Filed under: Landrum | Tags: Drug Free Work Place, employees, Human Resources
March 31, 2011
It Takes a Village Idiot – Real Life Excuses for Failing a Drug Screen
by Grace Whalen
I have listened, straight faced, to hundreds of applicants offering excuses for having failed their drug screens. During the course of the last 18 years, excuses have gotten quite creative, often being conjured up on the spot. (Think Jon Lovitz on SNL, circa 1980’s) Gone are the simple days of such mundane excuses as “I was around it” or “I had 6 poppy seed bagels this morning”. These nostalgic excuses have been replaced by stories about using shark cartilage as a body building supplement or about “Post Hurricane Stress Disorder”. These excuses or rationalizations are typically ludicrous, often comical and always unbelievable. Most incredulous, is that these “offenders’ truly believe I am gullible enough to fall for their “logical explanations.”
I have pared down my list of excuses to create the Top Ten Hall of Fame. The criteria for the choices include the number of times I have heard the same excuse and the creativity of the response to a failed drug screen. Please enjoy, and don’t let anyone slip cocaine into your marijuana.
1. I was around it – I was at a party and everyone there was doing drugs but me.
2. I bummed a cigarette last week and thought it tasted funny.
3. I take shark cartilage supplements and sharks get into marijuana that is dumped overboard by smugglers.
4. Holiday or Family Gathering rationalization – I haven’t smoked since Mother’s Day, my grandmother’s funeral, Thanksgiving, my Sweet Sixteen Party…
5. I am around pot three times a day. I work with painters.
6. Someone must have put cocaine in my marijuana.
7. I don’t do drugs, but I drink a lot. Someone must have blown smoke in my face when I was passed out last night.
8. I kissed a girl in a bar last night and I think she was high.
9. The hurricane stressed me out.
10. I don’t smoke, but the kids I play Nintendo with do.
Stay tuned for more real life excuses and explanations for failing a Drug Screen. Coming soon: Random Acts of Stupidity: My Wife Says Pot is for Kids
_______________________________________________________________________
As Drug Free Workplace Coordinator, Grace oversees the Drug Free Workplace compliance for all Landrum Human Resources clients. She has been with Landrum for 18 years and has performed thousands of employee and applicant drug tests. Grace is responsible for maintaining and documenting all drug tests results and works closely with the Landrum HR Managers to reconcile any Drug Free Workplace related issues.
Grace earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing from Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She spent 15 years as a volunteer in several facets of the public educational system.
Grace is a gifted writer who artistically blends her creativity and wit into very entertaining articles and poems. She enjoys cooking and is an exceptionally talented baker.
Filed under: Drug Free Workplace, Human Resources, Landrum | Tags: "human resources consulting", Drug Free Work Place, employees, Human Resources, teen applicants
March 24, 2011
Teen Job Applicants Who Are Drug Users
by Grace Whalen, Drug Free Workplace Coordinator
Landrum Human Resources
I am often told by a client that there is no way a certain applicant would have failed his/her pre-employment drug screen. “He (she) is only 17 and just didn’t look like a pot smoker, so the results must be wrong”. I have spoken personally with hundreds of applicants immediately after they have failed their drug screen. Many of these applicants are teenagers, so I can describe to you precisely what a typical teen drug abuser looks like.
Teen marijuana users have cobalt blue spiked hair, dredlocks, shiny blonde ponytails or neatly trimmed crew cuts. They wear neatly buckled Birkenstocks, unlaced Tommy Hilfiger sneakers or classic loafers. They wear trendy mini-skirts, tailored khaki pants or low slung baggy trousers that drag the floor when they walk. Their light blue Oxford dress shirts are topped off with an American flag tie, their crisp white cotton blouses are neatly tucked in place and their tee shirts boast offensive rock lyrics or high school athletic logos. They display on their pierced ears small gold studs or adorn their pierced lips with silver chains.
They live in housing projects surrounded by brick walls and gangs of thugs pushing drugs on sidewalks lined with broken bottles. They live in two-story Colonials amidst flowering shrubs and young Moms pushing baby strollers along sidewalks lined with white picket fences. A parent may accompany them to their drug screen or they may have their own toddler and infant in tow. They are rude and they swear. They are polite and speak with respect. They seem apathetic. They appear eager. They are surprised they failed their drug screen and are apologetic. They know they would fail and are bold without shame.
