Apologies
I've been working in law offices for almost a decade now. This morning something happened that I've not only never seen before, but never even heard of. The gay HR guy sent out an e-mail to a few select people in the office APOLOGIZING for his behavior yesterday. Human Resources NEVER apologizes. They never admit to having made a big mistake, and they certainly never put it in writing.
Yesterday morning I was standing at the printer when I heard a commotion nearby. A secretary was "loudly arguing" with our HR guy. Apparently she found out we're going to have to use a form any time we want any pleadings calendared, and she's not happy. First she went to the new calendaring clerk (a.k.a. the file clerk), to tell her the only reason we have to use the form is because File Clerk is too stupid to know how to calendar. HR Guy was over there pretty quickly to shut her down, and told her to leave the file room.
The commotion I heard was when the secretary had followed HR Guy back to his office to further complain about the form. She claimed it's a waste of time and that we don't need it. HR Guy said it satisfies one of our insurance policies. She disagreed vehemently. She got loud. He matched her volume. At that point I went back to my desk and was only half-listening. I heard him tell her to stop yelling, and her yell back that she wasn't yelling. Then my phone rang and I stopped paying attention to them.
Upon arriving at work today, I found this in my In-box:
I was confused. Nothing I'd overheard had seemed profoundly unprofessional. Sure, perhaps he could have had her close the door to his office so everyone wasn't hearing them, but no big deal. What I found out was that I missed the moment when HR Guy screamed "Get the fuck out of my office!" to the secretary.
It's funny - HR Guy always seems so calm and poised that I can't even imagine him doing that. I didn't respond to his e-mail, which was only sent to the people who sit near his office. When I saw him walking through the hallway his eyes had that spent-a-long-time-crying look. We talked a little, as usual. This afternoon I ran into that other secretary near the elevators, and we also talked a little, as usual. The whole thing was very bizarre.
My prediction is that we'll have to use the form for a few months and come 2007 the majority of us won't be using it at all. Insurance be dammed.
Yesterday morning I was standing at the printer when I heard a commotion nearby. A secretary was "loudly arguing" with our HR guy. Apparently she found out we're going to have to use a form any time we want any pleadings calendared, and she's not happy. First she went to the new calendaring clerk (a.k.a. the file clerk), to tell her the only reason we have to use the form is because File Clerk is too stupid to know how to calendar. HR Guy was over there pretty quickly to shut her down, and told her to leave the file room.
The commotion I heard was when the secretary had followed HR Guy back to his office to further complain about the form. She claimed it's a waste of time and that we don't need it. HR Guy said it satisfies one of our insurance policies. She disagreed vehemently. She got loud. He matched her volume. At that point I went back to my desk and was only half-listening. I heard him tell her to stop yelling, and her yell back that she wasn't yelling. Then my phone rang and I stopped paying attention to them.
Upon arriving at work today, I found this in my In-box:
Yesterday morning I reacted to a situation in a profoundly unprofessional manner. I am afraid that you may have overheard my comments and I sincerely apologize for any anxiety or embarrassment this may have caused you. I can only hope that after years of working together, you know that this sort of behavior is not my normal way of dealing with stressful situations, and that you will accept my apology and my assurance that it will never happen again.
I was confused. Nothing I'd overheard had seemed profoundly unprofessional. Sure, perhaps he could have had her close the door to his office so everyone wasn't hearing them, but no big deal. What I found out was that I missed the moment when HR Guy screamed "Get the fuck out of my office!" to the secretary.
It's funny - HR Guy always seems so calm and poised that I can't even imagine him doing that. I didn't respond to his e-mail, which was only sent to the people who sit near his office. When I saw him walking through the hallway his eyes had that spent-a-long-time-crying look. We talked a little, as usual. This afternoon I ran into that other secretary near the elevators, and we also talked a little, as usual. The whole thing was very bizarre.
My prediction is that we'll have to use the form for a few months and come 2007 the majority of us won't be using it at all. Insurance be dammed.
posted by Green at 10/18/2006 08:53:00 PM
2 Comments:
Poor HR Guy. Sounds like he's feeling some bad stress.
If he needs someone with whom he can cuss about insurance companies, send him my way. I damn them a couple times a month.
Oh geez. I did something similar and completely out of character this week myself. Entitlement-lady stole a parking space that I was clearly waiting on, in the rain, outside a Petco. I blew a gasket and started honking and yelling, and then confronted her in the store with (among other things): "Were you born in a barn?!!". I was almost kicked out. I am very embarrassed. I reacted horribly to her uncivil behavior. Oh well.
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