"Idiot Of Idiots"

During wartime, certain fighting men, specifically fighter pilots were given the title 'Ace Of Aces', that is, the highest scoring pilots. However recently a friend told me a story, it could be a true story or it may even be apocryphal. After hearing it, I decided to call the character in the story as 'Idiot of Idiots'!

During New Year the organisation where this character works conducted a get-together cum New Year address by the big boss. Attendance is basically compulsory although some leeway were given to those who have to attend more pressing business. In order to help boost attendance and also as a way to reward the staff for sacrificing their weekend, the management agreed to give those who attend a one day leave (that, despite the event only took HALF a day) plus a few other non-monetary incentives. So the event came and went smoothly.

However two months after that, the organisation received a letter from the Labour Department demanding answers on why the staff were required to work on a public holiday without receiving even a cent of the triple overtime rates they are entitled to. The Labour Department enclosed a copy of the complaint letter from Mr Idiot alleging that the staff were forced to attend, basically going to work on a public holiday and did not receive overtime rates for their trouble. While the Labour Department do have to take every complaints seriously and require that the employers give their explanation, perhaps they should've simply thrown this particular complaint into the waste bin.

The employers have pointed out that attendance was not exactly mandatory and that they have granted replacement leave to those who did attend. But the best explanation was reserved for the last and perhaps completely justify the tag 'Idiot of Idiots' I bestowed upon the complainant - 1 January is NOT a public holiday in the state where the IOI works! Sure, 1 January 2011 was a Saturday but the best the idiot could actually expect was double rates. Even then it might not apply to him as his complaint letter sounds like one written by a managerial-level employee in the organisation where they are ineligible for overtime payment!