While most of you claim that you haven’t knowingly violated company policy (76 percent), the other 24 percent are out there committing minor offenses, particularly using company time and equipment for personal e-mails, faxes, or photocopying. Here are some of the more creative ways HR is breaking the rules.
- “I ignored our policy against running in the halls.”
- “Our company policy was not to pay expenses for the ‘look-see’ visit for personnel considering an overseas assignment other than for the employee and spouse. I used to pay for the kids to accompany the parents. It made sense to me. Eventually I was able to get the policy changed.”
- “I continued COBRA coverage without cost to an employee who was a single mother so she could have health insurance when she delivered the baby.”
- “I took my staff to a summer blockbuster movie when we were supposedly having an early staff meeting.”
- “I’ve filled positions before going through all the appropriate channels.”
- “We kept an employee on payroll though she lacked the required length of service for short-term disability benefits. She had been in a car accident that left her comatose. If we had not found a way to justify continuing a portion of her pay, the economic effects would’ve been devastating to the employee and her family.”
- “I’ve allowed the hiring of convicted felons.”
- “Interns are only supposed to work up to 30 hours per week. They’ve been known to work more than 40.”
- “Smoked in the bathroom because I really needed one at that point.”