Human Resources professionals are the conscience of the company, as well as the keepers of confidential information. As you serve the needs of top management, you also monitor officers’ approaches to employees to ensure proper ethics are observed.
You need to be able to push back when they aren’t, to keep the firm on the straight and narrow. Not an easy responsibility! Of course, you always handle appropriately, and never divulge to any unauthorized person, confidential information about anyone in the organization.
How is an HR employee supposed to know who is and who is not an authorized person (employee in the same company) that is permitted confidential information (e.g., providing the salary of another person, which can be a common request for federal contract compliance)??