There's a strange workplace angle in the case of a woman who went to prison after pleading guilty to falsely reporting that she found a severed finger in her chili.
In 2005, a woman claimed that she discovered a severed finger in her chili at a fast-food restaurant in San Jose, CA. After she supposedly bit down on the finger while eating chili at the fast food restaurant, the woman showed the fingertip to other restaurant patrons and warned them to avoid the chili. She then retained an attorney and garnered a lot of publicity. The fast-food chain says it lost millions because of the bad publicity.
Investigators said the woman's story didn't add up. For example, they said an investigation determined that the condition of the finger was inconsistent with it having been cooked in chili at 170 degrees for three hours, which was the restaurant's method of preparing chili.
Prosecutors said she planted the finger, arguing that the woman's husband had purchased the finger from a co-worker who had severed it in a workplace accident at an asphalt plant. The price? $100.
Sources: San Jose Mercury News and CA Sixth District Court of Appeals
Prosecutors alleged that the husband had told the co-worker “he was going to have his wife place the fingertip in some food” and later offered the co-worker a slice of any lawsuit proceeds in exchange for his silence.
Prosecutors charged the woman with false or fraudulent insurance claim and attempted grand theft. The woman pleaded guilty and served four years in prison. The woman told CBS-5 in California that other prisoners dubbed her the “finger lady.”
In addition to the prison sentence, the woman was ordered to pay restitution to the fast-food chain and hundreds of employees (who had their hours reduced after the woman made her claims). The husband also pleased guilty to charges related to the scheme and received a prison sentence.
While Smart Phones make it easier for employees to stay connected to the workplace, CareerBuilder's “The Work Buzz” blog found that this “tethering” to the office results in workers checking their phones in some unusual places, and the bathroom is among the most common.
Results of an informal survey conducted by the blog indicate that 14% of workers said they feel obligated to constantly stay in touch with work because of the current tough economy; 21% of workers say they check their mobile device every time it vibrates or beeps; and 18% report they are required by their company to be accessible beyond office hours via a mobile device.
It's no surprise that 17% of workers said they feel like their workday never ends because of technology connecting them to the office,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder. And 23% of workers who are required to be accessible beyond office hours report that being too connected to their jobs via technology has caused issues or arguments with their friends and family
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The survey also says that under such policies, workers must resort to checking their phones for work-related message in some unusual situations:
- During a meal – 62%
- On vacation – 60%
- While in the bathroom – 57%
- Lying in bed at night – 50%
- At a movie, play, musical, etc – 25%
- On a date – 18%
- Working out at the gym – 17%
- At a child's event of function – 17%
- At church – 11%
Source: Work Buzz
It was a surprise birthday party--and we really mean surprise! Bob Moore, founder of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, must believe it's better to give than to receive. So he celebrated his 81st birthday in a unique way--he gave his company to his employees!
Moore started the Milwaukee, Oregon company to bring back old-fashioned natural grains that are low-tech--they are stone ground. But he used a relatively new vehicle--the Employee Stock Ownership Plan--to give his 209 employees ownership of the organization, reports The Seattle Times. Eventual payouts could be substantial," John Wagner, the company's chief financial officer, told the paper.
There’s more good news--Moore is not trying to get rid of his company--it’d doing great even in this economy, with the company growing between 20 percent and 30 percent since 2004, according to the paper. Moore declined to put a price on Red Mill, says the article, but it was reportedly worth $24 million several years ago. And he could easily have sold it, reports Nancy Garner, Moore’s executive assistant, who says she receives inquiries to buy the privately held company almost every day.
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“In some ways I had a choice” about selling Red Mill, which he and his wife founded in 1978, Moore said in the interview. “But in my heart, I didn’t. These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it.” Moore began looking a succession options about 9 years ago. He settled on an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) 3 years ago. In general, an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a form of retirement plan in which the company contributes its stock for the benefit of employees. When employees leave the employer, they receive from the trust the fair market value of their shares in the plan. “This is Bob taking care of us,” said Lori Sobelson, who works in retail operations. “He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in return.” We're still learning all of the details," reports Nancy Garner, "but it's very humbling to be part of a company that cares this much about its employees."
Source: Seattle Times