You couldn't make this up!

[chocolatekimmy]

A team member has complained because I gave her a birthday card.

She claims I have mis-used the HR system (I am a senior HR professional) to obtain personal details about her (date of birth) and use them inappropriately!!!!

Do I

a) Laugh

or

b) Cry

Fucking hell.
Unbelievable!
Is she a nutter anyway?

how did you get her date of birth? are you not friends?

She is a member of my team, not even a direct report. I didn't use the system to get it - I have no interest in her personal info.

Yes she probably is a nutter - I wondered why she didn't acknowlege it!

Weird - time warp kind of place . Suspect she doesn't like these people that come from the dark side (the private sector)

Are you actually friendly with her?

or

c) give the silly bitch a good slap and tell her to complaing about that instead

Hi

I don't consider her a friend, she is a colleague however I am friendly towards her - say hello, ask her how the weekend was, say glad she is better and glad to have you back when she returned from sick, give her chocolate gift at Easter and Xmas, bring cakes in etc etc - all the stuff you would expect a manager to do for members of the team

Liked option C by the way - shame I am not allowed to use physical violence against my staff!

Oh well then, she's odd.

strange that she has never complained at the chocolate or cakes. Dont get her an easter gift next year - you wouldn't want to offend her religion! (send it to me instead )

OMG

I really cannot think of any advice to give you

she is clearly a nutter and best avoided

All I can think is she is older than she claims and is pissed off at that?¬

hi chockimmy!

Clearly a nutter. I don't even know what to say. Blimey. How weird.

I am speechless.

This is one of those moments that leads to the development of a dent in your forehead from continually banging your head on the desk in despair/frustration isn't it?

So if she's in your team but not a direct report, does she reports to someone who reports to you? What did you actually say when she complained? Don't be so f&^king stupid would have been tempting I bet....

If it is a public/private sector thing I dread to think what they'd think of me...

How it going other than that?

I have to concur! What a wacko!
Wouldn't it be fun to issue a really PC memo,saying that the word Birthday is offensive and to say Anniversary (some sleb does this!), that Christmas must be referred to as the Holiday season, that Hallowe'en and Easter are taboo, Valentine's day is off limits due to the sensitivites of those who choose not to have a life partner...

Oooo. I can just imagine the formal grievance process now.... your boss, shuffling papers and trying not to laugh, You looking at floor and trying not to laugh and her sitting stony-faced in the corner.

It will be just like hearing your husband farting in a crowded lift.

Reminds me of the time my assistant brought a grievance against me because I dared to tell her she had processed something incorrectly a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Was it a rude card?

I write HR software. we have a standard report specifically for this purpose. Is she taking it anywhere? I'd be interested to know where ( she cant go to HR apparently )

Just apologise and never do it again...

In your own files, file her name under silly b*tch

I read something recently about it being considered inappropriate to send a card with an age on it to a colleague e.g. 60 or whatever. Could be seen as breaching their privacy by alerting others of their true age. Load of nonsense.

I once went out to buy a present for a student I had been supervising - nearly got him an Easter Egg but my colleague was - said the student might not agree with Easter. Anyway came back with a boring book token for him; to find a very lovely Egg on my desk FROM the student!!

I'd laugh cause your company would have to prove you accessed the system to get her D.O.B. I.T. guys can do a swift check and give you all clear....

Sounds like she needs to get a life whoever she may be.

I am still slightly dumfounded (?) - I checked the date and it wasn't April 1st so it must have been real.

The card was quite plain, nice picture on the front - no reference to age, not rude.

Have asked her line manager (team leader) and the department manager to deal with it and tell her it was a goodwill gesture, there is nothing to answer, I have done nothing wrong etc and tell her its not up for debate, that the meeting is closed. She will attempt to run circles round them, if she does i have told them to stick to there guns and re-iterate that the matter is closed however she can follow the grievance process (and make herself look stupid) - Squiffy - loved the description of how the proceedings might go.

Can you imagine her resigning and going to ET for constructive dismissal - der

Funny thing is that i didn't access her personal record anyway!

Already got a grievance against me becuase i had the audacity to tell another team leader that ranting (loudly) in the office, slagging other managers off and moaning about having to do something quite within her remit (in front of other staff, me and two agency interims) was unacceptable behavior!

I think I am being discriminated against because I came from the private sector!

FLOWERY - Hi, been a while - pressures of new job and all that - but ok thanks.