I’m Always Running Into Strange Happenings

 

I don’t know what it is about me but Strange Happenings are always happening all around me. It may be because I notice things. Maybe that’s not the case at all. Maybe you would have noticed this one because this one was really strange. I’m getting ahead of myself again. Please allow me to explain...

I was in a diner I like to dine in when I noticed this Strange Happening. A couple of men had come in and sat at a table close to me. That’s not strange. The strange part was they had been there long enough to be into their desserts and they had not said a thing to each other the whole time they were there.

You may not know this about me but, besides being a Noticer, I am also Nosey. I asked Jake, the owner of the diner, what was going on. He immediately got a sad look on his face and, in bullet point format, he started telling me the whole sad story...

• The older of the two men is the boss.
• He is a great guy.
• He believes in getting to know his employees.
• For at least a decade he has been bringing his employees into the diner for a Get To Know Each Other Lunch.
• He has 10 employees and he brings them in, one at a time, eager to get to know all about them.
• Over this time the Federal Government has been piling on a List of Subjects that an employer is not allowed to ask an employee.
• The Great Guy Boss recently shared the Don’t Dare Ask List with Jake.
• Jake took the list out of his apron and shared it with me...
  >The total Don’t Dare Asks List is now up to 20.
  >Jake had yellow highlighted the 8 ones the Great Guy Boss told him were the most problematic to him...
  
  1. Questions about your race, religion, skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability...
  >The Great Guy Boss said he understood the need for these restrictions but he had a hard time of it when he had to go to a court hearing because he asked a disabled employee to not leave his wheelchair in the aisle between the desks. He has a small office for his 10 employees to work in and the wheelchair was causing other employees to climb over the desks on either side of the wheelchair to get to the rest room. Some very important paperwork had been stepped on and crinkled up and 2 employees had fallen off the desks and had been out of work for several days each before they could return to the office. The Great Guy Boss said all he had done was ask the disabled employee if it was OK to have someone move the wheelchair so as not to hinder access to the rest room. He was shocked to hear his disabled employee shout back at him, “Are you saying I’m disabled?”
  2. Details about your marital status...
  >The Great Guy Boss said he got in trouble with this one when he asked his newly married employee, “Did the wedding ceremony go well?”
  3. Your age.
  4. Your criminal history.
  5. Your weigh or appearance...
  > The Great Guy Boss said he realized his little joke was not well accepted when his Get To Know Each Other Lunch Guest threw his cannoli at him after he said, “For a fat guy you don’t sweat much.”
  6. Your immigration status.
  7. Your plans for vacation...
  > The Great Guy Boss said he was only trying to show concern for his employee when he asked, “Are you sure Bungee Jumping is safe?”
  8. Your Medical History...
  > The Great Guy Boss said he got a black eye when he asked, “I understand you were hit by a truck over the weekend. Are you OK?”

Jake said, “Now you understand why the Great Guy Boss is reluctant to say anything at his Get To Know Each Other Lunches. He just sits there, chews slowly and pays the check when their meals have been eaten. I believe he is really a Great Guy. I also believe he longs for the days before the 20 Things Your Boss Cannot Ask You List was published on the Internet. Probably his greater fear is the fact that he is certain the 20 List is still growing.”

Would I kid u?

Smartfella