Disciplinary Review, Part 1

[A Note from The Cube: This didn't happen on the weekend, but sometimes you need a day or two to see more clearly.]

The Cube has been summoned to HR for a Disciplinary Review concerning "disrespect." As noted earlier, one probably shouldn't cap an animated discussion with a Veep by stating "Yes, let's just walk into a lawsuit ass-backwards like we never saw it coming. That what we always do." Apparently the Veep is a sensitive soul.

The interesting thing about the Disciplinary Review conducted in the Human Resources office is that none of the participants in the incident was there except The Cube. The Review was conducted by three people who were not there: the head of HR and The Cube's "official" supervisory persons. (A manager and a Veep - but the "official" has to do with being on loan-out to another Veep for most of the time: 'don't really work for these guys much. Don't ask why they haven't transferred me: office politics and budget allocations. Apparently The Cube's services get charged to other departments at 150% of what they are charged to my "official" department.)

So... no one in the room who knows what happened and some faces you hardly ever see or know asking you some personal questions.

The Cube let 'em know of a reluctance to talk about the incident without the two other participants present - both Veeps, by the way: the one I was working for at the time and the one words were exchanged with. The Cube does not like to talk in a vacuum. At the very least The Cube doesn't like to put words into others' mouths. At the very worst, one should have the right to face one's accuser(s).

Small problem here: The Veep that The Cube was working for, witnessing the event, didn't think very much of import had happen. "It had to be said," was the Veep's very Irish-type observation. "Probably I should have said it, but you can't let the company go walking ass-backwards into a lawsuit and if the point wasn't made strongly, then that's just what would have happened."

It turns out he wasn't told of the complaint nor the Review. He went out on an afternoon apointment and won't be back till tomorrow. All of this was set up after he left the building.

Now here we are in a Disciplinary Review, being questioned by people who weren't there, don't know the situation, haven't talked to the only 3rd party witness to the event, and - at one point early on - made it clear that they are uninterested in the issues under discussion: "just your tone of voice and volume."

I see a paper upside down on the HR Director's desk: the Review report has already been written. D'ya think their minds are made up yet?