A company in Florida this week was literally and metaphorically in the eye of the hurricane. The executive director of PostcardMania suggested his employees bring their families and pets to the office so they could work during the Hurricane Iandespite a state of emergency and evacuation orders being declared.
Joy GendusaCEO of the postcard marketing company, told his employees in a video conference that he hoped work would not stop even though the state was being hit by a Category 4 hurricane.
“If you want to leave your house and they tell you to, but you have nowhere to go, PCM (Postcardmania) is probably the safest place in Florida,” Gendusa said according to a copy of the Zoom meeting transcript obtained by VICENews. “Anyway, bring your pets, bring your kids, bring everyone to PCM.”
Employees to the office in Hurricane Ian, but the CEO from her SUV
According to Washington PostAs Gendusa told her team to get to work, she joined Zoom from her car and called the hurricane “an exaggerated storm.”
“It’s not going to be that bad,” Gendusa said in a video recording of the meeting obtained by The Post. “Obviously feeling safe and comfortable is of the utmost importance, but honestly I want to have a good end of the quarter,” Gendusa added.
After the meeting, employees received a text message encouraging them to bring their loved ones to the office during the height of the storm.
The PostcardMania CEO’s actions were leaked on social media. Users expressed great criticism for the lack of importance that Gendusa gave to the safety of its employees.
“She is in her car walking away from us and telling us to keep working,” he told The Post an employee who was on Zoom. “It just felt bad. I’m going to have to work and you’re driving in your SUV.”
Following the criticism, PostcardMania sent an email Tuesday afternoon stating that the offices would be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, but hope to reopen on Friday. According to ViceEmployees were told that they were still expected to work 40 hours a week.
In another email sent Wednesday, the company retracted its previous statements and said it will give workers paid time off. The company added that comments from the Gendusa meeting were not an official reflection of PostcardMania’s work culture.
Editorial Team The editorial team of EMPRENDEDOR.com, which for more than 27 years has worked to promote entrepreneurship.