Company Policy

One of the facets of mom’s work is to write condolence letters from the company’s president to the families of deceased employees.

Thankfully, that's not as tough as writing the obits for a newspaper where you call the bereaved family and friends and listen to them reminisce about a loved one. No, mom doesn’t have to call anybody and offer awkward condolences. She doesn’t have to listen to the grieving family break down over the phone, while choking back her own tears.

Instead, all the information she needs is just a click away, on the HR database. She fills out a form letter, gets the required approvals and sends it on its way.(Fortunately, this brainless activity is only a minuscule facet of her job.)

As one would expect, a lot of the dead are people who’ve been on medical leaves of absence or those involved in fatal car crashes. Once in a while, though, a report of a senseless, random act of violence will cross mom’s desk.

Here's one from the new year: a 59-year-old employee in Florida was fatally shot by her neighbor after they argued over a substance she was sprinkling around his house and his flowerbeds.

The loony bin shot her 11 times.

“The company would like to express its deepest sympathies to you on the recent loss of your …. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.”

That's the extent of corporate sympathy. It doesn't matter if you joined the firm last week or 25 years ago.