Your Check Isn’t in the Mail!
Years ago, when I worked in staff development at a state agency, we were always paid on the first day of every month. Although our checks were directly deposited, our Department Manager would hand us our paycheck information at the end of the day, usually around 4:45 PM every month. Our manager was great and extremely methodical in his work. His office was meticulous. In fact, among the eleven people who worked in the department, his was the only desk that was always neat and orderly! So we came to expect the same behavior at all times.
Yet, there was another side to our manager. Over the years we found that he had a very dry sense of humor, kind of like the comedian Bob Newhart’s type of humor.
So on April 1, 1994, why his ten employees never suspected him of pulling a prank is anyone’s guess. We were called to a short staff meeting that morning. This happened often enough that no one suspected anything. At the end of the meeting, he handed each of us an official looking memorandum stating there had been a glitch in the comptroller’s office and our checks would not be deposited for three days! Needless to say, this had the effect of making people very nervous since some house payments were made on the first of every month.
The Cat or Check Finally Out of the Bag!
He had originally thought about not telling us it was a joke until the next morning, but I guess he figured we’d be talking to other departments who did not receive the same “official memorandum.” At lunch time, he finally announced with the smile of a proud, but naughty little boy, “April Fools!” We never let him forget it! That was over 20 years ago!I bet you have similar memories.
Tell Us About Your April Fool’s Day Experiences
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