# The Office: "Two Weeks" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952 "2009-03-27T02:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/41 "2009-03-27T15:42:55Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Like **Lionel** said, if an employee is going to take information with them, they’d get it before the gave their notice. Not letting them in the office after they give notice is closing the gate after the horse is already out. This is mere speculation. The fact is that people do sometimes decide at the last minute to take company information with them, especially if their separation from the company was not planned well in advance. People often do not exercise perfect foresight. Claims for misappropriation of trade secrets against ex-employees are very, very common. Even if the likelihood of theft is small, why take the chance? > [@](#): > > Plus there IS no “Michael Scott Paper” and never will be. It was a totally fake concern on Charles’ part. How does Charles know that this is “totally fake”? Michael is already creating letterhead and trying to poach employees. In fact, he did poach one of them. Even if it is completely unlikely that Michael will get a competitor off the ground, it’s idiotic for a manager to tolerate the presence of someone who is openly talking about setting up direct competition. Not to mention, it’s idiotic to tolerate the presence of someone who is actively disrupting others’ work and getting tipsy in the office. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/42 "2009-03-27T15:46:46Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Like **Lionel** said, if an employee is going to take information with them, they’d get it before the gave their notice. Not letting them in the office after they give notice is closing the gate after the horse is already out. Ordinarily yes. But I don’t think David is stupid enough to think that Michael was planning on quitting before their meeting. I’d think it was fairly obvious (even to him) that Michael’s “I quit” was spur-of-the-moment. Other than as a writing device, can you at least come up with one reason to keep him aboard those two weeks? You have an outgoing manager who is clearly distracting the office, disrupting productivity (or did you think that pulling papers off of desks was actually adding to or improving morale?), drinking alcohol, trying to get other employees to drink with him, pulling employees from their duties to talk to him, and working (however disillusionally) towards creating a competitor organization. If Michael wants to say goodbye, he can do so at 5:15 at Poor Richard’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/43 "2009-03-27T15:46:58Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Plus there IS no “Michael Scott Paper” and never will be. It was a totally fake concern on Charles’ part. I think there will be. I think Ryan Howard’s MBA will come in handy for something after all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/44 "2009-03-27T15:49:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Like **Lionel** said, if an employee is going to take information with them, they’d get it before the gave their notice. Not letting them in the office after they give notice is closing the gate after the horse is already out. Well, also remember the circumstances under which Michael left. It wasn’t exactly something he had been planning for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/45 "2009-03-27T15:50:53Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Like **Lionel** said, if an employee is going to take information with them, they’d get it before the gave their notice. Not letting them in the office after they give notice is closing the gate after the horse is already out. > > Plus there IS no “Michael Scott Paper” and never will be. It was a totally fake concern on Charles’ part. If you’ll remember back to the last episode, Michael didn’t exactly head to NYC with the intent to quit. He went to complain about Charles cancelling his party and once there spontaneously decided to quit. So the argument that if he was going to sabotage things he would have done it earlier really doesn’t make sense. Somewhere in between the end of last episode and this episode, he talked with corporate and they decided the 2-week thing…something they didn’t have to let him do. Michael sure seems to think he’s going to start a paper company, however unrealistic that is. Saying that Michael is “talking out of his ass,” etc. is totally inaccurate since Michael himself believes, at least right now, that he’s going to start a paper company. Charles had a reason to be concerned at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/46 "2009-03-27T15:53:29Z")
Even with all the talent and client lists in the world, where is Michael going to get the start-up capital to form a new company? I would actually like to see the writers invent a way for Michael to get the capital and start his own company. It would be nice to see him succeed at something and stick it to DM, but I’m afraid he’ll try something, it will fizzle, and we’ll see him come grovelling back to DM because that will be so hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/47 "2009-03-27T15:56:05Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > I was really sad about Prince Paper Company, too. Is that the company that Michael and Dwight raided and Michael tore the bumper off his car trying to get away? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/48 "2009-03-27T15:58:31Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Charles is an asshole. Calling the Security guy to kick Michael out for such a flimsy reason was bad enough, not letting Michael say goodbye to the people he’d worked with was even worse. In the tag, I think we saw what a joyless prick this guy is going to be to work for. I really detest that character so far. Yeah, but look at the level of professionalism Michael left the office in and compare that to the state of the office as a whole. When Charles held that meeting and called Stanley out to be in charge of efficiency he was busy doing his crossword, like always. So far I think Charles has a great read of what a joke this branch really is, yeah they had a great run in sales, but Jim wearing that tux was not a good first impression of the state of the staff. I can’t say I blame him at all. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/49 "2009-03-27T16:00:05Z")
The “Productivity Czar” thing almost killed me (the utterly shocked facial expressions, including Stanley’s). Wonder if that’s a one-off or if they’re going to have Charles showing racial preferences. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/50 "2009-03-27T16:00:13Z")