It is realistically impossible to determine which young applicants will ultimately be confirmed to test positive for marijuana. This is why we encourage our clients to abide by the laboratory findings and Medical Review Officer (MRO) determination when it comes to hiring anyone who has been confirmed to be positive for an illegal drug. I have often heard clients express their belief that pot is “not that big a deal.” During 15 years of full-time volunteer work in the public school system, I heard parents of teens express the same feeling. Whether or not they agree with the law, do they not realize marijuana use is illegal? If they themselves smoked pot in their youth, are they not aware there is a shockingly higher percentage of THC in pot today as there was 20 years ago? Do they scoff at reports that a teen driver of a jet ski killed a fellow teen or that a bus driver high on pot caused a crash that injured several elderly passengers? The dangers of this so-called “harmless” drug are often minimized by parents who may have smoked pot themselves as teenagers or college students.
Much of society seems to place blame and responsibility very quickly on others. Parents must not depend on educators and clergy to make their children aware and to safeguard them from a tragic outcome of drug abuse. They must do so themselves…after all, parents are the ones with the most to lose. In the working world, employers take on the role of “parents” to their employees. Like parents, employers must take responsibility for providing a safe working environment for their staff. For our Landrum clients, one of the easiest ways to do this is to honor the Drug Free Workplace policies so carefully developed to protect your interests.
As Drug Free Workplace Coordinator, Grace oversees the Drug Free Workplace compliance for all Landrum Human Resources clients. She has been with Landrum for 18 years and has performed thousands of employee and applicant drug tests. Grace is responsible for maintaining and documenting all drug tests results and works closely with the Landrum HR Managers to reconcile any Drug Free Workplace related issues.
Grace earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing from Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She spent 15 years as a volunteer in several facets of the public educational system.
Grace is a gifted writer who artistically blends her creativity and wit into very entertaining articles and poems. She enjoys cooking and is an exceptionally talented baker.
Stay tuned for more interesting articles from Grace.
Coming soon: “It Takes a Village Idiot; An intriguing story about The Top Ten Excuses or Explanations for Failing a Drug Screen”
Filed under: Mayberry, Notes from Holly | Tags: employees, Human Resources, Mayberry, work ethics
March 21, 2011
Mayberry Monday – Opie Flunks Arithmetic, Part 2
By Holly McLeod, PHR
Last week we visited Mayberry when Opie was flunking arithmetic, and we learned the importance of teaching/training in a way that’s effective for the learner. If you weren’t able to visit with us last week, click here. This week we’re going back to Opie’s arithmetic woes but will focus on a different lesson; avoiding burnout.
Sheriff Andy Taylor had just found out that his son Opie had a “D” in arithmetic when Opie came to the courthouse with a football in his hand and proudly told Andy he had made four touchdowns during recess. After discussion about football and math, Opie left the courthouse with the promise from Andy that they would work on long division after supper.
Deputy Barney Fife came in right before Opie left and proceeded to give Opie some football advice. After Opie left Barney saw Andy’s note regarding Opie’s arithmetic grade. As always Barney meant well, but as usual he felt compelled to give parenting advice to one of the best parents in modern history — even though Barney had no children of his own and didn’t know what in the world he was talking about.
Andy explained that the note was just a form letter and that Opie was going to study more; well-meaning Barney implied that Andy should have Opie studying all the time and shouldn’t let him play football. Over the course of the next couple of days Barney made it his mission to educate Andy about Opie’s downward spiral if he didn’t buckle down and bring up his math grade. Barney was relentless. He discussed the possibility of Opie dropping out of school, he brought a magazine article about the bleak future facing our next generation, and he found statistics about a child dropping out or only getting a high school education being obsolete – a “horse and buggy man in a jet age.”
Although initially Andy let Barney’s words roll off his back, eventually he started to have the same worries about Opie’s future. He went to speak to Opie’s teacher, Helen Crump, and she admitted that it was in fact getting more difficult to get into college. This was all Andy needed to hear. He headed home and told Opie to get upstairs and study his arithmetic. Andy stayed on top of Opie and his studies, and even made Opie stop playing football – something Opie had thoroughly enjoyed and in which was naturally talented.
