> the retail chain, which has a well-established policy that managers hand-deliver a card and small gift to each employee on their birthday.

> The faux pas was never intentional; the managers who were late said they had other priorities.

If it's such a well known company policy and you forget that, it is not a small slight at all.

If it’s a known company policy and people know it’s supposed to happen, they’re going to notice when it doesn’t. So it highlights that the managers priorities don’t include you.