Illness, new-fangled disease, or some reference used in alien driving tests? Hard what exactly? When did our common sense drift off over the horizon, say goodbye to reality, and positioned itself snuggly up our posteriors? Have we lost all self-respect that we continually feel compelled to reach new heights of public stupidity?
Meetings or excuses to dodge actual work-based activities hold a special place in those that do mentality – pointless. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry loves to advertise their Outlook calendar in displays of public indecency to prove their worth. Devoid of effort to match their respective job descriptions, far better to over-populate the appointment diary with pointless undertakings. Time wasting is one quintessential activity that gives those inclined a false sense of achievement. Regardless that more time spent sitting on your backside listening to endless drivel leads to less innovation and productivity, we all like to place the metaphorical hand on one another’s back and congratulate our ineptitude. Shirking responsibilities is not for reward and applause, let alone repeated perpetually. Yet, here we all sit. Bored to tears by endless irrelevance.
Nauseating as public gatherings of likeminded skivers are, apparently the infiltration of mind-numbing, incredulous jargon has reached new heights. Not content with meeting-bingo, nor cliché heaven, the age of moronic insanity has planted its seeds before us. Hard stop? Since when did announcing your intention to leave become an international joke based upon the ludicrous. Old-fashioned, plain speaking, but importantly a phrase that communicates clearly its meaning, ‘I need to leave by’ used to suffice in similar situations where ‘hard stop’ now reigns supreme.
Craig Roberts 
I admit I did a little digging on the meaning of this expression because I had not come across it before…but when I did I realized my guess as to its use was 100 percent correct. It is obviously the latest combined extension of rudeness and maintaining the grand illusion of importance. I’m not employed right now but I promise if someone pulls that phrase out on me I will laugh out loud and put a hard stop to their ego running wild. I feel your frustration.
Good luck with the job hunt….providing you are looking of course! Not sure we will ever escape the ridiculous though.
I am looking…so thank you for the best wishes Craig. Please don’t hesitate to keep up the fine posts outlining the “finer aspects” of working for the man! I promise to keep looking anyway. 🙂