Having had the distractions of extracurricular activities removed from his schedule, Opie did little more than eat, sleep and study. The pressure of doing well in school and pleasing his Paw began to weigh on Opie and instead of improving his grades, they slipped further downward.
Andy was exasperated when he heard the news. He told Helen that he had made Opie give up football and that he studied all the time. Helen pointed out that perhaps that was the problem – that maybe Andy was taking things too far. She told Andy that she had taken the liberty of telling Opie he could play football after school. When Andy objected to this Helen said, “If you push a child too far it can do a lot more harm than a poor grade.”
As Opie’s teacher Helen recognized that Opie was burned out from studying and she helped Andy realize the same. Like Opie, employees can become burned out. According to MayoClinic.com, job burnout can result from various factors, including:
Lack of control. An inability to influence decisions that affect your job — such as your schedule, assignments or workload — could lead to job burnout. So could a lack of necessary resources to do your work.
Unclear job expectations. If you’re unclear about the degree of authority you have or what your supervisor or others expect from you, you’re not likely to feel comfortable at work.
Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Perhaps you work with an office bully, you feel undermined by colleagues or your boss micromanages your work. These and related situations can contribute to job stress.
Mismatch in values. If your values differ from the way your employer does business or handles grievances, the mismatch may eventually take a toll.
Poor job fit. If your job doesn’t fit your interests and skills, it may become increasingly stressful over time.
Extremes of activity. When a job is always monotonous or chaotic, you need constant energy to remain focused — which can lead to fatigue and job burnout.
After his discussion with Helen, Andy went home to talk to Opie. He said, “I understand you played football today. How’d you do?” “Not good,” Opie replied, “We lost. I fumbled a lot. Lately I don’t play too good.” Andy said, “I think you’re probably as good a football player as you ever were. I think the reason you’re not playing too good right now is because you got too much on your mind. I’m afraid that I’m to blame for that. So I tell you what we’ll do… I’ll just quit pushing you so hard, OK? And you go ahead and be a little boy and do the best you can.”
Opie had a strong work ethic and he wanted to please Andy. The pressure of doing well affected other areas of his life including his beloved football. Andy was finally able to recognize this and was willing to admit that he contributed to Opie’s burnout. As an employer it might serve you well to be on the lookout for burnout in your employees and try to minimize the detrimental effects. After all, happy employees are productive employees, and productive employees make for a happy employer.
See you next week. Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments.
Filed under: Human Resources, Notes from Jim | Tags: "human resources consulting", employees, Human Resources, teamwork
What are the Qualities of Great Teams?
by Jim Guttmann, SPHR
In my view, during the course of our working careers we derive a lot of satisfaction from three primary areas. I believe that these are the things that get us out of the bed in the morning and excited about coming to work:
1. First of all, it is what we are able to accomplish on an individual basis in terms of personal growth and development.
2. Another major satisfier can be those occasions when we have been a mentor to others, which helps those folks become the best that they can be.
3. Finally, there are instances in which we are part of highly successful teams that achieve great things.
When thinking about great team work, several examples stand out in my mind. Of course it’s easy to see the obvious ones in the sports world where players understood their roles, put their personal egos aside and worked together unselfishly toward winning a championship.
On a more personal basis, the Little League softball team that I once coached years ago had young boys and girls who would pick each other up with shouts of encouragement. It was fun to watch the development of each player and how their “baby steps” contributed to the overall success of the team. As one would expect, the smiles on the faces of their parents were priceless!
Another time I was part of a project team that worked long hours together to achieve an important goal. In fact, it required an Engineer to occasionally drop everything to help an HR Manager pass out forms and then, in turn, for the HR Manager to assist the Facilities Manager with inventory, etc. You get the idea. There wasn’t such a thing as “that’s not my job.” Members of this project team each had an “attitude”. The attitude was that each team mate will do whatever it takes so that the project is completed in a superior manner and ahead of schedule – thereby exceeding customer expectations. That was yet another priceless moment!
Not surprisingly, I’ve found some common qualities of these great teams. I’d like to share with you my list of qualities of highly successful and enjoyable teams. Each team member….
• Is encouraged to provide input into the team’s focus and direction.
