Ok, we have to start with the observation that Halloween has moved into the big leagues.  I’m guessing that competing with the World Series has made the holiday up its game a lot.  I live in one of those neighborhoods that makes the list of “Best Holiday Lights”, but soon we’ll be on the list of “Most 12 Foot Plastic Skeletons per Square Mile”.

Halloween isn’t my thing (no horror movies for me!), but I know so many kids of all ages are gearing up for spooky tales of ghosts and goblins. We have gathered some of our own brand of horror stories that are too good to keep to ourselves.

My longtime favorite was the call I got from a client who said “an employee’s spouse is in the lobby and he says he has a gun!”.  My question: “Did you call 911?”.  Imagine my shock at the very calm response, “I was calling to ask you if I should.”  It all turned out fine (no gun), and there was a tiny part of me that felt like a very trusted advisor. 

Then there was the employee who just couldn’t get to work on time.  The company wanted to be reasonable but she kept showing up at different times. Her explanation? She didn’t own a clock and didn’t believe in time.  Our advice?  Buy a clock or find another job.

And who could forget the guy who seemed like he lived at the office? Turns out it didn’t just seem like it.  He worked so much that he decided to get rid of his apartment and set up a bed under his desk. He went all in by changing his “home” address to the office! Unbelievable, right?  I’m still not sure what part of that story is the most horrifying.

Some HR horror stories are truly terrifying.  We calculated the penalty for late payment, with no time records, for an employee who worked one single day making about $20 an hour.  The potential penalties added up to a scary $5000+! 

We never want you running scared.  If you’re afraid you might have the makings of a haunted house on your hands, let’s talk.  And if you just have a terrifying tale to tell, we want to hear it!

To your success,

Jonna, Lisha, Lisa, Suzanne, Karen, Christina and Linda