Online participants were astounded last Tuesday morning when, midway though a mandatory HR presentation about the new telework policy enacted for U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employees working in the Shenandoah National Forest, co-presenter Davis Blough provided a link to the official policy in the chat box.
Normally reserved for quips, long-winded anecdotes, smiley emojis, and questions asking about content already covered at the top of the meeting with the requisite apology for being late, Blough stunned participants when he cut and pasted the web location of the HR telework policy into the chat. Meeting attendees paused in collective silence in astonishment at Blough's resourcefulness and bravery, and it was several minutes before any new content was added.
Meanwhile, USFS Human Resources Management Specialist and main presenter Jerry Schmitz, unaware of Blough's heroic feat, proceeded to the next slide covering a detailed review of Forest Service policy on taking home mouse pads during telework days.
"I was really shocked" admitted Shari Westin, a Resource Analyst for the Forest. "I was sort of half listening to the latest of these required Model Workplace meetings while playing yahtzee on my phone when I noticed that the entire chat window had been filled with a link to something. I clicked it and it took me to this internal document or something from HQ. A few minutes later I realized it was, apparently, our official telework and home office rules." Clearly moved, Westin paused to collect her thoughts and then added, "I didn't even know this document existed."
Blough was unavailable for comment. Despite his little green dot remaining on, participants did not receive addition contributions from Blough during the remaining 40 minutes of the meeting. Said Schmitz, "...and once you get supervisor and IT approval you can check out one mouse pad per person from the storage closet in Sperryville. As we move towards supporting the Secretary's vision for building model workplaces, we wanted you to know that we have your back while you telework! Mousepad checkout periods may not exceed 30 days without additional approval signatures on the associated SF2384, in boxes 8 to 10. Please make sure these signatures are not the same approvers as on your previous form and that you are using the most recent version of the SF2384, which can be found on our sharepoint."
As of this printing, 14 of the 149 online meeting attendees had clicked Blough's daring link, and two had bookmarked the site for future reference.
"I have to say it was pretty special," declared Steve Lattimore, a Labor Specialist for the Forest and widely-respected for dropping hilarious memes into chats during online trainings as well as other antics. "To so quickly share that telework pdf. I dunno... I mean, pretty darn courageous, right? Wow, just wow. And now everyone has it!"
"I wonder where Dave took that background picture," Lattimore added thoughtfully.
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