Thursday, October 25, 2007

Eco-Unfriendly

For three days now, we've been going around in circles trying to get a travel reimbursement for someone in our division who attended training here in town. The problem is that you're supposed to fill out an official travel request in advance of any reimbursable travel UNLESS it's local travel, which does not require a prior request.

Problem?

He went to and from his workshop via city bus, and the policy states quite clearly that we can reimburse only mileage, tolls and parking. No mention of reimbursing bus fare, therefore it's not allowed and the employee is in violation of policy.

Think about that for a minute. We'll cheerfully reimburse someone to drive a Hummer across a city the approximate size of Guatemala. We'll reimburse tolls along the way and parking costs, too.

But a bus fare that is not only cheap but helps reduce traffic jams, pollution and greenhouse emissions? Nope.

Our planet is doomed.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

1) This would be an easy cause for you to champion and would look great on your "list of accomplishments" for the previous year.

2). In the short term, play "Find the umbrella." Email me for a detailed explanation.

Anonymous said...

it is insane, definitely

but just to give you a wee bit of perspective...

our planet has been doomed since Eve ate the fruit and then Adam took it as well ;-)

Leah J. Utas said...

Raise a very big stink about this. Seriously. It's something so absurd that it needs to be made public.
Make the people in charge explain just exactly why this isn't part of the policy.
If not made public, then at least let it be known around your department that you are working for change. There's nothing wrong with doing your good works quietly, of course.

Anonymous said...

Argh... I agree, that's ridiculous. It's amazing, the level of idiocy which can be found in a bureaucracy (having worked for a bureaucracy for 14 years myself, I have many tales to tell as well).

I agree with your other commenters -- working for change is a great idea. Change can happen even at the glacial pace of most bureaucracies, if ya keep at 'em.

Una said...

Bah!
____________

Thanks for the kind words. I hope things work out, but the job I know and love today will not be the job I do if I'm kept around. There will be no more wearing of multiple hats... I wear five or so :). Unfortunately, I'm going to lose some of what I do. I've started looking externally too, if I haven't lost count, this is round 14 in 7 years. Enough already :(

Vickie said...

If we are doomed, its because of the idiots making policy!