Part 32 (written 2004)

(Continued from previous week)

Yes, I have had complaints, but mostly they concern a lack of sufficient work for me. And I will continue to complain about that. And yes, I have annoyed others and no doubt upset them when I ask too many questions or have suggestions as to how something should or should not be done. But the responses have always been courteous and given to me in a constructive manner, and not as a brush-off.

Over the years at HR, I have handled many responsibilities. Some I worked hand in hand with a member of the staff and others I was allowed to handle practically by myself but always with the understanding that I am a volunteer and that a volunteer cannot have primary responsibility. Such primary responsibility always has to rest on the shoulders of an employee. Nevertheless, my hands were never tied in the carrying out of my responsibilities.

Two of the major responsibilities (as defined by the number of hours required for handling) were COBRA insurance coverage and tuition reimbursement for employees going to college. COBRA was eventually partially outsourced so that it lost its importance in my assignments.

Tuition reimbursement was, as always, a major item in my assignments. I am happy to say that I was able to help many employees with their paperwork in the application documentation, enabling them to obtain tuition reimbursement from the hospital. After many years I still meet employees from time to time who express their continuing appreciation for my help when they needed it.

One happening is worth mentioning in connection with tuition reimbursement. It was still in the early stages of my handling the paperwork when I was still under close supervision by my supervisor. I noticed something strange on some of the documentation being submitted by some employees. It had been told to me on many prior occasions that, contrary to the common ability to look around as everyone does, I also have the ability to see what others don’t. I was sure that what I was seeing had been looked at previously, but without the individual seeing what I was now seeing.

I saw documents that had been altered by copying and thereby deleting some important figures that would, as a result, increase the amount of reimbursement the employee would be able to claim. That did not look right to me, but since I was new at this I went to my supervisor and pointed it out to her. She was shocked at what I had shown her and immediately went to the department manager with it. I was informed that this had never been seen by anyone previously and I was asked to research the records to determine how long this fraudulent action by a few employees had been going on.

My research determined that about 10 employees were involved and that it had been going on for a few years. Since I was the keeper of the records, and since I had found what was happening in the first place, I was involved with management in the confrontation with the accused employees.

Management of the hospital at the time made the decisions as to what action should be taken against the offending employees. Although naturally I was not involved in that decision, I do know that several employees were terminated and others received lesser penalties.

I was not proud of what I had done, but I felt I had done my duty to the hospital as an “unpaid employee.”

(To be continued next week)

By Norbert Strauss

 Norbert Strauss is a Teaneck resident and Englewood Hospital volunteer. He frequently speaks to groups to relay his family’s escape from Nazi Germany in 1941.