Is your co-worker causing you the blues?

For those of you who have jobs out there, this piece is specifically for you.

Each week you travel to your place of employment, putting in your four to eight hours a day, so that you can make money to pay bills, rent and things of that nature. With the gas prices continuously increasing, you still venture to the nearest BP or Exxon to fill your tank so you can make it to work. You strive to make it to work on time each day, but being a student makes that task a little harder. You have to study, complete homework and type papers, but you seem to punch in at the time clock a few minutes before your shift. Despite the issue of actually having to work, you seem to enjoy it nonetheless.

But my question to you is: Have you ever fell victim to the unreliable and ever-so-absent co-worker blues? A lot of us are suffering with the blues and some of us may not even know what it is.

No matter how bad you are feeling, you still show up to work, but this co-worker of yours has a simple cough and they just can’t make it in. Perhaps you nearly escape death trying to rush to get to work and when you arrive you hear, “Candice is going to be a little late, she’s stuck in traffic.” Of course that little turns into 30 minutes, an hour and then you realize that Candice isn’t coming.

There are so many excuses… “I couldn’t find a babysitter,” “I had to replace my car tires,” “I had to meet with my lawyer” and I’ve even heard “I got hit by a truck.” It’s now gotten to the point where each week you look forward to hearing what they come up with next. This co-worker doesn’t realize that while they are sitting at home watching BET and frying chicken, you are at work being forced to do their share of the load. You are the one at work nearly breaking a sweat, while they are at home (or at the mall) relaxing! You try not to get angry because you are on pleasant terms with the person, but of course you know that their actions just aren’t fair.

So what do you do? You can complain to your supervisor or manager. You can ignore the whole issue and just continue to work. You can look for a new job. Or you can start doing the same as your co-worker, but of course that means less money…something you just can’t have.

Once the co-worker decides to come to work, you have to hear them complain about being there. In your mind you’re thinking why don’t they just quit? You hear them complain about not having enough money in their pocket and you have to bite your tongue to keep from saying, “If you came to work you wouldn’t have that problem.” You know that if you open your mouth something harsh is going to come out, so being the good employee that you are, you choose to listen without saying a word.

Once the shift is over, you trot back home and while lying in bed you can’t help but wonder if your co-worker is going to show up the next day. Will it be another stressful day to endure? How much work will you have to do this time? You actually worry yourself to sleep, but it’s all a part of having the ever-so-absent co-worker blues!