Overreaction

The Periodically, management seems to lose its collective mind and without any apparent reason comes down hard on the troops. All it takes sometimes is a little glitch here and a mishap there for those idiots upstairs to conclude that the folks downstairs are a bunch of incompetent fools.

Take for example the time the staff from the claims department of a large insurance company was ordered to report immediately to the auditorium. Rumors of layoffs and other calamities circulated at a frantic pace. As they waited nervously, a stern looking fellow in a three-piece suit accompanied by three grim faced cronies marched in and took their places on the stage.

The audience quieted down as one of the visitors stepped up to the microphone. He declared himself to be the bearer of shocking news. In his hand was a copy of a study of company-wide sick time abuse. Waving the report in small circles above his head, he declared the employees in this department to be the worst offenders in the company.

Abuse? What was he talking about? How could anyone abuse sick time? Suddenly, the room was abuzz with muted chatter as people compared their reactions with those close by. The crowd finally quieted down as Mr. fancy suit took over the microphone.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Rather than answer questions, he instead lectured the audience about their willful disregard for the company's efforts to treat them fairly. In conclusion he announced that a thorough investigation would begin immediately. With that he departed the stage leaving his three companions behind. Turns out these guys were auditors from the controller's office. They hurriedly tromped off to the payroll unit to comb through the time cards.

Rather than uncover evidence to support the accusations, the investigation instead found just the opposite. No one was "abusing" sick time. But, the investigators did trace the source of the "alarmingly" high rate of usage.
The area director had initiated a change in policy in an effort to reduce the usual high rate of absenteeism during the flu season. The modified policy allowed employees who needed to attend sick children or infirm relatives to take a few hours off and not be charged for a full day.

The director's thoughtful action not only raised morale, but also increased productivity and performance during the most recent flu season when both would normally have declined.

The so-called "abuse" problem was the result of local sick leave "hours" being recomputed as sick "days" by the payroll department. If there was any fault it had to rest with the well-intentioned area director for not informing corporate of the policy change.

Her failure to notify her seniors landed her in hot water. The old policy was reinstated and the department head was formally reprimanded for "acting outside her authority." The staff translated that to mean their boss had made her boss feel like an idiot for over reacting. And people at the executive level don't like being made to look stupid.