Anonymous Note

Jo Ann · October 2002

We had someone leave the notation "F... U.." on a piece of paper which was on one of our employees' desk. We also had a few other incidents the same night like crumbled pop tarts and someone maybe pouring coffee into the coffee maker.

The employee is saying it's harassment against her. We are going to hold a meeting with that department to see if anyone knows anything and to let them know we won't tolerate this behavior from anyone. I've also talked to the cleaning company owner and he's checking his people. I'm not sure what else we can do other than to investigate and document our actions.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Don D · October 2002

I think you've taken the right action. You'll always get the return call from the cleaning service exclaiming "NOT MY PEOPLE", but you will have put them on notice and the owner of the service will do the same. The only thing I can think of additionally for you to do is determine to a head who has access to the area after closing hours and give it some thought. I'm wondering why someone sending an anonymous comment like that would bother to abbreviate it.

franfields · October 2002

Maybe they can't spell x0:)

Paul in Cannon Beach · October 2002

Are you telling us that the employee has NO IDEA who dislikes them? Either they tick off everyone and can't limit it down or they are not willing to be honest about what is going on.

I have had a few anonymous notes in the past. I have a special round file for them. However, none were as angry or as threatening as what you have described. I think I would at least have a very short list of who the note writer might be.

If you had an idea of who it might be, I would schedule a meeting to discuss the problem between the two employees. I wouldn't accuse anyone because you have no proof (unless the other employee admits writing the note). I would just reaffirm your expectations on how interpersonal issues are resolved. Have a copy of your harassment policy. Make it clear that certain behaviors will not be tolerated.

Paul

Jo Ann · October 2002

This happened the same night someone smashed pop-tarts around the coffee maker on the 1st floor and may have poured coffee into it. It could be that the cleaning people had kids here and one of them did it.

Howevr, my first impression was that it was directed to the supervisor since we've made changes in how we do our billing and this employee and others are not very happy with management.

It could be that she knows and won't say. I'll have my meeting with them and hopefully this will not happen again.

Thanks for your help.

Meg · October 2002

I remember one of the first e-mail I received from my supervisors stating, “please f-u.”
I was thrown for a minute until I realized she wanted me to follow-up on the attached e-mail.

SandiF · October 2002

>I remember one of the first e-mail I received from my supervisors
>stating, “please f-u.”
>I was thrown for a minute until I realized she wanted me to follow-up
>on the attached e-mail.

I just have to share this...Remember the T.V. show "The Odd Couple" with Tony Randall and (Jack Klugman,I think)? Felix and Oscar were in the middle of one of their many arguments when Oscar said, "It took me a half hour to figure out that f u meant Felix Unger." I loved that show!

Margaret Morford · February 2003

This is how HR corrupts you. If they mean literally FU, then you have a sexual harassment problem. If it is meant as a curse, you have a profanity in the workplace problem.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Parabeagle · February 2003

Ah, but what if it really is Felix Unger? Then it's neither.

Rockie · October 2002

I think I would have a group meeting and state what the behavior is that is occurring and it will not be tolerate. Also, you might add.... if we find out who the culprit is, they will immediately be terminated. This will probably stop the behavior. It doesn't sound like cleaning people, it sounds like employee to employee.

We had an incident where we had a giant black rat (plastic) that kept appearing in different areas of our building. The way I found out it was happening was someone put it in the switchboard operator's desk drawer and she opened it. Well, you can imagine the commotion! Anyway, I sent out a memo to employees about this and also advised the cleaning people if they were doing this, it had better stop. Don't know who was at fault, but it stopped.

Oh, the games people play....

moneyman · October 2002

We had an incident, years ago almost as scary as the black rat. A 10" bust of Bill Clinton kept popping up in the oddest places. Everytime it was put in the back of the supply closet, but somehow he kept getting out. It would be on someones desk one day, the coffee room another day. Talk about frightening! After the first few times, I think everyong got into the act, but we never discovered the original pranksters. x:7

Don D · October 2002

I don't see how the black rat and the Clinton bust kept getting back in the act. Why didn't somebody take them and put them away to begin with. How did the pranksters keep getting their hands on them to do the deed again?

sonny · October 2002

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-16-02 AT 01:13PM (CST)[/font][p]I want to know why you want a 10" bust of Clinton in the first place!?

moneyman · October 2002

Who knows where it came from, but it just appeared one day. I guess someone were afraid to just throw it away so they kept putting it back in the supply closet. And, well, he kept escaping "from the closet" and appearing somewhere else. He finally went away, I don't know where, but Bill is gone now.

Rockie · October 2002

As soon as the switchboard operator told me to come down and look at it, I threw it away. I only found out from the security guard that it had been making the rounds in the basement. Our security guard is on the same level as Barney Fife. I asked him why he didn't let me know this was happening and he looked at me blankly.

Bill Clinton? Now, that's scary!

Paul in Cannon Beach · October 2002

This seems to be a common theme.. we have a little black plastic spider that regularly appears in different employee mailboxes. Rather than be upset, most people feel honored to recieve the little bugger and then pass it on to someone else.

Paul

franfields · October 2002

For a while we had pink plastic fish appearing all over the office. There must have been hundreds of them finding their way onto desks and tables over a period of about six months. Once in a while, you would answer your phone and there would be a fish. It stopped as suddenly as it started and we still don't know who did it. No harm. It was actually fun guessing who it might be. :-?

Don D · October 2002

Once in a while, you would answer your phone and there would be a fish. It stopped as suddenly as >it started and we still don't know who did it.

How were you able to tell it was a fish on the phone?

ritaanz · October 2002

Ohmmaaaaaannnnnnn.........

franfields · October 2002

By the gurgling, how else?

annie1992 · February 2003

Even more scary, I had a boss who had been in the service. He kept a dummy grenade in his desk drawer and used it as kind of a "worry stone". One night he forgot to put it away and left it sitting on the middle of his desk. The cleaning crew came in and panicked. Security was called, the State Police seized the grenade, it wasn't pretty. Eventually the State Police released the grenade back to him, after determining that it was harmless. The boss took it home.

jwestbrook_1972 · March 2003

A person in my office received an anonymous note today. She has been out of the office numerous times in the last couple months due to her daughter being sick, from strep throat, flu, ear infections and most recently appts with the dermatologist for just being diagnosed with psoriasis and eczema. Her employer is a member of a Get Well Childcare Center that takes care of sick children when the employee has to work. She refuses to use the service because when her daughter is sick she wants to be with her and not take her 30 miles from home to be with strangers she doesnt know. She told her employer this and said she would ask other family members to help out when her daughter was sick. He agreed that was a good idea and problem was solved. Three days later she received the anonymous note. It was a copy of the company newsletter that discusses the Get Well Childcare Center, this section was highlighted in a rainbow of colors, the phrase "when employees need to work" was emphasised in highlighed colors and the persons name and phone # to call to use the service was also highlighted. It was folded, stapled and her first name was wrote in one handwriting and her last name was wrote in another handwriting and sent thru interoffice mail. She went to HR and discussed it but was told that if they didnt know who did it, there wasnt anything that could be done and to just smile and not let anyone know it got to her. She feels like she is being harassed at work because she has had to be out with her child.

Don D · March 2003

At the risk of sounding like Dr. Laura....."So, what is your question for me?"

Balloonman · March 2003

Don, (Congrats on the milestone, you are an inspiration to us all!)
My thought was glad to see her peer group letting her know that they believe she should be at work more. If she is missing that much that place must have one awesome attendance policy! Maybe I should look into it!
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Don, you posted the equivilant of $40.00 from my point of view...........man I am impressed.

Anonymous Note

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