next gathering Before your next graduation party, BBQ, pool day, or backyard get-together, take a little time to prepare your property. Make sure walkways are clear, stairs are well lit, railings are secure, and outdoor areas are free of obvious hazards. Keep pets separated if they may become overwhelmed. Supervise pools and play areas. Be thoughtful about alcohol, especially when minors are present. Check that grills, fire pits, and extension cords are placed safely. It is also smart to review your homeowners, renters, or condo insurance before hosting season gets into full swing. Ask about your liability limit, medical payments coverage, any exclusions that may apply, and whether an umbrella policy makes sense for your household. Hosting should feel enjoyable, not stressful Summer gatherings are part of what makes this season special in Upstate NY. Whether you are celebrating a graduate, inviting neighbors over for a cookout, or opening the pool for the first time, a little preparation can go a long way. Insurance may not be the most exciting part of party planning, but it can be one of the most important. Understanding your liability coverage helps you host with more confidence, protect your guests, and avoid surprises if something unexpected happens. Before the guests arrive, take a few minutes to look around your property and review your coverage. It is a small step that can make a big difference. If you are unsure whether your current policy fits your summer plans, our Personal Insurance Team at Simco Insurance & Wealth Management can help you review your options and understand what coverage may make sense for you and your family.

Have a question? Get in touch.