How NOT to Pick Up The Slack
What is it about Mondays that make them so unbearable to return to school or work? Is it that brief glimpse of freedom we got over the weekend? Maybe it’s the name Monday itself, it sounds pretty morbid. Or it might be the fact that we know the whole cycle is about to repeat all over again and we are powerless to stop it.
One of my pet peeves is tardiness. I can’t stand when people are late for something. It only makes matters worse when they don’t tell you about their being late until AFTER they already are. This happens frequently at work, with employees showing up 10, 15 even 30 minutes late for their shift. Because of their poor planning, I am forced to stay even longer until they show up. It’s enough to make a person feel completely powerless.
Maybe powerless isn’t quite the right term. I sometimes need to remind myself that I am “master of my own destiny”. Only I am in control of what I do each day. So what if my boss calls me in an hour earlier than I was scheduled? I can always claim to be an hour’s distance away from work. Maybe it’s a really busy day at work and one of my bosses says I need to stay another 2 hours to cover someone who is coming in late. To that I simply reply that I have a school project meeting in a half hour and I need to be there or else I may fail the class
My whole point is that you are in control of your life. Don’t let someone else boss you around, even if their job (and title) is to do so. Being a team player is one thing, but being consistently taken advantage of is another. Here are some time-tested excuses to bring out next time your boss asks you to go “above and beyond” for the job.
Excuses for not coming in to work early:
Team Work: I would come in early but I’m at the library working with my classmates on a school project.
Transmissional Phase: I’m at the mechanic getting my transmission flushed and it won’t be done for at least another hour.
Mislabeled Meds: I took some cough medicine that said “non-drowsey” but it’s making me pretty sleepy and I don’t think I should drive until it wears off in another few hours
Excuses for not staying late at work:
Es-Car-Gone: I need to get right back home because my grandparents are coming over for dinner and they can never find my place unless my car is in the driveway.
Decoration Debacle: My friend’s daughter first birthday party is today and I have to be there soon because all the party decorations are in my car.
Test Day: I have my follow up doctors appointment right after work and I’ve been really anxious about my test results.