Basicly, HR has been an annoyance to be swatted away every so often. They create stupid little "action items" and them expect you to pretend these items are important. Like making everybody sign off that they have read the 50 page T&E guidelines, even the people who will NEVER travel for the company.
Don't blame HR, fool. Blame the unions, trial lawyers and the courts. We require everyone to sign an acknowledgement form indicating that they received any one of our policies, including employee handbooks.
Why? For represented employees, if we discipline them for violating a work policy, we will lose the grievance arbitration if they demonstrate that they didn't receive the policy.
For non-represented employees, if we terminate their employment for violating a work policy we will lose the resulting trial if they demonstrate that they didn't receive the policy.
In both instances we have to reinstate the employee, pay them retoactively for lost pay, and then continue to deal now with a problem employee.
So complain all you want, dipshit. The fact is that you do not know what you are talking about.
HR saves organizations gobs of cash by developing efficient compensation plans, avoiding costly litigation over wrongful terminations, and negotiating fair collective bargaining agreements.
BTW - what do you do, B?