talk to your co-worker!

[hensylee]

WORKER DEAD AT DESK FOR 5 DAYS

New York Times 1-22-03

Bosses of a publishing firm are trying to work out why no one noticed that one of their employees had been sitting dead at his desk for FIVE DAYS before anyone asked if he was feeling okay.

George Turklebaum, 51, who had been employed as a proof-reader at a NewYork firm for 30 years, had a heart attack in the open-plan office he shared with 23 other workers. He quietly passed away on Monday, but nobody noticed until Saturday morning when an office cleaner asked why he was still working during the weekend.

His boss Elliot Wachiaski said: "George was always the first guy in each morning and the last to leave at night, so no one found it unusual that he was in the same position all that time and didn't say anything. He was always absorbed in his work and kept much to himself."

A post mortem examination revealed that he had been dead for five days after suffering a coronary. Ironically, George was proofreading manuscripts of medical textbooks when he died.

You may want to give your co-workers a nudge occasionally. Moral of the story: Don't work too hard. Nobody notices anyway!

 

[Nancy]

Doesn't surprise me. I used to design open plan offices for a very large corporation, and in many aspects of the design process, I had to measure each and every office space, and each corner of the building. I saw some pretty surprising things, people sleeping at their desks, people talking to themselves, and at least a couple of people who had offices with doors would go in the office, close the door, and wouldn't be seen for the rest of the day, if at all. There was one man who most people didn't even know, and he was a top executive. I got to know him because I had to measure his office and inventory his furniture. But he was almost a "ghost".

Then there were the office packrats who had so much literature and so many books sitting on their desks and all over the floor that it obscured anybody's view into their panelled office. One man cried when he found out that his boss was moving everybody and that they would all be getting smaller spaces. He was so worried about all his stuff and where he was going to put it.

There were so many nooks and crannies in this office complex, it would have been easy for someone to pass away and never get noticed.

I think most everybody I did designs for were alive, but I couldn't swear to it!

 

[wweir]

This story is beyond belief.

You would be proud to know I went around our building and checked everyone. So far all are alive.

Walter

 

[Les]

After reading this, I've walked around the office twice. Had to poke about five of 'em. Diagnosis is pending on three
___________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[Ross]

Les I thought this thread might get a reaction out of you. I bet this sounds familiar to ya huh?

 

[mamsram]

I WONDER?


Will he still be considered to be on the payroll for that last week??????

 

[epstns]

Ram - He probably would be, as he was there and was not pronounced dead until the end of the week!

 

[DANIEL]

Status quo

Status quo

I work in New York City and this happens all the time. It is not unusual to find deceased persons waiting for the subway, waiting on line at the bank, waiting for their food order at the local diner, waiting at the doctor's office, waiting on the street to find an available taxi, etc. Actually, the deceased do not take up much space and dont bother anyone. It is the living that are hard to deal with.

 

[hensylee]

Daniel - now that's really weird.

 

[DANIEL]

Cant help it

Cant help it

Henyslee,

Sorry, but my sense of humor is congenital and currently no remedies approved in the USA.



Daniel

 

[Johnny Stephens]

- snort - huh? Who just nudged me?