9,637 text messages: A Glen Ellyn affair to remember

Did they do anything wrong?

Or perhaps the question would be better-phrased - wrong enough to warrant firing or a demotion?

The attempted firing, then aborted demotion of Glen Ellyn Police Chief Phil Norton and Planning Director Staci Hulseberg created a local firestorm.

Perhaps the matter isn't over, but the pair got an 11th-hour reprieve this week when village board members voted 4 to 1 not to demote them for what was termed "excessive workplace interaction." This came after scores of residents showed up at the village board meeting - for a third time - singing the praises of the two employees. Upon hearing the news, the room erupted in applause.

And, from the beginning of the investigation into the conduct of Norton and Hulseberg, at least one village trustee has characterized it almost as a witch hunt bent on besmirching the reputation of two stellar employees.

So, it's very clear that, whatever Norton and Hulseberg did on company time, many feel it's their business.

Maybe this is one of those there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I stories. I mean, relationships form all the time in the workplace, many of them very healthy and many leading to long-term commitments. Many are handled discreetly and don't cause a disruption in the workplace. Why should anyone object to a workplace romance? Employers, at least none I know of, can't hope to try to legislate such things. Heck, it might even be illegal to issue a blanket, all-purpose ban keeping employees from dating or cavorting.

So, when does it become appropriate, even necessary, for management to step in?

As I often do when confronted with a vexing situation, I look inward. Gazing out at the newsroom, I see at least two employees who met their spouses here. I can't begin to estimate the number of co-workers who have dated. Again, the vast majority of these relationships have been handled well. But I know of a few that went sour, and in at least one case, it became, as we say, "an HR matter."

And when should it become an HR matter? I consulted Betsy Kmiecik, our director of human resources. She reminded me that we have an anti-nepotism policy, one that many companies employ. It states that employees may not be romantically involved if one is a direct report or in the line of control of the other.

But more often, she noted, dating and affairs involve peers. Then the rules become even more imprecise, but Kmiecik says if the level of their interaction creates a workplace disruption or impairs productivity, then the company is obligated to tell the employees to knock it off.

How much of a distraction, then, or how much did the "excessive workplace interaction" hinder the productivity of Norton and Hulseberg? As this column was being written, the village responded to a Freedom of Information request submitted by our Glen Ellyn reporter, Hafsa Mahmood. It detailed that between January and August, Norton and Hulseberg communicated via text message 9,637 times. On some occasions, the texting began as early as 6:30 a.m., sometimes it ended at midnight. On one day, more than 200 messages were sent.

Further muddying the waters is the fact that Norton and Hulseberg are salaried employees who obviously don't punch a time clock, and, I'm presuming, put in more than the standard 40-hour week. Should you cut more slack to hardworking employees who go the extra mile? It sure seems that a vocal portion of Glen Ellyn thinks so. And now, apparently, so does the village board.

"No one will ever condone what they did," Trustee Tim Armstrong said the day after the board voted. "But to demote the police chief down to sergeant because of this is wrong."

jdavis@dailyherald.com