Filed under: notes
Dear Ms. Theologian:
So if someone calls in sick with the flu on a GLORIOUS (damnit) fall Friday, and leaves both their home number and cell phone number saying “I should be home all day,” do you take that as a real flu with a slip of the tongue, as a fake flu with a slip of the tongue, or as a fake flu with an intentional indication that it’s not?
–The Boss
Dear Boss:
Ms. Theologian praises your diligence for being at work on a beautiful Fall day. But she wishes that you would go outside.
In Ms. Theologian’s world of freelancing, there are no sick days, so she struggles to relate to this…but here it goes.
You’ve identified these three options:
a. real flu with a slip of the tongue. (This seems most likely.)
b. fake flu with slip of the tongue. (Possible.)
c. fake flu with intentional indication that it’s not (Possible.)
Options a and b are of little interest. Now for c. to be true, the employee must think you are a cool boss, with whom the employee can verbally wink and be in cahoots with. And, frankly, I think a self-congratulatory moment may be in order. If c is true, then the employee likes you. She really likes you!
–Ms. Theologian
P.S. If you’d like to write to Ms. Theologian, send an email to ms dot theologian at gmail dot com.