Finally, an electronic memo from a reader that we can actually print (the others were simply too complimentary; you’d have thought we were sockpuppeting our own beta Web venture). “BD9″ writes a tale of workforce woe that he claims is “not funny at all, but really nuts.”
A woman I worked with a long time . . . told everybody that she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer. She took a number of sick days so that she could go to the doctor, and was always in a lot of pain, which prevented her from being productive. My boss was so distraught about it, and went out of her way to be accommodating (buying her lunch, sending her food, letting her come in late and leaving early all the time, etc.) At a point, the woman quit. My boss told her that she should just go on long-term disability, because otherwise she was going to lose her health insurance. The woman insisted that she didn’t think she would ever be able to work again because of how serious her condition was and so “the right thing to do is to quit.” So, we had a big going-away party, lots of food, tears, etc.
Two weeks later, my boss went to the hospital to visit the woman the day she was supposed to have a major procedure done. The hospital had not even heard of her. [A former coworker of hers] finally let it slip that this was all a rouse. She had faked having cancer so that she could take time to interview with other companies and hang out with her boyfriend. When she actually got a new job, she just continued the charade.
The kicker?
A month later, the woman came by the office to go to lunch with [a former coworker], and made no qualms about us seeing her.
Balls!
Sorry, BD9 — while it’s not “funny ha ha,” we’ll take exception with your assessment that it’s “not funny.” It’s quite darkly amusing — and admiringly opportunistic. Were your Jobknobber still a wage slave, I might well consider such a subterfuge. Alas, being the boss bears quite a burden; I can’t lie to myself (at least about being disease-ridden).
Any readers should feel free to share inappropriate workplace stories with Jobknobber via our electronic mail account.
Posted by jobknobber 
