Sometimes Even the Loudest Clowns Are Nothing More Than Scared Sheep

Last Thursday I wrote about how they finally fired the marketing director at work. She had blown her budget two-years in a row, and continually alienated and confused those that had to work with her, at her lack of professionalism.

Today she was back in the office.

Earlier in the day, one of the people on her team had said she was just talking to someone with the same name of the former marketing director.

“It’s nice to have lunch with a former boss,” I commented to her.

She told me she hadn’t had lunch with her ex-boss, but had run into a co-worker with the same name.

Still, I was thinking the ex would make an appearance.

And I was right.

The former marketing director came into the office sharply after 5pm – which isn’t unlike her usual working hour routine (one of probably many they let her go).

I wasn’t so much surprised as shocked. She even let herself in, and took up her seat in what was her old office.

Firing at this company, I’m thinking, doesn’t mean much.

I know the marketing manager was close friends with the marketing director. They had worked together previously, and were good friends.

But there is a more sinister reason the marketing director was back in town.

My hunch is, the marketing manager knows she can’t handle the gig all by herself, seeing as she barely worked at it when she had her friend to chum around with.

So, the marketing manager probably invited the marketing director back to clean up her office – and seek advice as to how to go about doing the job she should already know how to do.

Although a clown may wear many outfits, when the clown is a scared sheep you can see right through all the face paint and red noses.

Still, inviting the former employee back is not only a further demonstration as to just how poorly the department functions, it’s a sad statement on the company’s own hiring, firing and security policies.

At most companies, once you are no longer on the payroll, they immediately take away any keys, pass cards, and other access points to the office. They change all your passwords, and someone on staff – ON STAFF – goes through your files to see what is what and ensure nothing gets lost.

Once you are no longer on the payroll, you don’t just stroll right in, sit at your old desk, and act like nothing has happened.

That’s just like walking into a stranger’s home, and re-arranging the furniture. Oh you may have lived in that home before, but it’s not yours anymore. And you can’t just go about moving someone else’s things.

The whole point of having keys to the office, pass cards, passwords and file cabinets with locks is to keep non-employees out.

Could you imagine what would happen, if a former Coke A Cola employee, now working for Pepsi, simply was allowed to walk into his former workplace and steal the secret recipe?

What if an ex-employee has a grudge against the company which let them go? Is it safe to let that person free and unrestricted access?

What?

You’ve never heard the term “postal?”

I think tomorrow I’ll file a complaint with Human Resources about this. I don’t feel safe with ex-employees wondering in and out, just like the rest of us who are supposed to be there. I don’t think the higher-ups should either.