Ah yes. The line every HR pro hears and immediately raises an eyebrow:
“We don’t really need HR, we’re like a family.”

Translation: “We’re winging it, and hope nothing blows up.”

Here’s the truth: if you’re saying that, you really need HR. Because flying without HR is like juggling chainsaws while blindfolded, exciting for a second, until someone loses a finger… or a lawsuit lands on your desk.

High-Risk Highlights:

  • Compliance Nightmare: Employment laws aren’t optional, and ignorance won’t save you. Wage errors, misclassifications, or missed regulations = big trouble.
  • Drama Magnet: Unchecked employee conflicts, miscommunications, and favoritism can destroy morale faster than you can say “HR intervention.”
  • Operational Chaos: Without processes, onboarding, performance management, and HR strategy are basically guesswork.
  • Reputation Hits: Bad employee experiences get shared—hello online reviews and word-of-mouth nightmares.
  • Legal Landmines: Terminations, harassment complaints, wage disputes… one misstep and suddenly you’re the star of a very expensive legal drama.

HR isn’t just about policies, it’s prevention, protection, and progress. If you think you don’t need us, congratulations: you just lit the red flag. Ignore it at your own risk.

So yes, you might think you’re fine without HR. But we all know the saying: what could possibly go wrong… usually does.