A couple of months ago, I told you about Krista's bad boss experience. This weekend I heard one that tops it, believe it or not...
My friend Sharon had a stroke at work last week. She was getting ready for a conference call, and was having a hard time reading the number she was supposed to call. She assumed she was just tired and working too much, managed to figure out the number, and joined the call. During the call she developed a severe headache. By the time the call was done, she became aware that her words seemed to be slurring. She called her husband and he immediately came to take her to the ER. Feeling very fatigued and dizzy, Sharon got up from her desk, and told Jeri, the woman in the cube beside her (who happens to work for another department), "I don't feel well and my husband is coming to get me."
At the hospital they ran several tests, ascertained that she indeed had a minor stroke and decided to keep her overnight for observation. The next morning when Sharon woke up, she felt groggy from the sedatives they had given her during the tests, and she was experiencing slight memory loss. She realized she needed to call in to work but couldn't remember her boss' phone number. Since she was able to recall Jeri's extension, she called her and left her a brief voice mail that simply said she was in the hospital, to please let her boss (Wanda) know, and that she would try to call back later in the day.
Apparently Jeri had an appointment so she didn't arrive at work til nearly noon. By the time she heard the voice mail and forwarded the information, Wanda had already come looking for Sharon and was asking around where she was. Towards the end of the day, Sharon was feeling a little better and called Wanda to update her. The conversation went like this:
Sharon: "Wanda, This is Sharon..."
Wanda: (Interrupting) "Why did you call Jeri when you knew you weren't coming in? Why didn't you call me?"
Sharon: "Well I actually had a stroke yesterday, and my memory has been kind of fuzzy and I just couldn't remember your extension. So I just did what I could to get a message to you."
Wanda: "Well, the next time you go to the hospital, make sure to take my phone number with you!"
Really. That's what she said to her employee who just had a stroke and was in the hospital. She didn't say, "What happened" or "How are you?" or "Is there anything I can do to help?" Thankfully this story has a decent ending. A re-org had been pending in Sharon's department for some time, and by the time she returned to work at the end of the week, she found out she had a new boss. It's a woman she respects and enjoys working with, so she's happy about that.
By the way, I was stunned when Sharon told me she had a stroke. She is in her early 40's, has 2 children, and maintains a slim figure by eating a healthy diet and working out regularly. She assured me it was a minor, non-damaging stroke (I can't remember the actual medical term for it) and she expects to get a clean bill of health at her follow-up appointment next week. Just goes to show you how fragile life is and not to take anything for granted!
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