HR Has Heard It All—And Yes, We Still Have to Say It Again

Here’s a secret most HR professionals won’t say out loud (but desperately want to): There is (almost) nothing new you can throw at us (we hope).

We’ve heard every excuse, every loophole attempt, every “but my situation is different…” spin. Spoiler: it’s usually not.

HR pros are seasoned veterans of workplace déjà vu. That "original" reason for being late? We’ve heard it—probably twice this week. That creative interpretation of the dress code? Yep, already addressed in a painfully specific policy update… from 2019.

And yes, we know the policies are boring. We know repeating the same compliance reminders, performance review timelines, and time off rules makes us sound like a broken record. We get it. We’re bored too.

But here’s the thing: the boring stuff matters. It keeps people protected, keeps companies out of legal messes, and keeps things fair(ish) for everyone. That consistency? That’s structure. That’s clarity. That’s what lets everything else actually run.

So no, we’re probably not creating a brand-new exception for your very unique situation (that five other people have also asked about). But we will patiently remind you—again—what the policy/state law/federal law says, why it exists, and how to follow it.

Because in HR, the magic isn’t in inventing something new. It’s in making the necessary stuff stick.