Personell or Human Resources?

[tech3149]

I'm an old fart so I remember when employee services was referred to as Personell not Human Resources.
Have you ever thought about the difference in meaning of the two terms?
I quit working for a wage in 2002. It was primarily because there was no way i could see myself as part of an organization, I was just a resource to be used and thrown away.
We are now descending into the "gig" economy where the "employer" has no responsibility to those that make money for them.
How bad does it have to get?

[greymattermom]

1. I think the gig economy works both ways

Trained and experienced employees will leave on no notice for a few more dollars an hour. Soon, some companies will realize how much they spend with high turnover. I hope so, anyway.

[Xipe Totec]

2. They chose Human Resources because Soylent Green was copyrighted. nt

[hollysmom]

13. too bad you can't like replies - I was thinking of this the other day

With the hiding the labeling of food and corporate run countries - and then Soylent green popped into my mind.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

16. ^That's brilliant. To the OP, Frank Luntzism are ubiquitous

They're trying to put a "human" side on the inhumane department that (1) fires, (2) laysoff, (3) downsizes, (4) restructures its (1) employees, (2) headcount.

[tech3149]

17. You should get Duzy for that one!

[Gormy Cuss]

18. Hit the nail squarely on the head. n/t

[underpants]

3. It's and actual PC phrase

Like the Department of Defense ( formerly Dept of War)

[lunatica]

4. They changed it in UC Berkeley to Human Capital Resources

How's that for downgrading us to just capital? Pretty sorry isn't it? At least Human Resources and Personnel still referred to us as people. Now we're just capital.

[MH1]

7. Well... just to be contrarian ....

"Human Capital" recognizes that workers have value distinct from their role as cogs in the machine.

Well that is how I always understood it anyway.

It really doesn't matter, the business world will always keep coming up with new buzzwords. We drones just need to stay on top of the current lexicon.

[lunatica]

11. Our idiot Director talks about us as horse trading.

He emailed all the managers and supervisors letting them know he expected some serious horse trading regarding the employees in the next meeting and the email got out.

I don't think he meant is as a compliment.

[dumbcat]

5. Personnel

nt

[LiberalElite]

6. Years ago when an atty I worked for who was fed up with his job said

"we're all just fungible assets" I was shocked but he was correct. IOW, we can all be replaced, like a piece of furniture.

[packman]

8. An old Slovakia saying

When a farmer's horse dies, he goes out and buys another horse.

An interchangeable part, no one is indispensable - we're all throw aways.

[LiberalElite]

10. Yup. nt

[Rex]

9. Human capital. It changed again under Bush/Cheney.

We are now only known as human capital.

[IDemo]

12. And the 'Human' part isn't even bothered with in many cases

"I will need more resources to complete the project" is understood by all without the additional people adjective.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. I've always felt Personnel was the colder sounding of the two.

[tk2kewl]

15. Quote from my dad RE HR:

"There's nothing humane or resourceful about them"