I know, I know. After all that angst about getting a job, it’s come to me handing in my resignation. But you see, I got fed up. Really fed up. This picture shows my breaking point.

Remember to Clock In & Clock Out

The sticky you can’t see very well (those damn cell phone cameras) was what appeared on my computer monitor first thing Monday morning. It says, “Remember to Clock In & Clock Out.” Yes you read right. Attorney, professional, and my organization is obsessed with exempt employees using a time card system to punch in and out. They were previously only obsessed with attorney’s doing so with an accompanying report printed every morning. This comes at the end of a month’s long fight where I refused to do so. My boss complained that she couldn’t keep tabs on me. Umm, I’m at my desk working, or I’m not. She wanted me to ask permission to come and go from my office. I felt like asking if I needed to raise my hand to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to expose myself to the possible answer.

Can you believe this? Now it’s a company wide exempt employee time clock. Why? Because our General Counsel and Executive Vice President are obsessed with monitoring the behavior of all employees. Is work getting done, sure, they’re not concerned about that. Rather they want to make sure everyone is at their desk all day. Seven minutes late, you better have an excuse. Want to go to the doctor, better get permission. The best explanation I got (and I asked a lot) was that they wanted to make sure we weren’t stealing time from the company.

You come in ten minutes early for days in a row. Nada. Come in ten minutes late one day and you’re read the riot act. It’s crazy. And all this for a salary of peanuts.

So I’m on the market again, and this time in interviews, I’ll be sure to ask about their punch card policy. Hopefully I’m not laughed out of the interviewer’s office.