• Feels comfortable discussing most anything with other members of the team – even when they don’t necessarily see “eye to eye” on all issues.
• Fully trusts the other team members.
• Will take up any problem with a team mate directly, rather than cause disruption within the team by talking to others about it.
• Will not openly make derogatory comments about another team mate or contribute to a rumor mill.
• Fully supports a final decision made regarding the team’s direction, even in instances when he/she didn’t initially advocate it.
• Feels appreciated for what he/she contributes to the team’s success and is respected by other team members.
• Recognizes that diversity in thought, skills and abilities brings value to the overall team.
• Recognizes that personal goals shouldn’t take precedence over team goals – especially when some of the personal goals don’t clearly contribute to overall team success.
• Is quick to give credit to other team members whose contributions are “behind the scenes” and will never improperly take credit for what others have done.
• Recognizes that everyone’s contribution is important and matters – not just the ones that stand out as stars of the team.
• Constantly strives to improve so as to make an even stronger contribution to the success of the team.
• Will willingly “chip in” and help another member of the team when needed.
• Has a good sense of humor; can laugh at oneself and our “shared humanity”. Does not take himself or herself too seriously.
• Relishes in the success of other team members – recognizing that when one succeeds, all succeed. After all, everyone’s positive contribution makes the team look good!
Now that I’ve shared my list of qualities of great teams, do you think that I’ve left any off the list? If so, please send us your thoughts or tell us about your great team experiences. We would love to hear from you!
One of the ways we’ve seen that can take your team from “good” to “great” is using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a means to explore ways in which teams can better communicate, share information, make good decisions and, of course, work better together. If you’re interested in discussing how MBTI can help you and your team, click here.
Jim Guttmann, SPHR
March 14, 2011
Mayberry Monday – “Opie Flunks Arithmetic”
By Holly McLeod, PHR
There are certain types of news that parents simply don’t want to hear from their child’s teacher — “Johnny doesn’t apply himself,” or “Sally was being mean to another little girl,” or “David got into a fight today,” or “Janie got upset today when she got pushed down and scraped her knee.” The list could go on and on, but let’s face it; parents want the best for their children.
In that regard Sheriff Andy Taylor is no different than you and me. Andy was in the courthouse one day when Helen Crump came for a short visit. Helen was Andy’s girlfriend, but was also his son Opie’s teacher. The purpose of the visit this day was to deliver the unwelcome news that Opie had made a “D” in arithmetic. Although the news was not pleasant Andy took the news fairly well and told Helen he would work with Opie on his math.
As Helen was leaving Opie walked in and Andy quickly steered the conversation to arithmetic. He asked Opie if there is something about arithmetic he doesn’t understand. Opie said, “We’re going into long division now. I hate it.” Opie went on to explain that he has to erase a lot and sometimes it tears the paper and he has to do his work all over again, and sometimes the bell rings before he’s finished with his work. He reasoned that “If they had better paper I think I could get a good mark.” Oh, the rationale of a young mind.
That night, as promised, Andy went to Opie’s room to help him with long division. After deciding that they would work on trying to divide 14 into 169, here is what transpired:
Andy: Put your 14 down, draw a line up and over and put your 169 down there.
Opie: Why do you do that, Paw?
Andy: ‘Cause that’s the way you do it.
Opie: When we give an answer we have to tell why we do something.
Andy: The reason you put the 14 down on the left like that is, is, uh, uh, is because, uh… that’s the rule.
Opie: She’ll ask us why you put it on the left instead of the right.
Andy: She will? Well, uh… we probably better not tackle too much the first night. Now how many times does 14 go into 16?
Opie: Once.
Andy: Put your one on top of there. Ok, now what you got left over?
Opie: Two leftover.
Andy: Bring down the nine. Now, how many times does 14 go into 29?
Opie: Twice.
Andy: Twice, that’s it. Now what you got left over?
Opie: One left over.
Andy: That’s a time! Now, put down a decimal point and two zeroes.
Opie: Why?
Andy: What do you mean, why?
Opie: Just why?
Andy: Well, uh… you put down your decimal point because you’re gonna put down two zeroes after that. (Opie just looks at him.) The reason you put down a decimal point and two zeroes is so’s that you can, uh, keep dividing, see, and shove that number on out there, and that way you can keep thinking about it and working on it and everything, until you finally get it done. You understand?
