What If You Died And Nobody Told Your Employer?

 What if you died and nobody told your employer?  

It's been a week since the maintenance man died.  A few days ago, some of us started questioning why they hadn't put a memorial for him up on the screens by the doors and in the break areas.  At first, we thought maybe they hadn't gotten around to it, but no, that wasn't right. 

They'd gotten other memorials up the same day as the person's death.  Not Mr. Gene.  A couple more days passed, and we were really wondering.  No picture on the screen.  No envelope.  Nothing.

One of my coworkers said it is disrespectful, not just to him and his family, but also to those of us who knew and worked with him.  I told another coworker, "It's like he died and nobody even noticed."  

As it happens...

One of the brazers is really good friends with a lady who works in HR.  Today, she had come out to the department to speak with Coworker, as she often does.  Somewhere in the course of the conversation, Coworker asked HR why they didn't put Gene's picture on the screen.  Quickly, Coworker called to me and said, "What was that man's name again?  Gene....?"  I told her his last name, and HR looked shocked and exclaimed, "He died???  Are you sure?"  

I replied that his obituary was in the local paper, and his funeral had been Monday.  One of the front office people had stopped by and told me he'd gone to the visitation.  HR replied that they hadn't known he'd even died.  

I'm not blaming HR.  It's not her fault nobody told them.  And I could see the person's face and tell that  she was very upset.  They hadn't sent flowers to his funeral, and the family probably thought they didn't care.  

What was mind boggling to me is that nobody thought to tell HR that one of their employees had died.   

Well, the situation is rectified now, and Gene will get his proper memorial, thanks to three irate employees who refused to let it go.  

*Gene and Mrs. Gene-  swiped from his FB page.