Anyone Else Experience This at Work?

How about a work post? I can only speak in generalities, since I work in healthcare, but suffice to say the general subject matter is universal.

Let’s talk about stupid people. Stupid people who don’t do their job. Stupid people who don’t do their job and claim ignorance when you call them on it. Stupid people who don’t do their job and claim ignorance when you call them on it and STILL do things the wrong way or don’t do them at all out of spite.

We’ve all experienced that, right?

One project I’m involved in at work requires that I monitor a database and send a weekly compliance email to all staff assigned a task in that database. If the item has not been addressed, or has not been completely properly, then it is my job to email that person and remind them that it needs to be completed.

And so every Thursday around noon, after checking each and every record that is still open (which numbers anywhere between 30-100, depending on how diligent people are), I send out my email. And every Thursday I get emails back from people claiming they’ve done their part (despite the database not showing they’ve done it), or that so-and-so is handling it now (which is something that should be marked by that person in the database), or that they’ll have the final documentation to me later that day.

What’s maddening is when a task gets assigned to someone that has never worked in the database before. At that point there’s a lot of hand-holding, leading them through the process. And despite the assistance, and answering 10,000 questions, they still don’t do it correctly.

This week I’m dealing with this issue. Three weeks ago a woman was assigned a task. She didn’t complete it in the 7-day window so she got one of my compliance emails a week later. Part of her response to the task was to write a letter in a particular format. What she sent me clearly did not fit that format at ALL and should not be considered something that should EVER get sent out on behalf of the company we work for. So I wrote her and told her why the letter was not being accepted (just one example from her letter: she signed it with a silver sharpie).

She pitched a fit in protest via email, claiming she didn’t know how to do it. So I sent her a template to use and told her to print it on letterhead (which she hadn’t done with her original), in proper letter format.

Do you know that woman still uploaded her jacked up, silver-sharpie signed letter to the database? As though I wouldn’t see it?

It’s unbelievable. I take pride in the job I do and always strive to do my best. So when I see people attempting to get away with half-assing it, it drives me to distraction.

Needless to say I emailed her upon my discovery and reminded her that this was not up to our company’s stated policy standard and to try again. If she tries any shenanigans again I’ll email her back and cc: her boss on it. I would hope he or she will be appropriately horrified by what she planned on sending out as representation of our company’s professionalism.