Opie: No.
Andy: It’ll come to you.
Now I don’t know about you, but had I received Andy’s “help” I would never have learned long division myself! Clear instructions are so important. They’re important in learning long division, as well as in learning a new job or task. How do you think this same scenario might play out in real life? Let’s take a look:
Boss: Make this widget.
Employee: How?
Boss: What do you mean, how? You just make it.
Employee: I don’t understand.
Boss: You take Part A and put it together with Part D, then you add Part B. After that you take Parts E and F and put them here and here.
Employee: What about Part C?
Boss: What about it?
Employee: Where does it go?
Boss: Uh, that comes later. Don’t worry about C right now.
Employee: Will I need it later?
Boss: Need what later?
Employee: Part C.
Boss: Yeah. It’ll all make sense eventually.
Be honest. Have you ever had an Opie-like moment when something was being explained to you and the other person might as well have been speaking a foreign language? Or how about the flip side – have you ever been trying to explain something that seems so simple to you, but the person you’re explaining to just can’t comprehend what you’re saying?
I imagine this happens far more often than we realize or are willing to admit. Like Opie and his long division, employees need instruction in a way that they can understand.
Try looking at things from Opie’s perspective when explaining a task to an employee. If you’re not being understood, perhaps you can find another way to explain. Just because it makes sense to you doesn’t mean it’s going to make sense to someone who has never performed a particular task before.
As for Opie, things turned out alright for him. He studied and studied and was able to make a B+ on his next arithmetic test. In the end perseverance paid off, but wouldn’t it have been a lot simpler if Andy had been able to explain long division in a way Opie could understand? I encourage you to be patient with employees when they “just don’t get it.” It might not be the employee’s inability to learn, but rather an ineffective approach to the way the lesson is taught.
Mayberry teaches us a lot, and there are multiple lessons to be learned from when Opie flunked arithmetic. Don’t be surprised if we visit this particular day in Mayberry again sometime. Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments.
Filed under: Human Resources, Landrum, Notes from Jim | Tags: "human resources consulting", Alcoholism in the Workplace, Communication, employees, Human Resources
March 8, 2011
When Alcoholism Enters the Workplace – What Do You Do?
By Jim Guttmann, SPHR
Alcohol is the single most used and abused drug in America. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly 14 million Americans (1 in every 13 adults) abuse alcohol or are considered alcoholics. Alcohol is a major factor in injuries at home, work and on the road. In the workplace, the costs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse manifest themselves in many different ways; absenteeism is greater among alcoholics and alcohol abusers, family members of alcoholics also have greater rates of absenteeism, and accidents and on-the-job injuries are far more prevalent among alcoholics and alcohol abusers.
When you suspect that an employee may have a drinking problem, what can you do as a supervisor? My advice to you is that you should immediately contact your human resources department or legal counsel. Why? Because this is an area in which employment law can be very complicated because the circumstances of any given situation have to be considered on its own merit. There are no “one size fits all” guidelines that can be applied to every specific situation; however, there are some potential legal issues in which you should be aware:
1. Whether the employee has a disability or is perceived to have a disability that is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as recently amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA) regulations. Coverage under the Act may be attributed to the employee’s alcoholism or some other health condition.
2. If there is a covered disability, what reasonable accommodations would be required, if any, on the part of the employer? For instance, under what circumstances would a modified work schedule (e.g. to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings) or a leave of absence be considered necessary?
3. Under what circumstances would the employee present a significant risk to the health and safety of others that cannot be eliminated by a reasonable accommodation?
Now that I may have hopefully convinced you of the need to counsel with an expert before taking any course of action with the employee, there are some overall guidance “Do’s and Don’ts” that are helpful in these situations.
PLEASE DO…..
1. Monitor the work and on-the-job conduct of your employees daily and hold everyone to the same work standards.
2. Document performance and behavioral related problems in the workplace as they occur. Use progressive disciplinary steps when there are attendance problems.
3. Explain the problems with the employee’s performance, the specific acts of misconduct or troubling behavior, and the consequences of any misconduct or poor performance. Document these problems by way of formal warnings in which the employee signs acknowledging receipt of the counseling.
