This company DISGUSTS me!!!

[rearden]

A friend received this email from his company, ComputerTech (www.computertech.com), today. I am DISGUSTED!!

Sandwiching a paragraph of non-empathic, non-sympathetic corporate crap between seemingly patriotic prose simply demeans those paragraphs to fluff. Yes, life goes on, but a simple act of understanding isn't too much to ask for.

Rearden

------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: [removed@computertech.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 12:01 PM
To: Everyone
Subject: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH

The terrorist attack on America earlier this week was truly unbelievable and a horrific tragedy. Computer Tech grieves with the rest of the nation and extends its thoughts and prayers to the injured and to the families of the victims. However, we need to refocus our strengths and energies away from this tragic event and back to running our business.

As the company was not officially closed or shut down on Tuesday, September 11th, all employees (e.g., salaried and hourly) who either left early or did not report in to work, due to this tragedy, will be required to submit a [Time Off With Pay] TOWP form in order to be paid for these hours. Please have your supervisor/manager approve your TOWP form and either fax or hand deliver to the payroll today.

During the following days/weeks of this tragedy, it is my hope and prayer that we as Americans will not allow our fear and anger guide us to act against other individuals who also reside in our wonderful country because of their race, religion or national origin. We as Americans are survivors, and we cannot let intimidation or fear of further terrorist threats dampen our will or spirit.

God Bless America!!!

[removed] ;-)

 

[Kelvrick]

I'm never buying from them, ever.

Edit: I was gonna say that they just have to stay in business, but then if it sounds like they're pretty big. Screw them.

 

[nicowju]

Corporate crap. Like Kelvrick said...
Perhaps the company is just following procedures, but still...

 

[ElFenix]

i bet they have to file TPS reports too. @$$h0les.

 

[mflacy]

Why is is crap? They are paying the people who left early or didn't come in for the hours that they missed.

That seems pretty nice to me.

Am I missing something?

 

[SocialDistortion]

how about w eall send complaint mail to them? haha

 

[natto fire]

i know that it seems terrible but they are just trying to run a business. and they are even going to pay the people for the time off.

 

[NFS4]

You guys need to shut the hell up. It's one thing to be emotional about this and scream like little babies that you won't buy from them again, but they are just trying to account for workers and hours. Is that so hard? The people are still gonna get paid.

Bunch of whiny brats!:|

 

[Viper GTS]

I'm inclined to agree with Captain_Howdy & NFS4. I don't think the request is unreasonable, they need to keep track of hours.

My company would have done the exact same thing.

Viper GTS

 

[rearden]

Mflacy & Captain_Howdy,

By turning in a Time Off With Pay form, the employee must use a vacation/personal day. I understand that they are simply trying to run a business, but in light of Tuesday's events, I don't think that it's too much to ask that the people just get paid without haveing to take a personal day.

Rearden

 

[OutHouse]

Im confused, whats is the problem???? Computertech is going to pay their employees for either not showing up or leaving early. What did you want them to do say Everybody take the next week off with full pay even if you dont have any vacation or comp time?

 

[mithrandir2001]

You should see the letter I got from my company's HR dept @ 11AM on Tuesday: "we must remain as productive as possible today", "Don't not use the Internet or phones for personal use", "we must remain at full staff levels at all times". The insensitivity was deplorable considering the company is just a regular private enterprise, not an emergency function. Some people just can't pull themselves away from business as usual.

 

[*kjm]

The company did nothing wrong in my book. They let you off if you wanted to take off. Why should it have to be on their dime?

 

[kranky]

They don't have offices affected directly by what happened, as far as I could tell. They apparently let people go home if they wanted to. I see that as an act of understanding. There are millions of people who could not go home from work.

I think the company is being perfectly reasonable. I don't see any connection between the tragedy and why they should be paid. Your friend is overreacting.

 

[Optimus]

If its just a tracking thing, then its fine.

If its to take vacation time from the employees for Tuesday, then I am beyond disgusted.

 

[Kelvrick]

Oh my god, I was reading too quickly. i thought it said a Time off without pay. I still have a problem with how they're using vacation time though. I'm still not buying from them. newegg forever.

 

[iamwiz82]

i would guess they lose a day of vacation from that.

 

[Viper GTS]

If I had left work I have no doubt that I would have had to choose between taking it unpaid or using my PTO for it. I doubt I would have received attendance points, however.

I have no problem with that.

If they tried to penalize me for leaving, then I would have a problem.

But there is no reason the company should have to pay people who left.

Viper GTS

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

No offense meant, but unless a relative or close friend was at risk at the WTC, the Pentagon, or on one of the planes, why would you feel entitled to leave work? What does one thing have to do with the other? I was as upset as anybody during the tragedy, and my co-workers and I certainly watched TV much of the day, but none of us felt there was any reason to leave.

 

[Optimus]

Viper:

I understand why companies would rather not pay, but this is so much bigger! Surely a special "sick day" - a Mental Health day is in order, no?

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

nothing wrong with that memo or policy.

 

[SacredCow]

I think the real problem here is the company's audacity in starting off with a touchie-feelie paragraph, then drastically shifting gears into bean-counting mode. I mean, if you're going to be warm and sympathetic, be warm and sympathetic. But if your message really is about dollars and cents, then just stick to your subject, and don't try to pretend that you actually give a damn about the people you're addressing. The memo is just another example of Corporate America's lame PR attempts to show that it actually cares about the workers and the workers' concerns.

 

[natto fire]

when i went to work at UPS on tuesday i expected business as usual with exception of all of our planes being on the ground. by the way i bet that sucks to pay for air ship and have it sent ground. ESPECIALLY UPS(slow) ground. anyways i know that this really is a terrible tragedy but life carries on i guess.

 

[SpongeBob]

I think it's pretty lame if they charge vacation time for that, but hell, that's their perogative, if you don't like it, don't work there. I never would, my company(well, the federal govt.) gave us tuesday afternoon and all day wednesday off, paid, no filling out forms or anything.

 

[Descartes]

1) There's absolutely nothing worng with what they've requested. Like it or not, they ARE a business, and they DO have to track their assets. The IRS won't give breaks come tax season because of this event, so I would expect this...

2) It's wrong of you to post this on a public forum. This would constitute defamation of corporate character, and I'm sure they'd be upset to hear that their friend forwarded an internal memo to an outside party, who then posted this to a public forum.