One of the things I learned was that whenever you think you’ve seen everything, you have not. There will invariably be some “thing” that occurs that causes you to stop and shake your head. You can only imagine that I have seen some pretty interesting things. I’ve seen employees at their best and worst. However regardless of the scenario, I knew I was privileged to have been entrusted with the opportunity to ensure the employee was treated with dignity and respect, whilst also ensuring the needs of the employer were addressed in a manner that was both effective and efficient.
So, I thought I would begin these chronicles by sharing with you some of the most interesting (meaning are you serious) “situations*” I experienced the course of my career:
*Please note that names and places have been changed and/or omitted to protect confidentiality and privacy! 😊
- The case of “But I’m a doctor.” Employee’s father showed up at my office and demanded an explanation as to why I refused to accept the note he wrote excusing his son’s being under the influence of alcohol whilst at work. Afterall, he was a doctor.
- The case of the camping toilet. One union complained that their member’s office was not being cleaned by custodial personnel. Upon review it turns out that the “member” had decided the bathroom was too far away, so they purchased a camping toilet and placed it in their office. They could not understand why custodial staff refused to enter the office.
- The case of “He said he was sick.” An employee wishing to access extended medical leave obtain ed a note from his doctor which read as follows: “Employee…asked me to write this note. He says he was sick on (date…). But, I don’t know because I was on vacation.” The employee was surprised when the medical certification was rejected,
- The case of the “sleuthing” spouses. The husband and wife of two employees contacted HR, insisting that action be taken to stop an alleged affair, which they knew of the because they had placed tracking devices on the phones and in the vehicles of said spouses.
- The case of the distressed mother. An employee’s mother reached out to HR with the expectation that we cease termination processes because if her child were fired, he would have to continue living with her. She expressed frustration that he child was “eating her out of house and home…and she was on a fixed income.” She then further shared her belief that her child’s downfall was the direct result of “that woman!” also known as her daughter in law.
I could not make this stuff up even if I tried. See you next time in the Chronicles of the HR Practitioner. And remember, as we know and learn more, we have a responsibility to do better! 😊