Archived HR confidentiality

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I just want to find out your opinion on what I should do about a situation.

African American team leader who had some concerns that there were some racial bias going on in my store. I went to my African American Human Resources Executive to talk to her about it. out of 15 leadrs in the building, there are only two African American leader so naturally I went to vent to her about it. Mostly because I feel comfortable talking to her about it and I knew that I could relate to her on that level. The next thing I knew, the (White)store team leader pulled me into his office with a notebook and pen and started asking me all these questions about it and I basically got scared and then I denied saying that to HR. I really don't know what to do from here. I feel like there was a better way to handle the situation since it was so racially sensitive, I feel like another black person should have been a part of that conversation... I guess I just want to know if I am overreacting, now I also have concerns about going back to my HR because I thought that the conversation was going to be confidential...am I wrong to feel like this store team leader should not have handled it this way? I felt very uncomfortable.
 
Welcome to The Break Room.

Sorry to say I don't think this is a racial matter so much as it's a Spot CYA matter.
HR went to the STL because she was worried that something was going to blow up and make Spot look bad.
It promptly became the Stls job to make sure nothing like that happened.

There was no chance your conversation was going to be confidential from the people above her, you just have to face that fact.
Whatever the problem is, HRs real job is to make sure it doesn't cause problems for Spot.
You probably need to get on the Hotline to make sure the big guys are in on this and that they don't try and sweep it under the rug at the store level.

Stand your ground, don't let them scare you or bully you.
 
I am thinking that stl was asking questions, due to the seriousness of the events. My suggestion is, to ask your hr to be present with the stl & talk to the stl again. There could be others who have reported the same events too.
 
100% agree! hotline, hotline hotline. be ready to write down a reference number at the end of the convo... i am sure they will want more info.
 
Just for reference, what percentage of your store's population is African American? Do you think African American team members were passed over for promotions because of race or people who were equally qualified for a position but weren't chosen?
I agree with everyone else. Those kinds of conversations are so sensitive, she probably felt she needed to take a partner. There might even be a Target rule about it.
I've gone to HR in the past about situations I wanted to talk out/vent about, and told her just needed to talk things out, I wasn't trying to cause trouble. As far as I know, those conversations stayed between her and I, but you have to know that there is always a chance that things you say to ETLs (hell, anyone, anywhere, ever), aren't always going to stay private. Maybe your approach sounded accusatory? Not sure.

Sorry this took this turn for you. Hopefully you don't feel too uncomfortable now. You might just want to go back to your STL and tell him why you backtracked. He knows you said it to HR even though you later denied it. I truthfully don't feel they mismanaged the situation though. If you feel that any discrimination is going on with the hiring of leadership, you probably do need to contact the TM hotline, b/c those decisions are being made by your bosses and their bosses, so going to your bosses and theirs probably won't help. At this point, they'll know its you calling, but that doesn't mean its not the right thing to do. good luck!
 
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