Four Myths about Human Resources

All government employees have a love/hate relationship with human resources – from the paperwork and 45-step processes to the dreaded “well, it depends” answer to anything you ask. I hope that my experience from the other side can help de-mystify and re-humanize human resources for you.      

Let’s start by correcting four myths about human resources, including misconceptions about the role of human resources staff. 

Myth 1: My personnel records are accurate.

Maybe not.  A senior human resources manager at my first federal agency taught me a valuable lesson - do not trust the government to keep track of your information.  You need to keep track of it yourself!  She told me horror stories of employees who were eagerly awaiting retirement, and when they finally filed their application, they found their official personnel file was missing SF-50s and their total years of service (as documented by their incomplete personnel file) fell short of the requirement.   

How does this happen?  Humans are not perfect.  Plus, if you work for multiple agencies within the federal government over your career, your personnel file might have bounced around to numerous human resources offices.  The more people who touch your records, the higher the risk of error.  Those errors could be minor or major.  

I encourage you to take the advice I was given and keep a copy of every SF-50 in your own files. If only those employees from the horror story had copies of their SF-50s, they could have enjoyed retired life much earlier! During my time as a federal employee, I downloaded a complete copy of my personnel file at every major change (new appointment, promotion, resignation, etc.).  

Your human resources office should be able to provide you with instructions on how to download your official personnel file electronically.  Remember, you are your best advocate!

Myth 2: Performance Appraisals don’t matter.

While you and your supervisor may have treated performance appraisals as a check the box exercise in the past, performance appraisals matter and they will have an increasingly significant impact on your federal career in the future.  

First, performance appraisals may be used in the hiring process.  Some agencies request performance appraisals when you apply for a position on USAJOBS.  As long as your appraisal has meaningful feedback, this can be a valuable source of information for a hiring manager.  While you may not have been asked for an appraisal yet, I have been required to upload an appraisal to USAJOBS to apply for a position and it certainly made me feel more confident that I had a complete and thorough appraisal to provide to a prospective employer.  Appraisals can also be a good source of information when updating your resume!

Second, performance ratings may be used to determine performance-based awards and other recognition.  Generally, a higher rating means a higher reward.  This can vary greatly by your organization, but keep in mind that many organizations use performance ratings as the primary, or at least a contributing, factor for rewards and recognition.  

Third, and most important, performance ratings are one of four factors considered during a reduction in force (RIF).  Those four factors are: tenure of employment, military preference, length of service, and performance ratings.  On March 5, 2026, OPM proposed a new rule that would prioritize performance over seniority in a RIF (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04377/reduction-in-force).  This rule has not been implemented yet (it is open for public comment until May 4, 2026); however, I am confident that we will continue to see a stronger emphasis on merit vice seniority.

Bottomline – Your performance appraisal matters and it will matter even more in the months and years to come. 

Myth 3: My HR specialist will tell me what to do if I receive a disciplinary or adverse action.

No!  HR specialists advise management.  They do not (and cannot) advise employees.  Your HR specialist might be kind and a really good listener, but they should not advise you beyond answering basic procedural questions.  This can be hard to understand and frustrating for employees - they want to know who their advocate is.  Unfortunately, HR is not it.  If you are member of a bargaining unit, there might a union representative to assist, but if not, then it is on you to seek outside counsel (an attorney like me!)  Except for union representatives, the federal government does not employ employee advocates for disciplinary matters.

Myth 4: Anything I tell my HR specialist will be kept confidential.

Also, no!  Again, HR specialists are management advisors.  Your HR specialist cannot promise you confidentiality (even if they say they say they can).  You should not share any information with your HR specialist that you would not want to be shared with management.   

When I was an HR professional, I advised employees upfront that I was a management advisor, and I could not promise confidentiality.  For example, what if they told me they witnessed their manager sexually harassing their co-worker?  As an HR specialist, I would have been obligated to inform management so that they could put a stop to it.  This is not meant to discourage you from reporting concerns to HR, but you should understand that complete anonymity cannot be promised given HR's role in supporting the organization (not you).    

Bonus Myth:  Based on Myths 3 and 4, it sounds like Human Resources does not care about me and they will always side with management. 

Not true.  HR specialists just have a very specific role to fill, and they certainly do not always side with a manager.  HR is required to provide advice and guidance to the organization (not to specific managers).  If a specific manager steps out of line, then HR should advise another leader in your organization on how to discipline that manager.  

Also, as a former HR professional, I can tell you that I cared very much about the employees in the organizations that I supported.  I tried my best to provide valuable information to the workforce as a whole and to individual employees.  However, that job became more difficult when individual and organizational interests begin to diverge.  This is when it is important for employees to seek their own advocates to ensure their rights and interests are protected.