[Prudence]

For those of you curious for updates on how the secret meeting went:

HR labelled it an "investigatory" meeting, which allowed them to accomplish the same ends as an official counseling (record in the personnel file, hand slappage, threats if it happens again, etc...) but without going through the requirements of a counseling, such as informing the employee of the subject matter in advance and of their right to representation.

Nice trick.

So, here's their beef:

Someone called and complained that they saw something offensive on his computer screen at work. But they didn't or wouldn't say what it was. And the complainant stated that they specifically told Ryan how offensive his computer viewing habits were.

Ryan has NO idea what they're talking about. No one has complained to him about his computer and he doesn't do much surfing at work anyhow -- just the usual, like when he's stuck on hold and there's no actual work within arm's reach. (He schedules appointments for patients, so sometimes he's on hold with another doc's office or the insurance company for AGES.)

This is so typical. In the past he was written up for:

"A patient says a male employee was rude to him and we know all the other male employees really well and have decided they probably didn't do it so it must have been you, even though we're not even going to ask any of the others if it was them, and we're going to put an official note of reprimand in your file."

So now he's been reprimanded for viewing something on his computer that was considered objectionable by a patient, even though we don't know for sure that it was actually objectionable material -- or that it was even actually Ryan!

AND, he got written up for having his computer screen where patients could see, even though he has NO control over his computer placement. He's shoved into a corner of a u-shaped desk so there's no way for him to position his monitor so that no on else can see it. The whole side is open to the public and he's right up against the wall so he can't face it toward the mouth of the U either.

So, millions of dollars in medicare/medicaid fraud and the UW swears it's all a big misunderstanding, gosh they'll make sure nothing like this ever happens again, proceeds to do nothing substantive, and then surprise, fraud happens again. Meanwhile, all any random nutjob has to do is call the complaint line and say X employee was rude to them, provide no details to allow for confirmation of the veracity of the complaint, and HR takes it as the gospel truth and applies sanctions.

Some day I'm going to take 'em to the cleaners, I am.

Now I'm going to proceed to have a thoroughly festive 4-day weekend, consume many grilled foods, and lounge about indolently.