HR gives HR a bad name?

I sit in a UK forum where HR professionals share their most troublesome probems. I cannot help thinking that the types of 'thorny problems' on offer give them something of a bad name. Take this one for example:

We traditionally organise a Christmas party at lunchtime on the last day before the Christmas shutdown.

The unwritten rule is that people who don't attend the party need to book half a day off their holiday entitlement.

It is not written in their Terms and Conditions of Employment but it has been the practice for several years.

This year we have an employee who doesn't want to attend the party. He also refuses to agree to book a holiday (1/2 day) as he feels that he should not be "punished" for not wanting to attend the party. As far as he is concerned, we should be making arrangements to allow him to work.

Should employees who choose not to attend the Christmas Party have to book holiday instead as the party is taking place during working hours?

Troublesome indeed!!

Another concerns an HR adviser who disciplined an employee who wore a commemorative 'poppy' on the basis that it could cause offence. The employee was not happy and took out a grievance.

There are very few conversations about how HR can make the company run better. Is there not more to life than this!?

I am reminded of the song title 'You give love a bad name'