IT hijack

It was one of those days when Murphy's Law had been implemented and I didn't get the memo.

I arrived at work at about 8:10am ready for an action-packed day.  The customary Monday morning computer updates meant I had time to make a cup of tea and do a lap of the office and still have time to stare at a blank computer screen.

Then I went to log in and nothing happened.  It wasn't a password problem.  It was as if I didn't exist. On calling the "help" desk, I discovered that I didn't exist.  My contract extension had not been processed, so I actually did no longer exist for the purposes of email and system access.

After about 20 minutes I was able to get hold of my HR contact.  She'd had an accident at work the week before and the day she had planned to process my contract extension was the day that she wasn't at work.

After a further 15 minutes I had email access and all my emails were still there which was a very pleasant bonus.  Then I tried to attach a document to an email.  Then I tried to access documents in my files.  It was as if I had again been extinguished.

A third phone call to the "service" desk resulted.  Within two seconds I wanted to ask for the other guy.

He told me it should be working and sighed heavily.  It was about 9:30am by this stage and far too early to be sighing heavily.  So much for my plans for a highly productive day.

I told him I had a deep understanding of the fact that it should be working and decided to inhale.

He sullenly asked me for my password.  I refused to give it.  I've rigorously educated to never provide my password to anyone.

"Even IT?" he asked.

"Especially to IT, " I responded.

He told me that this would make his job harder.  So far he wasn't making mine any easier so it seemed like a fair trade.

He asked me to try another computer.  45 minutes later he was still telling me that it should be working.

He told me he'd call me later.

He didn't.

I stumbled across the missing folders and reluctantly called the helpful service desk back.  I got the first guy again - the helpful one with a service ethic.  (It doesn't seem right that it's pot luck!)  He showed me how to map my network drives and remarked that it's not often people in the organisation ask to be shown.

Most of the time it doesn't feel like such a request would be welcome.

By 4pm I had full access restored.  Let's hope it holds over night.