History Main / InhumanResources

* George Clooney in ''UpInTheAir''.

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

* Dale became one of these in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''. 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''.

* 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.

* Catbert, [[RunningGag Evil Director Of Human Resources]], in ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''.

-->-- '''[[ComicStrip/Dilbert Catbert]]''', [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Evil Director of Human Resources]].

-->-- '''Catbert''', [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Evil Director of Human Resources]].

'''[[ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}} The Evil Director Of Human Resources:]]''' This is a permanent employee (or whole department) of a company, who takes perverse pleasure in making the employees as miserable as possible. As well as axing people, he is responsible for such terrifying scenarios as job interviews and raise requests, and will revel in the fear they thus inspire. See BadBoss.

See also GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity, NoSuchThingAsHR. Not related to HumanResources.

'''[[ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}} The Evil Director Of Human Resources:]]''' This is a permanent employee of a company, who takes perverse pleasure in making the employees as miserable as possible. As well as axing people, he is responsible for such terrifying scenarios as job interviews and raise requests, and will revel in the fear they thus inspire. See BadBoss.

* In ''Series/BetterOffTed'', Veridian Dynamics' HR department use a black-ops style strike team for sacking people, physically sweeping them out of the building while a CleanupCrew strips and ''remodels'' their office. Supposedly it's designed to prevent disgruntled employees stealing trade secrets, but it could just as well be ForTheEvulz.

----

* In ''Series/BetterOffTed'' human resources actually has a militaristic strike team for getting rid of people.

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

* Grahame Coats in ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' often fires employees after 11 months for the sole reason that once they've worked there for two years, 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.

* ''Film/OfficeSpace'' has [[EverythingsBetterWithBob The Bobs]], a [[ThoseTwoGuys two-man team]] of these.
** Hilariously, one of them is none other than [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Dr. Cox]].

[[quoteright:204:[[{{Dilbert}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/catbert.gif]]]]

'''[[{{Dilbert}} The Evil Director Of Human Resources:]]''' This is a permanent employee of a company, who takes perverse pleasure in making the employees as miserable as possible. As well as axing people, he is responsible for such terrifying scenarios as job interviews and raise requests, and will revel in the fear they thus inspire. See BadBoss.

* Catbert, [[RunningGag Evil Director Of Human Resources]], in ''{{Dilbert}}''.

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

* Dale became one of these in an episode of ''KingOfTheHill''. 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''.

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

* Subversion on ''{{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...
* In ''BetterOffTed'' human resources actually has a militaristic strike team for getting rid of people.

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:

'''[[{{Dilbert}} The Evil Director Of Human Resources:]]''' This is a permanent employee of a company, who takes perverse pleasure in making the employees as miserable as possible. As well as axing people, he is responsible for such terrifying scenarios as job interviews and raise requests, and will revel in the fear they thus inspire. See BadBoss.

'''The Hatchet Man:''' a [[HiredGuns Hired Gun]] who goes from office to office coldly cutting out the dead wood. While he can't be judged for disloyalty, being unaffiliated with the company, the flipside is that [[strike:firing]] [[strike:downsizing]] [[strike:''right''sizing]] [[UnusualEuphemism Parent/Child Quality Time Enhancement]] is ''all'' he does, thus [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil balancing out the evil]]. This character is generally portrayed as more apathetic than outright sadistic.

!!Examples of type A:
* Catbert, [[RunningGag Evil Director Of Human Resources]], in ''{{Dilbert}}''.
* 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.

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

* Barney's evil MegaCorp employer in ''HowIMetYourMother'' hires Ted to build them a special "firing room" that will put soon-to-be-former-employees in the kind of mindset where they won't [[RunningGag leap over the desk to strangle their boss]].

!!Examples of Type B:

** Hilariously, one of them is none other than [[{{Scrubs}} Dr. Cox]].

<<|CharactersAsDevice|>>

* Subverted by the U.S. version of ''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.

* Subverted by the U.S. version of ''TheOffice'', 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.

* Eva Popoff in [[{{Tron20}} Tron 2.0]]. Insanely greedy, and possibly just ''insane.'' Is all for proceeding with the Datawraith project and hang the consequences or safety of the people she's shoving into the digitizer. [[spoiler: Kidnapping Alan and threatening his life]] (along with AmoralAttorney Crown), casually dismissing the FateWorseThanDeath [[spoiler: Thorne]] undergoes as just another stumbling block in the plan, and finally [[spoiler: getting [[HoistByHisOwnPetard turned into a half-digital "creature"]] by ignoring the safeties]].

* Graheme Coats in ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' often fires employees for the sole reason that if they stay one more month, they get access to a severance package. Or sometimes, to blame past errors on them.

* Graheme Coats in ''AnansiBoys'' often fires employees for the sole reason that if they stay one more month, they get access to a severance package. Or sometimes, to blame past errors on them.

* Eva Popoff in [[{{Tron20}} Tron 2.0]]. Insanely greedy, and possibly just ''insane.'' Is all for proceeding with the Datawraith project and hang the consequences or safety of the people she's shoving into the digitizer. [[spoiler: Kidnapping Alan and threatening his life]] (along with AmoralAttorney Crown), casually dismissing the FateWorseThanDeath [[spoiler: Thorne]] undergoes as just another stumbling block in the plan, and finally [[spoiler: getting [[HoistOnHisOwnPetard turned into a half-digital "creature"]] by ignoring the safeties]].

* Subverted by the U.S. version of ''TheOffice'', as Michael Scott acts like Toby Flenderson is one of these, but Toby is really just doing his job.

[[{{Dilbert}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/catbert.gif]]
[[caption-width:204:I don't remember doing a [[BlatantLies survey]].]]

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: