HYSSOP

Posted by Slarti

Wednesday, March 23 2:23 p.m.

Dave stared at the cracked plaster in chagrin. It would be hard to explain away to a sudden visitor, and he was not in the mood to have to lie his way out of this one. He went to his desk, pulled out a paperclip and made a crude hook. Picking up the “Employee of the Quarter” plaque on his desk, the one with both a hook to hang and a prop to set up, he returned to the wall, pushed the paperclip into the wall above the fist imprinted drywall and hung the plaque on the hook. It sagged slightly and listed to the side, but it would be enough to hold it. He straightened it momentarily, and drew his breath in sharp and deep.

His fists still clenched, he returned to his desk and sat down.

The meeting had not gone well. He picked up the offending piece of paper and gazed through it, finally focusing on the words at the top. “Performance Improvement Plan. (PIP).” Everyone in the company knew that this was a prelude to being fired--just the necessary documentary steps. The first part was the usual company drivel. “Team Member Deal,” was the heading followed by:

If you:

Become and remain effective in your job responsibilities
“Wow” your customers
Help us grow and improve our business
Work together

We will:

Invest in your growth and development
Reward you fairly for your contribution
Provide a respectful, caring leadership team and working environment
Partner with you to realize your potential.

“Riiight,” Dave sighed wryly, and then felt the bile rising once again in his throat along with bubbling rage.

He looked down again at the paper and lightened his grip on the crumpling sheet. Stuffing it in his pocket he straightened the papers on his desk, punched the intercom key muttering that he would be gone for the rest of the afternoon, and stormed out of his office without listening to the reply.