-Catatonic-
What should one do when a coworker - oh, hell, a BOSS - seems frighteningly indifferent about her health?
My feeling is that an employee can do very little about that, and until I find a better reason to intrude, that's my policy.
One can be accommodating, certainly, taking up some of the slack during sick days, half days, or late arrivals. But more often I've begun to feel split between covering for infirmities and resenting the fall out.
Lately, I've begun appreciate the times my boss is not here, partly because I get more work done in her absence, but mostly because I'm feeling uncomfortable (and guilty, yes, guilty!) watching her decline.
Some of the responsibility is mine, I freely admit. As anyone with two or more children in a family knows, when one child acts up, the other works harder to present a contrast; look at me, the good son. There are no superiors to judge us, my boss and I, but the parents live in my head. When she spends the morning reading movie reviews and cat cartoons, I rush to finish purchase orders. When she spends thirty minutes getting a cup of coffee and speaks of visiting the IT office to chat about computer issues, I've got IT on the phone while I'm answering reference questions on the side, all before she makes it out the door.
I relish overseeing daily operations, major and minor, and all the moreso when she puts her head down on the desk or takes an outdoor constitutional, both fruitless attempts to gather the necessary energy - to stay awake at work!
To a professional ten months from retirement, this job in an insignificant library far from any culture of arts, far from any research institution of note, may very well be the pasture.
But when I see so many tired and broken educators without hope, I'm chomping at the bit not only to get out of here, but to make this field something worthwhile.
My feeling is that an employee can do very little about that, and until I find a better reason to intrude, that's my policy.
One can be accommodating, certainly, taking up some of the slack during sick days, half days, or late arrivals. But more often I've begun to feel split between covering for infirmities and resenting the fall out.
Lately, I've begun appreciate the times my boss is not here, partly because I get more work done in her absence, but mostly because I'm feeling uncomfortable (and guilty, yes, guilty!) watching her decline.
Some of the responsibility is mine, I freely admit. As anyone with two or more children in a family knows, when one child acts up, the other works harder to present a contrast; look at me, the good son. There are no superiors to judge us, my boss and I, but the parents live in my head. When she spends the morning reading movie reviews and cat cartoons, I rush to finish purchase orders. When she spends thirty minutes getting a cup of coffee and speaks of visiting the IT office to chat about computer issues, I've got IT on the phone while I'm answering reference questions on the side, all before she makes it out the door.
I relish overseeing daily operations, major and minor, and all the moreso when she puts her head down on the desk or takes an outdoor constitutional, both fruitless attempts to gather the necessary energy - to stay awake at work!
| By degrees, I am usurping her job, and I hate it. I also hate that she seems entirely willing to let me take it. |
To a professional ten months from retirement, this job in an insignificant library far from any culture of arts, far from any research institution of note, may very well be the pasture.
But when I see so many tired and broken educators without hope, I'm chomping at the bit not only to get out of here, but to make this field something worthwhile.
posted by Benedict | 3:36 PM
2 Comments:
I'm reminded of the quote that someone had surreptitiously posted at a former workplace of mine: "Find the hole in the fence and flee like a delirious zoo animal!" The anonymous poster of the quote had attributed it to William Blake. Which, I assume, was a joke. But, jokes aside, the quote struck me as incredibly poignant whenever I sat in the office late at night.
Any chance you can tactfully confront your boss about her behavior? Because it really sounds as if it's growing out of control.
I haven't prepared the necessary tact yet, but I'm working on it.
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