In the context of the growing interest in the relation between HRM and performance, there is a risk that employee outcomes associated with HRM are neglected. A number of critical writers in the field argue that HRM pretends to be concerned for worker well-being and other worker-relevant outcomes but, according to the available evidence, is in fact primarily a more subtle form of worker exploitation. Some internal contradictions in the nature of this critical analysis are identified. Data from a national survey of 1000 employees is then presented to show that the workers' verdict on HRM is generally positive. The implications of these findings for the radical critique are discussed. Given the importance of a critical analysis of HRM, it is argued that writers with this perspective need to engage with a sufficiently wide audience of those interested in the research and application of HRM to ensure workers' concerns remain high on the agenda.