the afternoon @ work

[lianhanshee]

Someday I will write a post about what in God's name I actually spend so many hours doing here at work. Because sometimes I wonder myself. And then I get a day like today that serves as a very cruel reminder.

But today I will just complain that my entire afternoon was spent considering how to "interpret" the terms brother-in-law (i.e., should

Comments

[ratphooey]

Brother-in-law is both of those.

Personally, I would only consider permanent full-time workers to be employees. What does the company in question think?

[lianhanshee]

Yes! See how easily that was answered? Why oh why did we at work have to talk about it for an hour? Why do e-mails have to circulate among no fewer than six people about this topic? Why does whether the fact that the brother-in-law does not share blood with the reporting person matter? So the answer that was finalized --> a person's spouse's brother is a brother-in-law, but his sister's spouse is not.

Argh!

The company thinks they don't have to include the temporary employees, but they want to know what our interpretation is, so that we won't sue them down the line.

Part of me wants to say, are you kidding me, lady? You think we sue over the number of employees in your little company???? Call me back once you backdate some options.

Unfortunately I would get in a lot of trouble if I said that to caller. Harumph.

[ratphooey]

Argh, indeed! That is the wrong answer. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I'm surprised neither issue has come up before. It doesn't seem like the wheel would need to be (re)invented at this juncture.

[lianhanshee]

Man, you're like a laser! You're absolutely right, we shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel -- but people are calling because we recently rewrote one of the disclosure rules -- and even though we didn't change the definition or any of the disclosure requirements related to brothers-in-law in the slightest, people are calling with questions about whether we'd still interpret the term the same way.

I pretty much hate being part of the stupid CYA mentality that lawyers have. Stuff like this just demoralizes me beyond all hope -- there has to be something more meaningful that I can do. Maybe I'll transfer to the Enforcement division so I can sue the fraudsters and feel like I'm actually doing something valuable with my time. Cause answering these stupid questions? Not doing it for me.

Thanks for letting me vent!