In the rerun episode of “Company Picnic,” Season 5’s finale, we saw the Dunder Mifflinites don branch t-shirts and head out for a day of friendly competition, team-building and — because this is Dunder Mifflin we’re dealing with — potential disaster. We already discussed the noteworthy events, such as Michael announcing the closing of the Buffalo branch to the entire company, including the shocked Buffalo employees and their families… so I thought I’d just say a few words about employer-sponsored recreation.
Company picnics can be a great bonding experience and are often appreciated by employees, but they are also fertile ground for mishaps of all sorts. For instance, Pam and Jim told the story of last year’s picnic, where an inebriated guest tried to regain some stability by hanging onto Pam and apparently got a bit fresh. That’s never good news if you’re Human Resources. (Speaking of HR, I’ve just got to shake my head over Holly Flax. It’s dangerous enough for a company when employees get involved with one another, worse still when a manager is involved in a workplace relationship. But as an HR professional, Holly’s judgment in getting involved with two coworkers is pretty darn questionable.)
Finally, a few words about the Corporate volleyball team’s sending Pam to the hospital to take her out of the game. Certainly, their motives were a bit suspect in taking the other team’s best player off the court. Still — and I’m not excusing any borderline cheating — no company wants to see an employee injured at a company picnic. With Phyllis announcing that she’d twisted her ankle and Pam sent off to the hospital, if they had actually been injured, there could have been some liability. At the very least, injuries on the volleyball court can turn into workers’ compensation claims.
Normally, for an injured employee to be eligible for workers’ compensation, they have to have been injured while performing their job or doing something work-related. Unless you’re a professional athlete, which Pam isn’t and Phyllis certainly isn’t, one wouldn’t ordinarily expect playing volleyball to be work-related. But when employees are injured while engaging in recreational activities at functions such as company picnics or office parties, their injuries can be and frequently are found to be work-related. It all depends on the degree to which the employee’s participation was “voluntary.”
We can’t be sure, but I’m guessing that Dunder Mifflin paid for the picnic, provided the branch t-shirts, and possibly even transported the employees to the picnic location. Although Pam’s daily job doesn’t include playing volleyball, if Dunder Mifflin “encouraged” her participation in the game, and if she really was hurt during the game, she could very well be eligible for workers’ comp. That could ultimately factor into an increase in Dunder Mifflin’s workers’ comp insurance premiums, if the company is found to have more accidents than other companies in the industry. (Certainly, that’s possible, given Michael’s inability to behave himself anywhere near the warehouse.)
All of this isn’t to say that Dunder Mifflin shouldn’t have a picnic or foster healthy competition between branches — simply that companies must be aware that when they “encourage” employees to play sports at company-sponsored events, if those employees are hurt, they may be eligible for workers’ comp. Of course, I’ve always been terrible at volleyball.
Coming up: It looks like Jim and Pam got some good news… and I’m sure Michael will manage to cause all kinds of trouble when he finds out. I’m looking forward to seeing Dunder Mifflin take on some new issues in Season 6. Stay tuned!
The only serious injury I’ve ever received in my life (knock wood) occurred at a company picnic 20 years ago. I was young and didn’t know how work comp was supposed to operate, and my employer got by with their ‘generous’ offer to reimburse me for my health insurance deductible. A few issues (including surgery) later, I’d like to have a ‘do-over’ on that company picnic… or at least on my response to being injured.
The kicker? My employer was an insurance company. Slimeballs.
This was one of my favorite episodes and I like your re-cap. However, I need to take issue with something you stated above.
“Unless you’re a professional athlete, which Pam isn’t and Phyllis certainly isn’t, one wouldn’t ordinarily expect playing volleyball to be work-related.”
Your emphasis on “certainly” in regards to Phyllis’ physical condition is not appropriate. Athletes, whether professional or amateur, come in all shapes and sizes. And, in my experience with work comp, injuries occur to people in all shapes and sizes as well. I feel the way you worded this sentence was an obvious dig at people of size and is insensitive.
Well, the fact that Holly has a screw or two loose is probably why she even was interested in Michael Scott in the first place.
Julie, I am sincerely sorry that you feel I was taking a dig at Phyllis because of her weight. My joke was meant to refer to the fact that Phyllis claimed that she had twisted her ankle when, as Dwight pointed out, she was standing completely still. (Amazingly, Dwight does make a good point once in a blue moon. I’m almost as shocked, typing that, as Jim was when Dwight was right about Kelly sabotaging their customer reviews.) Mocking the character because of her weight was never my intention, and I am sorry that the joke did not come across the way I intended it to, in your reading of it.
Joe, I absolutely have to agree with you: Holly must have a bit of a screw loose for being attracted to Michael in the first place! I have to agree with Jim; it’s probable due to the fact that Holly is also “a major dork.” Jim has a way with words!
Frank, can’t believe that your former employer was an insurance company and wiggled out of a workers’ comp claim! Slimeballs, indeed.
As a side note and bit of history, Phyllis (the actress) was (allegedly) a St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader in her younger days and a ballerina before that!
Hmmm…Julie seems pretty sensitive to such a small comment (intended joke). If Julie could get “offended” by such a blog thread, I can’t imagine she is able to even watch such a show. I think Julie has some issues to work thru (and maybe needs to hit the gym herself!)