On to other issues: I really liked everyone’s discomfort when Michael asked them to come with him. Even his most dedicated, ass-kissing suckup, Dwight. “Your own business? In this climate?” “In every climate. We’ll be international.” ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/51 "2009-03-27T16:01:31Z")
I liked Charles’ line about “I am aware of the effect I have on women” while Kelly & Angela were trying to one-up each other. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/52 "2009-03-27T16:04:17Z")
I’m not sure where the hostility towards Dunder-Mifflin comes from. As depicted, they have gone out of their way to be accommodating to Michael. David Wallace and Pre-crazy Jan have treated Michael with far more patience than he deserves and in their management roles were never vindictive towards him. Wallace has gone out of his way to show Michael how much the company values his sales skill and has tried his best to try to distribute whatever expertise he has more widely. In every case, Michael has met Wallace’s efforts with childishness, petulance, and shenanigans, constantly putting the company on the brink of a very damaging lawsuit. Yes, Michael is good at sales, but that’s apparently _all_ he’s good at, which makes him seriously underqualified for the position he holds. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/53 "2009-03-27T16:54:56Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He’s probably going to hurt sales by trying to fix what wasn’t broken and destroying the loose atmosphere that existed under Michael. I agree with you on this Dio. I think Kevin and Stanley are just now getting a taste of life without Michael. That along with the way he treats Jim, (which is the one thing, [I think], Charles is actually handling inappropriately), is not going to make the place any more productive. Ok, he caught Jim being a goof the day he came in. Jim tried to explain to him that he’s actually an asset, and had since followed every one of Charles’ commands, yet he still treats him like crap. I like this story arc so far. Michael may not make it on his own, but it’s still not going to be doing Dunder Mifflin any good. I can see Kevin on phones: “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pa- I mean- …Dunder Mifflin this is Kevin” ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/54 "2009-03-27T17:02:25Z")
One thing I’m hoping for is that the writers buck sitcom convention and don’t do a “reset” after Michael’s wacky quitting adventure is over, finding some implausible way to put everything back the way it was before. Much as I still love this show, it could definitely use a little kick in the pants, creatively speaking. There’s surely a lot of material to be mined from Michael, Pam, and possibly Ryan trying to get a new business off the ground. I’d like to see the writers get inspired enough to keep it going beyond a story arc of _x_ episodes. Besides, even as much as the show regularly stretches the boundaries of believability, it’s tough to imagine Michael (or Pam, for that matter) ever being re-hired by Dunder-Mifflin. ---
**Author:** ![Jelly\_Roll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jelly\_Roll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelly_Roll)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/55 "2009-03-27T17:03:55Z")
As an assistant, I have days where I spent 4 hours working on the copier (or printer, or fax machine, etc.) so I completely understood Pam’s epiphany at the end. What I didn’t understand was the look on Jim’s face when Pam told Michael she wanted to be a salesperson. The look was either, “Look at my girl-she’s got moxie!” or “Why does she think she can be a salesperson?” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/56 "2009-03-27T17:06:10Z")
The rampant incompetence will cause the office to collapse under Stanley. Little will get done, and if pressured to perform, Stanley will threaten to quit. Kevin answering the phone will accomplish two things: Kevin will rebel at being demoted even temporarily from an accountant to a secretary and threaten to quit, and the complaints will start pouring in at corporate. With Pam quitting and others threatening, Wallace will realize that while the new boss may talk a good show, he’s a bad judge of employee skills and that corporate has a potential employee mutiny and potential serious loss of revenue on its hands. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/57 "2009-03-27T17:15:44Z")
Presumably, though, Kevin will be only a very temporary receptionist. In the real world, you could call up a temp agency and have a halfway decent receptionist in the office in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/58 "2009-03-27T17:16:30Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He’s (Charles) probably going to hurt sales by trying to fix what wasn’t broken and destroying the loose atmosphere that existed under Michael. This is pretty much where I see this story going. Charles is a manager who defines success not in terms of company results but in whether or not things are done his way; he simply will not tolerate opposing ideas. His brusk comment about knowing the effect he has on women is telling for what he doesn’t say. IMO he’s toying with Angela and Kelly and puts up with their minor interruptions because it demonstrates their devotion to him as the manager and reinforces his personal image as the guy on top. Jim, on the other hand, is not so easy to subordinate, so in Charles’ mind he must be a bad employee–sales numbers be damned. The reason Charles got angry when Michael reappeared in the office wasn’t because of his childish antics but because Michael asked him if he needed to call the security guard–implying that Charles wasn’t in total control of the situation. My guess is that once his decisions start to be questioned he’ll begin to fall apart. For example, I predict Kevin will utterly fail in Pam’s role, and when he starts complaining Charles will shut him down, insist he remain at the front desk, and just grow angrier at Kevin’s mistakes rather than admit he was wrong to make the choice. His inability to re-evaluate his decisions will be his likely downfall. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/59 "2009-03-27T17:18:19Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > it’s tough to imagine Michael (or Pam, for that matter) ever being re-hired by Dunder-Mifflin. Yeah, they’d never fill the receptionist position with a former employee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/60 "2009-03-27T17:37:56Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Yeah, they’d never fill the receptionist position with a former employee. > > 🙂 HA! You’re right! After remembering that an indicted former VP was allowed back into the company, I suppose nothing is impossible at D-M. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952.md?page=4)