Not to question your authority Lord Starscream, but um... Why is it called HR? Doesn't that mean human resources?
If I have stepped over the line I will accept my punishment with grace
(((mod: I forgot to address this on hr blog, so this one was answered early)))
Hah—of course it’s called HR. While it's acronym does coincide with the human counterpart, Human Resources—the delightful little department devoted to wringing efficiency, compliance, and morale from barely competent organic lifeforms—it's not to be confused with our HR.
On Cybertron we call it Hierarchy Regulation, which sounds far more prestigious, but generally the function is the same (with some added jobs): organize, allocate, rank assignments, protocol arbitrations, keeps records of who’s on duty, who’s absent, mandatory “teamwork” programs, maintenance, endlessly filing safety reports, ration distribution, euphemism for demotions, transfers, and the “quiet removal” of nuisances, conflict-deescalation with a smile... and a strategic reassignment.
Although Soundwave mainly takes care of all the record keeping, H.R's job is to store and makes use of it.
And in case you're curious why it wasn't named Mech Resources, it was due to its origin.
Hierarchy Regulation—in its earliest incarnation—was forged during the high tide of the caste system. When Hierarchy Regulation was first conceived, it was—astonishingly—one of the few institutions meant to pierce the armor of the caste system.
You see, higher-caste mechs had endless opportunities: access to resources, positions of authority, preferential energon rations. The lower castes, meanwhile, were crushed beneath quotas, unsafe labor, and the constant threat of replacement.
So HR was created to intervene. Its purpose was to ensure:
Fair assignments: No matter what caste you emerged from the Well with, tasks had to align with your frame’s capacity, not just your social label.
Protection from abuse (financially, emotionally, or physically) : It gave lower-caste mechs channels to file grievances, ensuring that a data clerk or a miner could challenge mistreatment without immediate retaliation.
Energy ration fairness: Allocations were logged and reviewed to prevent “mysterious shortages” from conveniently occurring in the slums.
Representation: Early HR codes mandated that review councils had to include a percentage of lower-caste representatives, giving them a voice —however modest in their own governance.
Of course, the higher-ups loathed this. Many tried to twist it, to hollow it out into another system of control. And as a result HR, employed in the vast classist society, was not available everywhere.
While in its original, idealistic design, HR was meant to become a strong standpoint for justice, it ended up a small bulwark against the crushing machinery of the caste hierarchy.
It was never perfect, but for countless mechs, it was the only shield they had.
And perhaps that’s the most ironic part—an institution born under tyranny, intended to soften its cruelty, predicted to fail, now has the chance to outlive that tyranny and become something far better.
Had you stepped over the line, I wouldn't have minded this time. A little insubordination sharpens the senses. I’ll accept your curiosity.
Now, you have your answer, so scurry along asker.
Mild history lesson of our origin, thanks to Starscream!
—Cybertronian HR (Hierarchy Regulation)
