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Hot
Button Emailer and At Risk For Checks
by Dr. Lynne
Curry
Question:
A former co-worker exposed our company to large legal damages though
her actions and I'm trying, one by one, to clear up every incident
in which we're exposed to risk. Since only a few of us know the
real situation, and most of those peripherally involved have no
clue, they wonder why we're acting so harshly toward our former
co-worker.
Recently, one of them emailed me a stern letter and I reacted, upset
that he didn't see the truth and as a result assumed the worst.
I replied, thinking I'd clear my name. Only after I sent the email
did I re-read it and realize I made things even worse. Should I
email an apology, let things cool down and try again or simply let
it go?
Answer:
Before you do anything else, promise yourself you won't again hit
the send button when upset. Then, write the best apology you can,
but don't send it. Instead, find someone you trust and explain the
situation to her and ask her to read your apology again, from the
standpoint of someone who likes and respects your former co-worker.
Unless she says your apology will help without further muddying
the waters, don't send anything. Instead, wait several months and
when the dust settles, write the letter sender a short note apologizing
for responding in haste.
Question:
I work for a small, closely held corporation run by my boss and
his brother. I'm one of six employees and have moved into a position
of trust with my boss. Six months after I started, my boss asked
me to become corporate secretary and I felt honored to be treated
as more than a clerical employee. Since then, I've learned how close
this company is to bankruptcy.
My
boss is leaving town for Hawaii and has given me signing power on
checks. Ordinarily, I'd feel okay about this but we have been very
short on funds lately and often cross our fingers hoping we'll get
a deposit in before some of the checks we've written get cashed
by those to whom we owe money. If I sign checks and am just an employee,
am I liable for the money?
Answer:
Actually, you have become more than just an employee; when you accepted
the position of corporate secretary, you became a corporate officer.
As a corporate officer, if you sign a check returned for insufficient
funds, you can be held personally liable for three times the amount
of the check plus the legal fees incurred by the payee to collect
payment.
Because
you took on your position as corporate secretary while an employee,
I ran your situation past bankruptcy attorney Cabot Christianson.
"It's never a good idea to send out checks you know might bounce,"
says Christianson. "This employee should tell her employer,
politely but firmly, that she doesn't intend to sign potentially
rubber checks. If she continues to feel pressured to do so, she
should resign as an officer of the corporation."
Christianson
adds that while you can defend yourself by arguing that you followed
orders, weren't an owner of the company and didn't act for personal
gain, in 1990 the Alaska Supreme Court held a corporate officer
personally liable for bounced corporate checks. In short, don't
put your bank account at risk.
Question:
I just returned from the best vacation I've ever had. Although I
like my job, I wake up resenting the fact I've got to be at work
by 8 and once I'm there I can't seem to get into the swing of things.
Yesterday I got into trouble for spending too much time listening
to a co-worker's stories about her kids. Can you help me overcome
vacationitis?
Answer:
You need to get your brain rekindled. Start by making a list of
the most important projects you need to resume or initiate. Then,
prioritize your list and give the top items deadlines. If your top
priority appears initially overwhelming, chunk the project down
into action steps and start on the first step, committing to put
in at least an hour of solid work before your first break.
Next,
use the vacation break you had to consider how you can improve your
work life. Are there any streamliners or system improvements you
want to put in place? Are there any former bad work habits you want
to dump - like spending so much time chatting that you rile your
boss?
Finally, tackle your resentment. When you wake up irritated because
you have to be somewhere at eight, your resentment mentally positions
you to work as little as possible. Shake this attitude by remembering
what you like about your job. Is it your co-workers, the challenges
you handle, or what you can produce when you work with full enthusiasm?
Whatever you like, realize you owe it to yourself to renew your
enthusiasm - at least until you can earn your next vacation.
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