Courtesy of kudakar from Flickr

I have worked in small, mid and large-sized companies. I find that mid-size companies are the most fun.  It’s big enough to need things accomplished and small enough to make a difference. I also love knowing everyone by name, which is especially important when you work in the dreaded Human Resources department. Over the years, I have collected some strange but true “people” experiences. Here is one of my favorites.

The Witness Protection Employee – We had an employee who was a good worker but from time to time, she had outside problems that affected her work life. One time her sister ran off with her husband. Her problems were off the edge and not really typical. (By the way, her sister worked for the same company but never came back after the ummmm…..affair.) Usually after a week or two she was able to refocus and things went back to normal, at least at work.

New work location (Courtesy of MiltonDonKeynes from Flickr)

One day she came into my office and handed me a resignation.  I was surprised as she was earning a good wage that she would have a hard time duplicating elsewhere, especially considering her “unique” life that was full of adventures. In the ensuing discussion she explained that “the government” was placing her into the witness protection program.  I was surprised at her disclosure. I am a huge “Law and Order/CSI” fan and that’s not how it works on TV.  One day you are just gone! Bang! No one knows what happened to you and you are living in some place in the boondocks in Montana with a new name and a crazy job making donuts.  Not even your family knows where you are. Here was an employee explaining that the government was going to move her five miles to another town nearby and allow her to keep her name.

You don’t really need to give your employer a reason when you resign so why make up such an outlandish story? I never did find out what it was really about. This is a true story.  I couldn’t make this stuff up.