While the Cat's Away

Well gentle reader, the cat is out of the office.  Does that mean that I, the mouse, have license to merrily play? To scamper about without a care in the world? To (gasp) slack off?

Only in my dreams!  When my boss is out of the office work related or on vacation, I find that my time is filled with people who perceive that I have a void in my life that they would like to fill.  For example:

Manager Minion (3 levels below my boss):  Oh look the boss’s admin is without guidance and leadership let me fill that void for her! (Placing a large amount of their workload on my desk for me to do)

Savvy Admin:  While I appreciate your attempt to make sure that I have enough to occupy myself while the boss is away, let me tell you what I have to do first before I can even consider your pile. (I proceed to educate them in my job)

Manager Minion (taking back the pile of work): Oh I did not realize that you did more than leap to his beck and call.

Savvy Admin (smiling benignly):  Yes, I do have a number of other responsibilities, but I would be happy to speak to your manager about your workload since you seem to need help with it.

Manager Minion (beating a hasty retreat): That won’t be necessary!

I find working with the boss remote strife with its own challenges.  It’s harder to judge moods and needs during the day. Knowing what meetings have been successfully completed is next to impossible. 

But, that being said, it is nice to have some down time.  So when the cat is away, this mouse will breath deep and catch up.