Workplace violence is no laughing matter. Well, maybe in this case it is.
Tense office relationship takes a decidedly nasty turn
By Brian Hamlin, The Reporter
In the 21st-century office, no workplace accessory is more sacred than the treasured desk toy.
We’ve all seen them – Major League Baseball bobblehead figures, musical staplers, Roger Rabbit mouse pads and little stuffed animals that seem to resemble, more often than not, the dust bunnies found under one’s desk.
These tiny treasures are sacrosanct and usually respected by officemates who, despite what they really feel, will occasionally comment “Nice troll” or “Cool disco skull.”
On occasion, however, everyday office tensions overwhelm otherwise good-natured desk jockeys and hostilities can escalate rapidly.
I witnessed, with horror, just such a scenario not long ago when two of my usually polite and urbane officemates became embroiled in a vituperative dispute over telephone etiquette. When the dust cleared, an inoffensive desk dinosaur had been permanently maimed.
