Page 85 - Labelle Gramercy, On the Case

Overtime

“That is a question for our legal staff; they might be in court
themselves, today, so I will take your word on it. But that cannot be
all you need to know.” I left it hanging, hoping to hasten the
inevitable grilling and its conclusion.
“Certainly not.” She smartly stapled the papers in each stack,
tapping lightly with one finger on the stapler I needed to hammer
with both hands. “Let me review your part in this. What time did you
come to work on Saturday?”
“About nine.” If she had already scanned and memorized the
electronic entry logs for the past three years, that was an unnecessary
question. But I could appreciate a good conversational gambit as well
as the next amateur sociologist.
“Did you know that anyone would have been working late Friday
night?”
“No. Some people stay late, some of them habitually. The
company is aware that their productivity drops after six o’clock, but
salaried employees generally have their own internal ledger of time
and energy expenditure justification: in other words,” I felt the need
to paraphrase, “they are expected to put in as many hours as it takes
to do their job. It’s all part of the trappings of professionalism.”
Oops, was I implying that Ms. Gramercy would not be aware of that?
“If Kates had been a clerk he would have had to get approval and
would have been paid overtime. I believe the accounting and
computer people frequently burn the midnight oil to make their
deadlines. As compensation and working conditions are not at issue
for them, HR does not keep tabs on it.” I concluded lamely:
“Perhaps MIS could develop a computer program to analyze the
after-hours building entrance and exit times and establish a pattern.”
“I have already done so. Kates regularly stayed late, and not in
conjunction with any other employee in his department—but he did
not work on weekends, as is your custom at the end of each month.”
“I see.” I saw that this woman must find the normal avenues of
investigation, involving, as they must, travel at considerably less than
the speed of light, to be a chronic traffic jam.
“Further, his primary responsibility, in terms of project time
reported, is your effort to upgrade the company’s computer systems
in advance of year 2000.”

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