Anti-Climacus

Duke, being the technically-savvy place that it is, only allows new hires to sign up for benefits by

1. physically handing a copy of the forms to HR
2. mailing said forms
3. faxing them

Not really having the desire to make an additional trip during one of my days, I decided to fax them in. It's been three weeks since then, and I have yet to receive my insurance cards. Being concerned about the multiple different points at which a problem might have transpired, having only another two weeks or so to sign up for benefits, and unable to access the online system that would allow me to see if I had successfully signed up, I did the logical thing and called HR. I was told they were not sent to me because HR still has my old (ie from 18 months ago) address on file, even though everything this time around has my new address and, indeed, I've been receiving benefits information (retirement, etc) at my new address. I was told I could make sure my insurance cards got to me by fixing my address online. I noted that I had tried several different browsers on a couple of computers, and had been unable to access the site with any of them. At this point the woman I was speaking with asked which browsers I had tried. I told her. Aha, that's the problem: the HR system will only work with Internet Explorer.

...which just blows my mind. That's like being told I can only use PINE to check my email.*


*Except I always liked PINE.