When it comes to work absurdities, we ascribe to an equal opportunity philosophy – so in today’s post, we are highlighting some stories that take both bosses and employees to task.
“I accidentally flushed my keys down the toilet” – Heard any good excuses for why an employee can’t come to work lately? We’re sure you have. Kathy Gurchiek compiled some of the best excuses that hiring managers polled by SHRM heard in 2006 in an article entitled Runaway horses, charging buffalo kept workers home in ’06. The list is amusing, with excuses ranging from being locked in a restroom stall to being cornered by a snake. But some seem almost reasonable. For example, post-holiday, I can definitely relate to this one: “I’m too fat to get into my work pants.” Have you heard any unique excuses lately? Feel free to add them to the comments.
Bah, humbug – We missed Slate magazine’s pre-Christmas announcement about the winners in the Corporate Scrooge Contest, but think the article about America’s worst office Christmas parties, gifts, and bonuses is worth posting even at this late date. Maybe some of the winners can have a second chance to show their employees some love on Valentine’s Day.
A word to the wise – Workplace Prof Blog offers this sensible advice: Don’t perform exorcisms at work … anointing your demonically-possessed colleague’s cubicle with olive oil might get you fired, and the courts are unlikely to be sympathetic to your religious discrimination suit.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics – Need some statistics for your boss that just don’t seem to exist? No problem – eSolutions data lets you create your own. You might want to test your luck out with these HR manager salary statistics in your next job review.
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