I thought working life will groom a person to grow up. The difference in doing your work well and not is how resourceful one is. Of course, at times some guidance is needed, but if it is something simple and all it takes is a phone call, why not just do it instead of waiting for people to tell you things?
The past couple of days I admit I had been rather mean to our external auditors. Alright, the auditors have been giving me trouble every year, but this time, they are so ridiculous as to ask me for a certain document when the document was right in front of them, only by a different name! When I told them that was the agreement, they insisted it was not just because the name is different.
Well, documents can have different names. For instance, at times, “Management Agreements” may be called “Service Agreements”. “Lease Agreements” may be “Tenancy Agreements”, although technically, a lease agreement is for a longer period of time and tenancy is for a shorter period of time (up to three years). And “Novation Agreements” can also be known as “Variation Agreements”. “Amendment” means the same as “Addendum”.
So why would anyone ask for an addendum when there is already an amendment? Yet when I tried to explain, the auditor told me because the list said there is an amendment, so they have to see the amendment and not the addendum. Can you believe that?! True, they have to go by the book, but still, books are inanimate objects, but human brains are not. Complying with what the book or list says is part and parcel of the job, but at the end of it all, one just have to exercise one’s common sense, right? Does it mean if the book says the agreement has three parties, the same kind of agreement will not be accepted if there are just two parties?
Recently, there seem to be some new additions to the Finance department. I can never understand the ranks of the Accountants, with Accounts Assistant, Accounts Executives, Accountants, Senior Accountants, et al. Anyway, part of my job is to screen bills from our external lawyers, especially the trademark bills because we have to ensure they do not overcharge us or bill us a different quote. After that, I will pass the bills to my Finance department for processing and payment.
There never used to be any problem in the past. Whenever I send any bills over, I always ensure a cover letter is attached to the bill, stating out the purpose, the case, which trademark for which country, whether it is an infringement case, a litigation case, a new registration or renewal case. One glance and people will know.
Yet lately I have people calling me, asking me which trade mark, which country, whether it is application or renewal or infringement. Erh.. I thought the cover letter is pretty comprehensive? So I said please kindly read the cover letter that comes with it, and they still cannot see it despite everything in black and white for them!
So I was asked to write on a memo in bold and caps stating out the country, whether it is application or renewal or infringement, and which company the bill came from. Honestly, anyone who saw the bill will know what to do as all the information was there, so why do I have to do double work when all it takes is just to scan through the entire thing?
The past couple of days I admit I had been rather mean to our external auditors. Alright, the auditors have been giving me trouble every year, but this time, they are so ridiculous as to ask me for a certain document when the document was right in front of them, only by a different name! When I told them that was the agreement, they insisted it was not just because the name is different.
Well, documents can have different names. For instance, at times, “Management Agreements” may be called “Service Agreements”. “Lease Agreements” may be “Tenancy Agreements”, although technically, a lease agreement is for a longer period of time and tenancy is for a shorter period of time (up to three years). And “Novation Agreements” can also be known as “Variation Agreements”. “Amendment” means the same as “Addendum”.
So why would anyone ask for an addendum when there is already an amendment? Yet when I tried to explain, the auditor told me because the list said there is an amendment, so they have to see the amendment and not the addendum. Can you believe that?! True, they have to go by the book, but still, books are inanimate objects, but human brains are not. Complying with what the book or list says is part and parcel of the job, but at the end of it all, one just have to exercise one’s common sense, right? Does it mean if the book says the agreement has three parties, the same kind of agreement will not be accepted if there are just two parties?
Recently, there seem to be some new additions to the Finance department. I can never understand the ranks of the Accountants, with Accounts Assistant, Accounts Executives, Accountants, Senior Accountants, et al. Anyway, part of my job is to screen bills from our external lawyers, especially the trademark bills because we have to ensure they do not overcharge us or bill us a different quote. After that, I will pass the bills to my Finance department for processing and payment.
There never used to be any problem in the past. Whenever I send any bills over, I always ensure a cover letter is attached to the bill, stating out the purpose, the case, which trademark for which country, whether it is an infringement case, a litigation case, a new registration or renewal case. One glance and people will know.
Yet lately I have people calling me, asking me which trade mark, which country, whether it is application or renewal or infringement. Erh.. I thought the cover letter is pretty comprehensive? So I said please kindly read the cover letter that comes with it, and they still cannot see it despite everything in black and white for them!
So I was asked to write on a memo in bold and caps stating out the country, whether it is application or renewal or infringement, and which company the bill came from. Honestly, anyone who saw the bill will know what to do as all the information was there, so why do I have to do double work when all it takes is just to scan through the entire thing?
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