It feels like a Monty Python skit. Man (let's say Cleese) enters room, grave and dignified, ready to accept his termination. Boss (Palin or Idle) panics and bolts from the room, diving amongst the cubicles. People flee in panic, refusing to terminate the man who is ready to accept his fate as they jump out windows and run around with trashcans on their heads.

I like this image. I'm going with Idle, though Cleese worked well with Palin. And Terry Jones can be lugubrious. And Johnny Cash can shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die. (I bought a greatest hits album of the aforementioned Cash the other day. I love his rendition of Personal Jesus. For that matter, I also love Depeche Mode's rendition of Personal Jesus. And Richard Cheese's. "Alright boys, reach out and touch faith!")

Since No-Longer-NiceBoss pulled this stunt, I think you should reconsider the plan of calling in sick tomorrow. Sudden bout of food poisoning, oh dear.

I'd say she put it over telling the truth and doing what's kind. What's right? Is it right simply because it is either the truth or kind?

What can I say? I'm a much more judgemental person than the rest of the list I suppose. Not doing what is kind and truthful is usually wrong. I guess you can come up with exceptions, but they aren't common, and I see no evidence that they apply here. I don't see how being untruthful and unkind when weighed against rule following and ass covering is not wrong. Especially when someone pointed out a way to follow the rules while still communicating the truth, thus following the rules, and being kind and truthful. I can't help see that as wrong. But probably don't score well on the the "judge not less ye be judged" scale.

Anyway what I should really be saying is sorry Hec. You deserve better, and yeah, take the sick day unless it is against your and JZs selfish interests. Cause I don't see a whole lot of other people who need weighing.

Man, oh man, does that suck. I'm sorry to hear that, Hec. I thought they'd already announced it clearly to you. I didn't know they were being this inconsiderate and cretinous about it.

I am sure she has been expressly forbiddden to tell you anything, Hec. I know HR staff anywhere is told NEVER to tell terminated employees early, as there have been too many incidents where vindictive employees hacked files, stole stuff, destroyed equipment, or hurt someone. That being said, she could have communicated the truth to you in answer to your question without telling you directly. She knows you and knows you aren't the type to randomly delete files throughout the network (which happened at the law firm I used to work at when someone was let go) or to hurt anyone. She is weak, you hit the nail on the head.

Hec, JZ, I'm so sorry about this crap.

Back when I was temping, I had a job working the front desk at an apartment complex. I was there to act as an assistent to the corporate-type who'd flown in to keep things going while hiring and training a new manager for the complex. Once they hired a guy, I asked for a time frame on when the assignment would end, and they would not tell me. I got in the habit of ending each day by saying, "See you tomorrow?"

Sure enough one day the new manager answered that with, "No body told you? We don't need you to come in. From now on we only want you one day a week."

To which I said, "You will need to contact the agency so they can send someone else. I can't pay my rent working one day a week, and they won't give me another assignments if I'm still on this one."

You know what's worse than full moons? Eclipses. People are kah-ray-zee today.

::cue sudden flash of "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning"::

I don't see how being untruthful and unkind when weighed against rule following and ass covering is not wrong.

I'd say she values her job more than Hec's friendship. That may make her an asshole, but I don't know that it makes her action wrong. It's wrong from Hec's perspective because she was an asshole to him. It may be right from her perspective as the lesser of two evils.