4. Act immediately if an employee is clearly inebriated in the workplace by taking the individual to a facility for alcohol level testing. If you are a Drug Free Workplace Employer, follow your policy as to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
5. Remove a disruptive employee from the immediate worksite. This may involve taking the employee home or at least taking him or her to the testing center, health unit, the EAP office, or some other safe location. An employee who is prone to violence should be dealt with by local police.
6. Immediately and accurately document in writing any events that led to sending the employee home, especially if any disciplinary action is necessary.
7. Distribute a Company Policy that prohibits the use of alcohol in the workplace and requires that employees not be under the influence of alcohol at work.
8. Hold an employee with a drinking problem to the same employment standards to which the Company holds other employees, even if you believe that the unsatisfactory performance or behavior is related to alcoholism.
PLEASE DON’T….
1. Presume that an employee has a drinking problem or is an alcoholic based upon observing a single sign (e.g. slurred speech) or listening to the rumor mill. Personally observe the employee to see if he/she manifests multiple signs such as poor attendance, unsatisfactory performance, strained relationships with co-workers, unsteady walk, etc. Have another member of management also observe the employee to see if he/she reaches the same conclusion. Click here for the signs of alcoholism.
2. Offer any opinion that the employee may have a problem with alcohol, unless the employee reveals the existence of an alcohol problem or there is clear and certain evidence of on-duty impairment.
3. Try to diagnose the alcohol problem or offer personal advice to the employee on what he/she needs to do in his/her personal life to get things in order or try to counsel the employee on your own.
4. Attempt to obtain confidential information from a medical provider, an Employee Assistance Program or from the employee directly as to the details of their health condition.
5. Send someone home and allow him/her to drive if you believe that he/she may be impaired. Be aware that there could be some serious liability issues involved in putting a drunk driver on the road, so the employee should be driven home by someone in a supervisory position.
6. Be an “Enabler” by allowing the alcoholic to continue the addiction without being held responsible for his or her actions. Supervisors often think that they are being kind, when actually they are hurting the alcoholic employee by letting him or her continue to engage in self-destructive behaviors. For instance, don’t cover up for the employee; lend the employee money; allow the spouse or significant other to call-in about the employee’s absence; shift the employee’s work to other employees; or make excuses to others about the employee’s performance/behavior.
7. Hold the employee to a “higher standard” in terms of attendance, job performance or behavior than his/her co-workers only because of your concerns about the individual’s possible drinking problems.
In summary, when an employee is dealing with his/her disease of alcoholism, it can be a trying time for both employee and employer. Due to the complexity of these situations, we strongly encourage you to seek the advice of a Human Resources Professional or Legal Counsel. Ultimately, the supervisor is responsible for holding the employee accountable for his/her performance and behavior. The most effective way to get an alcoholic to deal with the problem is to make the employee aware that his or her job is on the line and that he or she must improve performance and conduct or face serious consequences, including the possibility of losing his or her job.
Jim Guttmann, SPHR
Filed under: Mayberry, Notes from Holly | Tags: employees, Human Resources, Mayberry, Supervisor
March 7, 2011
Mayberry Monday – Barney and the Governor
By Holly McLeod, PHR
One of the defining characteristics of Mayberry is that there is almost always a group of men hanging out, shootin’ the breeze. They may be gathered around a checker board near the hotel, whittling in front of Floyd’s Barbershop or like this particular day, sitting on the bench outside the post office.
One of the men threw a gum wrapper in the street when Deputy Barney Fife walked by. Barney was quick to reprimand the offender, saying that “Litter brings slums, and slums bring crime.” Barney takes the law very seriously.
After Barney walked off a fancy black car drove up and parked outside the post office, the drive ignoring the big “No Parking” sign as he got out to head inside. The group of men surrounded the car to check it out, only to discover that the car had a government license plate; this car belonged to the governor and the driver was the governor’s chauffer.
Known for giving Barney a hard time, the group of men called for Barney to come over so they could point out the illegally parked car. Barney was writing a ticket when the chauffeur came out of the post office. The chauffeur asked Barney if he had any idea who the car belonged to, and Barney promptly replied, “I don’t care if it’s the governor himself. Is this vehicle registered in your name?” “No,” the chauffeur replied, “the governor’s.” Barney was visibly shaken, but with the men standing around to see how he would react, he promptly finished writing the ticket and handed it to the driver.
