Maryland Community Newspapers Online
As an employee of the [Montgomery County] Register of Wills Office, I feel the need to respond to the article regarding the funds expended for a fitness trainer for our office ["County register of wills used state money to pay for fitness instructor, audit finds," Nov. 4]. I have worked for the State of Maryland for 30 years and 10 of those years for the current Register of Wills, Joseph Griffin, who, in my opinion, is a phenomenal boss and is an employer who actually cares about his employees' well-being.
Our office deals with death on a daily basis; many of our clients are grief stricken when they come in. Our staff takes the time to provide levels of service that go beyond what is expected of a typical government employee. We are compassionate and caring and do whatever we can to assist the public through one of the most difficult times of their lives. In appreciation, the health and wellness classes were offered as a way to relieve the stress that we take on to provide this level of service. Statistics show that healthy and happy employees are more productive and essentially reduce the cost of health care. Since health care is the hot topic right now, maybe being proactive as our boss was really is the answer.
As state employees, we have been furloughed and received temporary salary reductions and yet we still manage to be exemplary employees, giving of our time, energy and personal resources. The employees of this office give to the Maryland Charities Campaign, volunteer at Montgomery Hospice every month, adopt a needy family every holiday and organize a program called Got Your Back Pack, where for the past three years we have supplied local area homeless with back packs filled with hats gloves, blankets and some basic personal care items. This giving and caring attitude is a direct result of the care and consideration that our boss has for us and for our community.
It is a real disappointment to me that seemingly negative news becomes the focal point rather than the positive effect that something as simple as having an exercise class for your employees can have on a typical government office. This should be the real news.
Margie Beatty, Silver Spring