History Main / InhumanResources

* The Damocles consulting firm in the Creator/TimDorsey novels exists purely to write reports that recommend that their clients lay off the number of employees they want to lay off in order to up their stock prices. They effectively are there so that the managers can blame the layoffs on the consultants. This gets screwed up by Jim Davenport, who had a nasty habit of writing reports recommending that the managers fix actual problems.

Human Resources ([[HumanResources no, not that kind]]) is a department [[AcceptableProfessionalTargets with a very bad press]] -- perhaps no wonder, seeing as they're almost only ever shown firing employees. When it comes to any of their other responsibilities, [[NoSuchThingAsHR they're nowhere to be seen]]. This character comes in two flavors:

See also GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity, NoSuchThingAsHR. Subtrope of AcceptableProfessionalTargets.

* Subversion on ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' ("[[Recap/CheersS3E21 The Executive's Executioner]]"), where Norm was briefly one of these, because he ''wasn't'' cold about it. He empathized with the firee and often took the firing worse than they did. Then came the time he had to fire himself...

* ''Film/OfficeSpace'' has [[NamesTheSame The Bobs]], a [[ThoseTwoGuys two-man team]] of these. [[spoiler: When Peter goes into a meeting with a devil-may-care attitude, fully expecting to lose his job, the opposite happens, and he finds himself promoted, the team thinking his responses are a result of lack of being challenged. ]]

!!Examples of type A:

!!Examples of Type B:

->''"I prefer to think of myself as Director of Disgruntled Cat Toys" ''
-->-- '''[[ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}} Catbert]]''', [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Evil Director of Human Resources]].

Human Resources ([[HumanResources no, not that kind]]) is a department [[AcceptableProfessionalTargets with a very bad press]] -- perhaps no wonder, seeing as they're almost only ever shown firing employees. When it comes to any of their other responsibilities, [[NoSuchThingAsHR they're nowhere to be seen]]. This character comes in two flavours:

* The [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} GLaDOS-esque]] narrator in the [[http://sockpuppet.us/ Sockpuppet]] song [[http://music.sockpuppet.us/track/sorry-to-inform-you Sorry to Inform You]].

* Subversion on ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', where Norm was briefly one of these, because he ''wasn't'' cold about it. He empathized with the firee and often took the firing worse than they did. Then came the time he had to fire himself...

* Alec Baldwin's OneSceneWonder in ''Film/GlengarryGlenRoss'' as hatchet man Blake, threatening to fire the worst-performing salesmen at the end of the week.

* Subverted by ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', as Michael Scott acts like Toby Flenderson is one of these, but Toby is really just doing his job, and is in fact one of the [[OnlySaneMan sanest]] and [[NiceGuy nicest]] characters in the show. At worst, he's a boring stick-in-the-mud.

* George Clooney's Ryan in ''Film/UpInTheAir''. He thinks his work is worthy, necessary and even has dignity. The movie is the examination of his theory. His Foil is Alex, a NaiveNewcomer of a girl that has been recently hired by Ryan's company and thinks she has a revolutionary idea in making firings through video chat. Sure enough, it saves money in traveling budgets, but Ryan is able to save his job by pointing out that the feeling of inhumanity that obviously comes from talking to some guy through a computer just makes fired people even more nervous.

* George Clooney in ''Film/UpInTheAir''. He thinks his work is worthy, necessary and even has dignity. The movie is the examination of his theory.

Not related to HumanResources.

* The Damocles consulting firm in the Creator/TimDorsey novels exists purely to write reports that recommend that their clients lay off the amount of employees they want to lay off in order to up their stock prices. They effectively are there so that the managers can blame the layoffs on the consultants. This gets screwed up by Jim Davenport, who had a nasty habit of writing reports recommending that the managers fix actual problems.

* Grahame Coats in ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' often fires employees after 11 months for the sole reason that once they've worked there for a year, they're legally entitled to a severance package. In contrast, when someone hacks into his computer and threatens to expose his embezzlement, he gives him a raise and two weeks paid leave. And then frames him and calls the police.

* Alec Baldwin's OneSceneWonder in ''GlengarryGlenRoss'' as hatchet man Blake, threatening to fire the worst-performing salesmen at the end of the week.

* Dale became one of these in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' (during a TenMinuteRetirement from being an exterminator). He started out nervously telling someone to get out, then later went mad with power and started firing people left and right for shits and giggles. He even threatened to fire Nancy and Joseph from ''being his family''.

* Anthony Hopkins plays one of these in the Australian comedy film ''{{Spotswood}}''.
* The Damocles consulting firm in the TimDorsey novels exists purely to write reports that recommend that their clients lay off the amount of employees they want to lay off in order to up their stock prices. They effectively are there so that the managers can blame the layoffs on the consultants. This gets screwed up by Jim Davenport, who had a nasty habit of writing reports recommending that the managers fix actual problems.

* ''Film/OfficeSpace'' has [[NamesTheSame The Bobs]], a [[ThoseTwoGuys two-man team]] of these.

* George Clooney in ''UpInTheAir''. He thinks his work is worthy, necessary and even has dignity. The movie is the examination of his theory.