Barney went to the courthouse to tell Sheriff Andy Taylor what had happened, and Mayor Stoner walked in as they were discussing the issue. With Barney standing right beside him, the mayor preceded to instruct Andy to tell Barney to tear up the ticket and for Andy to call the governor to apologize. For anyone who isn’t familiar with my feelings toward Mayor Stoner, I don’t care for him very much.
Before responding to the mayor, Andy sent Barney out on patrol and then told Stoner that Barney didn’t do anything wrong. He then handed the phone to Stoner for him to call the governor. The mayor made the call, but when it was obvious the governor didn’t know who he was he quickly handed the phone to Andy. Andy started to apologize as instructed, but the governor interrupted him by saying it was commendable that the deputy had enough spunk to tag his car. In fact, he wanted to stop by later in the day to congratulate Barney and shake his hand!
When Barney came back from patrol, Andy was gone. The mayor called to see if the governor had arrived yet, and told unsuspecting Barney that the governor was coming to pay him a visit. Naturally, Barney interpreted this to mean that he was in trouble with the governor. Meanwhile, Otis (locally known as the “town drunk”) had arrived and brought something along with him. As a ruse, Otis asked Barney to go get him a pillow case. While he was gone Otis emptied the contents of a full bottle of liquor into the water cooler outside his cell. When Barney came back with the pillowcase, he drank a cup of water out of the cooler and began lamenting about the governor’s visit. He believed he was about to be fired.
While Barney was rambling about the injustice of it all, he continued to drink cup after cup of water. Before long it was obvious that Barney was suffering the affects of the spiked spring water. When Andy got back to the courthouse to explain the purpose of the governor’s visit, he was surprised to find his deputy obviously inebriated. Drunk and obstinate, Barney told Andy that he was leaving for the day and that the governor could “put that in his smipe and poke it.” Andy explained that the governor was coming to congratulate him and shake his hand, and then took Barney to get him cleaned up and sober.
After several hot and cold showers and cups of strong coffee, Barney sobered up and they returned to the courthouse to greet the governor. When they arrived, the governor told Barney that he was a splendid example of a man concentrating on his duties. He then proudly shook Barney’s hand and was off on his merry way.
Two main lessons can be learned from Barney’s encounter with the governor:
1. In truth, it was the chauffeur who should have been ticketed for the parking offense; however, the governor accepted responsibility for the actions of his employee. The driver was so used to people looking the other way because he was driving the governor’s car, that he didn’t think twice about parking in the “no parking” zone. Hopefully the governor made sure that the driver was properly admonished when he got back to the capitol.
2. No one should be exempt from the rules, and Barney did the right thing by tagging the governor’s car. Rules are in place for a reason – oftentimes due to safety issues. Just because the rule can be broken because of someone’s place within an organization, it doesn’t mean that it should be. This can happen with top performers. If an employee is exceptionally talented and/or makes money for the business, employers are sometimes tempted to look the other way when rules are being broken. Don’t. You’re not helping the organization and you’re not helping the employee. How do you think this affects the morale and motivation of your other employees who follow the rules? Simply put it causes resentment, which in turn causes loss of loyalty, motivation and productivity.
According to psychologist and counselor Denis Hay of Compassion Coach, there are several negative effects of resentment in the workplace:
• Resentment distorts problem-solving to overkill or underestimation
• Resentment increases error rates
• Resentment deteriorates mental and physical performance, including:
-Thought-processing and reality-testing
-Judgment
-Perception: We hear and see things inaccurately
-Learning and memory
-Creativity
• Resentment suppresses the immune system, increasing sick leave. It wreaks havoc in home life, and raises absenteeism and distraction at work.
When a rule exists within your company there must be a purpose for the rule; therefore, it is assumed that the rule has value. If it doesn’t, then you may want to assess your rules and the reason they exist. If after that assessment you determine your rules are good ones that need to be upheld, then I encourage you to apply the rules consistently instead making exceptions for a few individuals. As the governor was congratulating Barney for his spunk he said, “You know, you really can’t have 100% law enforcement if you make exceptions to a few privileged.” I couldn’t agree more. How about you?
Thanks for joining me once again in Mayberry. Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments.
