By the way, the HR issue above sounds like our office. You’re right. Some HR departments are a bunch of moron’s, and my colleague, who is exec director of a program, I m a contracted associate, has been fighting over ethical issues regarding her assistant (abuse of sick time for 3 months. HR has been siding with the “sick” associate as she had their ear first. To date the “sick associate” who continued to call in “sick”, after being seen shopping etc., and who was arrested for disorderly conduct on a day when she was supposed to be “sick” etc…..still has her job, and she is still out “sick”. Maybe now “sick” means under pyschological counseling, in an asylum, behind bars etc. No one can get into her computer, to get into her files to catch up with her work while she is out. She does no work from home, nor is she allowed to but still has access to her email, when her name is on the website for new business. We are in a union environment, and HR is just there to protect against lawsuits. HR has never been on site in our office, nor do they go out of their way to talk to my colleague about the bottom line of the work that is not being done and her side of the story……The story is more detailed but this is the condensed version…The assistant will be gone eventually, as in the meantime legal help/support is being sought outside the workplace.

Just had to respond. Cheers