I have just spent the better part of the morning trying to extract from the clutching grasp of red-ribbon bureaucratic kingdom rulers some information basic to my doing my job.

It seems that over the weekend letters were sent to all of our customers. All of them. (Talk about cost!) The letters said that customers should be aware that some services will be curtailed to save money, other services will be cancelled altogether, and plan accordingly.

Guess whose phone number was listed to contact for further information.

What has gotten my underwear in a bunch is that these letters went out to everyone and his brother--but not to staff. Staff was told the information was confidential, and in fact I've been given a copy of the letter (after raising a fuss about it), but told not to send it out to the service supervisors who work for me (who themselves will be getting phone calls, sure enough).

It's enough to make me want to chew nails and spit out the rust, as the saying goes. I'm so frustrated that I'm this close <> to chewing out upper management. What am I supposed to tell my employees? What am I supposed to say to clients who call for further information?

We seem to be obsessed by secrecy, especially in keeping information from the people who need to know. I had to say to the client that I knew nothing about the letter, and I had to get a copy of it faxed to me from her. How embarrassing!

Bah, humbug!