I'm receiving calls from work that is adding stress, while I'm busy traveling to a Trauma Hospital for my Mom. How do I tell my boss?

turn off your phone or put it on vibrate and don't answer unless a recognized number

Maggie Marshall, I work for a government agency and there is no one here that knows my job and my managers' simply don't care. I take care of a computer system that runs 3 different payrolls. I have the phone number now, so I'll know not to answer it the next time. Next trip is this coming December.

Lori, nobody is indispensable. And it also seems it would be in your best interest to request someone else be trained in case something were to happen to you. So much of the government is not working and if this is actually the case it is in the best interests of the citizens of this country to have a cross training program put in place. I have heard of agencies in my area with the same problems that management just does not care and are only hanging out for retirement benefits.

Yes, I know I can be replaced. It used to be we had a staff of seven, now we have two. I've asked for years, my boss has asked too, management won't hire another person. They are going to wait until they get their names in the newspaper, as a result of a payroll failure for the retirees, before they do anything. Oh what a horrible thought, that will be just horrible. The governor will be involved, the feds...

Glad, I worked at one time for one of those agencies, not a governmental agency but one with a commercial purpose but dedicated statutory authority for the services it provided.

One of the men had been laid off from one of the Big 3 automakers, was close to retirement, and bragged that he just needed a place to coast until he was ready to retire.

And coast he did. It wasn't unusual to see him in his office with his arms folded back behind his head in a relaxed position and his feet up on the desk.

He dipped into the supplies when he had a picnic at home, taking coffee, filters, etc. Made no effort to even be discreet.

Another one had a similar attitude. He was a "rounder" - like doctors, he made the rounds daily. Unlike doctors, he didn't help. He went to different departments walking around talking to people, then back to his office to sit for awhile.

But those were only a few out of a few hundred. Still, I was ecstatic when one of them got laid off, until I heard that he sued for age discrimination.

Some people practice sponging as if it were a career. Well, maybe it is!

Lord, I hope you know that you need to CYA to protect yourself for when the crisis comes. It's sad that people manipulate the need for services to serve their own benefits. But then what person in his/her right mind would filibuster for hours on end as we saw last year?

I'm wondering if there's a syndrome that involves lack of responsibility and refusal to do the best job one can for one's employer.

I keep my boss posted on trips and the times I will be out of the office. When I get a call if its important I simply reply with a text with a brief answer and I will call you later when I get home. If its not important I don't respond at all since I made prior arrangements to be out of the office. Delegate and let them handle it.