Well, Isn't That Just Stupid

I have come to accept that, no matter how good the office, there will always be some degree of complete, inexplicable stupidity in it. This is not something I'd really contest or argue against, because it seems to be simple fact. I generally try to just brush it off and live with it, but there are times when this is impossible.

This is one such time.

In my current workplace, there is a rather odd policy regarding absences, quota, and the people who actually show up for work. See, they ask us to fulfill a daily quota of various tasks. This is not a problem, in general. This is, actually, rather typical and nothing to really complain or write home about. The problem arises when one of the writers decides to be absent without having filed for vacation leave or expressing intent to file for a sick day.

Then the writers in charge (one of them me) have to do half said absentee writer's quota.

Wait, what?

So let me get this straight. I have to not only do my work for the day, but I also have to pick up the slack for someone who didn't even have the common decency to show up for work? I'm the one that shows up in the office, yet I get the smelly end of the stick in this deal?

Why do I have to do more work just because someone didn't have the responsibility to show up for work? Why do I have to get saddles with extra load without extra pay whenever someone's not around? Why are the ones who bother going to work on a reliable basis the ones who get punished whenever someone else decides to not show up, for one reason or another?

The truth is, I think this policy about me (and one other) having to pick up the quota (even if partial) of missing writers is patently stupid. It not only fails to punish people for not showing up for work, it manages to quite handily punish the ones that do show up for work.

I refuse to submit to such idiocy. I am not going to take the punishment for someone else's screw-ups. I'm perfectly fine taking the punishment for my own mistakes because I'm stupid enough to get caught. But other people? Not on your life.