Exploring HR Management, Employee Relations, and Perceptions in the Workplace

After 5 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been promoted, no transfer, no salary increase, no commendation, and that the Company is not doing anything about it. So he decided to walk up to his HR Manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his HR Manager his observation. The boss looked at him, laughed, and asked him to sit down saying:

"My, you have not worked here for even one day."

The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain:

Manager: How many days are there in a year?

Man: 365 days and sometimes 366

Manager: how many hours make up a day?

Man: 24 hours

Manager: How long do you work in a day?

Man: 8 am to 4 pm, i.e., 8 hours a day.

Manager: So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?

Man: (He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours, i.e., 1/3 (one third))

Manager: That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?

Man: 122 (1/3 x 366 = 122 in days)

Manager: Do you come to work on weekends?

Man: No, sir

Manager: How many days are there in a year that are weekends?

Man: 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equal to 104 days

Manager: Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?

Man: 18 days

Manager: OK! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove that 14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?

Man: 4 days

Manager: Do you work on New Year's day?

Man: No, sir!

Manager: Do you come to work on Workers' Day?

Man: No, sir!

Manager: So how many days are left?

Man: 2 days, sir!

Manager: Do you come to work on the (National holiday)?

Man: No, sir!

Manager: So how many days are left?

Man: 1 day, sir!

Manager: Do you work on Christmas day?

Man: No, sir!

Manager: So how many days are left?

Man: None, sir!

Manager: So, what are you claiming?

Man: I have understood, Sir. I did not realize that I was stealing Company money all these days.

Moral - NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!

HR = HIGH RISK

Hi,

Really, HR is great. I have learned from my tutor that HR is a management guy, not the employee's guy. He proved it. Really good and interesting. It made me think, and I decided to handle a problem in this way.

Kiruthika

Hi,

Romit has contributed a good joke indeed! But after all, a joke is a joke and it is best left at that. On an HR forum, such a generalization about an HR guy is in poor taste for two reasons - first, all sweeping generalizations are BAD and lack universal applicability, and secondly, it is indeed in poor taste! HR may be a management appointee but should not be partisan to managements ahead of employees. He has a function to assimilate all employees and to orient them to excellent collective performance. He is the conscience-keeper of the organization and if he becomes a "management guy," he is being disloyal to his profession. If some of our members have experienced otherwise with their respective HR guys, it is plain unfortunate. They should, instead of generalizations, seek better experiences. I have no objections whatsoever to what is published. It's just that I felt SORRY to see such demeaning generalizations!!

Regards, samvedan
July 21, 2006

Very good one! If one needs to be in HR, they should have the ability to convince others. The HR manager in the above case did so!

It's really a tough job to be in HR!

Hi :D

Very good conversation between an HR & an employee... so, I came to know HR thinks about management, not the employee.

Regards,
Swati

Hi Romit,

Your message seems to be really good. I have some queries in it. Are the sick leave, casual leave, and national holidays paid holidays? Just a quick check.

Regards,
Pravin