How One Sided The Office Can Be
A while ago I was working for this company that offered a health insurance package. One day I called the 1-800 number of that insurance provider to get some information on my benefits. The number connected to an operator was based in the Philippines. They asked for my Social Security number as the only way to look up my files. This was unacceptable as I never give out that information to anyone in a foreign country.
I called the department that handled the insurance policies in my office and told the woman that it was not safe giving my Social Security number out to someone in a foreign country. She assured me that it was safe to give my information. I told her, “Just because you are oblivious to the security risks involved in giving out my personal information to people in other countries, does not make it safe.”
Shocked, she said, “You called me oblivious? I’m offended!”
With that she hung up the phone. In under 40 minutes I get a visit from my manager, his manager, the project leader and his assistant. I told them what happened and they were puzzled. Soon after, I had 2 more women from human resources arrive as they suggested we go to a conference room to talk.
In the conference room, I told my story again. The two women from HR looked at each other. Not hearing my story and only hearing what they wanted to hear, they asked me why I called the woman om the phone “Oblivious”. This went on for a while until the managers (the men) called out on how absurd this whole thing was. I cringed on the inside, thinking these woman would now take offense at a manager calling their investigation “absurd”. Too bad that didn’t happen.
I was then instructed to sign a letter warning me on the importance of office etiquette. I only signed it when a full report was attached.
Why wasn’t this woman given instructions on the importance of office tolerance?
By the way, the policy was changed so that you can give your policy number or an employee number to get information about your insurance.
#TheXYGhost