Our coworker is going to hate us

[minendo]

Recently, a coworker decided to take a week long vacation to Jamaica. Upon his arrival in Jamaica he let all of us know how sorry he felt for us back in the good old United States and how awesome Jamaica is.

He is in for quite a surprise. His entire office has been flipped upside down and after tomorrow will be filled with nearly 1000 red, white, and blue balloons.

 

[Printer Bandit]

Should have emptied out his office and left only a pink slip on his desk.

edit: or have some new person occupy it.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

pics?

 

[minendo]

pics?

I'll have pics available upon completion. We are only about a 1/4 of the way done with the balloons.

 

[guyver01]

He is in for quite a surprise. His entire office has been flipped upside down and after tomorrow will be filled with nearly 1000 red, white, and blue balloons.

Hopefully he's not the kind who will immediately run to HR and place a "harassment" complaint against everyone.

I know quite a few people who "seemed cool" ... but the minute someone messed with their desk or office or cube... they were in HR's office.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Hopefully he's not the kind who will immediately run to HR and place a "harassment" complaint against everyone.

I know quite a few people who "seemed cool" ... but the minute someone messed with their desk or office or cube... they were in HR's office.

And, given the assumption he is not one of the protected classes, I would tell him to "harden up princess."

 

[guyver01]

I would tell him to "harden up princess."

While that might work in an office of 3 people... but in Big Business and Corporations... it would lead to you being fired.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

While that might work in an office of 3 people... but in Big Business and Corporations... it would lead to you being fired.

Yep, and in an office of 948, if you aren't a protected class, that would lead me to say "harden up princess." Possibly without the "princess."

Be glad to be challenged from an unprotected class with a workplace harassment claim on a singular incident like that.

 

[guyver01]

Be glad to be challenged from an unprotected class with a workplace harassment claim on a singular incident like that.

Forget workplace harassment.

You are modifying corporate equipment. That is not yours (or his) equipment to be messing with.

Hell... IT alone would have your ass in a sling for filling a room with balloons, as it messes with the static electricity in the environment and can cause issues with the computer.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Forget workplace harassment.

You are modifying corporate equipment. That is not yours (or his) equipment to be messing with.

Hell... IT alone would have your ass in a sling for filling a room with balloons, as it messes with the static electricity in the environment and can cause issues with the computer.

Wow...I'm HR and you're more uptight than anyone who works in my company; IT, HR, Finance, or otherwise.

We'd most definitely laugh that one off (unless there was physical property damage) and move on.

P.S. IT would have your ass? Love to see the day when they call the shots.

 

[manimal]

fill the balloons with beer and set the temperature very low...

 

[guyver01]

Wow...I'm HR and you're more uptight than anyone who works in my company; IT, HR, Finance, or otherwise.

Not uptight... i work in a company of 15,000 and have actually SEEN this. I have also seen HR walk people out the door for it.

 

[zinfamous]

Forget workplace harassment.

You are modifying corporate equipment. That is not yours (or his) equipment to be messing with.

Hell... IT alone would have your ass in a sling for filling a room with balloons, as it messes with the static electricity in the environment and can cause issues with the computer.

Wow...I'm HR and you're more uptight than anyone who works in my company; IT, HR, Finance, or otherwise.

We'd most definitely laugh that one off (unless there was physical property damage) and move on.

P.S. IT would have your ass? Love to see the day when they call the shots.

Not uptight... i work in a company of 15,000 and have actually SEEN this. I have also seen HR walk people out the door for it.

this thread became another level of awesome.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

That's what he gets.

America above all else. Always.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Forget workplace harassment.

You are modifying corporate equipment. That is not yours (or his) equipment to be messing with.

Hell... IT alone would have your ass in a sling for filling a room with balloons, as it messes with the static electricity in the environment and can cause issues with the computer.

IT would be too busy inflating balloons here.

 

[vshah]

i did the cover everything in post its once. that's hard work!

 

[thescreensavers]

pics!

 

[Zebo]

Give him a drug test if he thinks Jamaica is better than USA.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

It depends on the corporate culture and the milieu of its project teams(Phillips 1992). Size is no the only thing that influences how bureaucratic and stodgy the company is(hatch 1997); of particular import is the corporate subculture in which the fellow exists(Van Maanen, Barley 1985:38)*.

I read all about this but have absolutely no first-hand experience! (that qualifies me to teach others about it right?)

*This interpretation is based on the assumption of the aesthetic man (Schein 1985); I find it much harder, using the economic or political man to make an argument that could be in-favor of such behavior.

 

[zinfamous]

Give him a drug test if he thinks Jamaica is better than USA.

drug laws are actually more stringent in Jamaica than they are in the US. fo sho.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

drug laws are actually more stringent in Jamaica than they are in the US. fo sho.

When I was there this guy asked "Do you want to buy a sea shell" I said NO, he said "you want to buy some shuga cane?" I said "that grows right near my house, and they sell it in my grocery store, NO!" he sad "smoke de herb?"

I was told later that often people will try to sell to tourists from cruise ships only to have the police arrest said people as they try to re-board the ship; for tourists it tends simply to be a stiff fine.

Also, crystal blue water with big white sand granules that do not stick to you... Jamaica was awesome... to visit the beaches of; but who want's to live in such a cultural and intellectual hell hole? (massive brain-drain to the states)

 

[AreaCode707]

Not uptight... i work in a company of 15,000 and have actually SEEN this. I have also seen HR walk people out the door for it.

Unfortunately I've rarely seen people been fired for "stupid" and I've worked at international companies of 30k and 45k employees. The only firing I ever saw for stupid was a manager who downloaded 90k employee files (active and terminated) and then checked his luggage and had his computer stolen. That didn't go so hot for him. I worked in HR at one company and Legal in another.

[edit] I take it back. I saw a recruiter get fired for webexing gay porn to 250 hiring managers on a training. That was firing for stupid too.

 

[guyver01]

Unfortunately I've rarely seen people been fired for "stupid"

When you work in an At-Will employment state.... you can be fired for having "blonde hair" if your manager doesn't like you.

 

[AreaCode707]

When you work in an At-Will employment state.... you can be fired for having "blonde hair" if your manager doesn't like you.

Washington is an at-will state, but still people rarely get fired for sheer stupidity where I've worked. Like I said... unfortunately.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Washington is an at-will state, but still people rarely get fired for sheer stupidity where I've worked. Like I said... unfortunately.

Washington is NOT a right to work state:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_labor_law#Right-to-work_laws

Which is the underlying situation I believe that the previous poster was referring to.