No, I'm Sorry I Can't.........

If you have been following me you know how annoyed I am at my husband's "boss". Love of my life works as a clerk at the local gas station. Quite a step down from being a national sales manager for a leading communications company, then owning his own business. He works because we cannot afford health insurance. He is required to work an average of 24 hours a week in order to receive benefits. The pay scale is lousy, about what you would expect for the position. His "boss" is the manager of that particular location. This is what is commonly referred to as middle management and when all is said and done, it is really a headache of a position. I do understand this because I was once in that same position with a fabric chain on the east coast.

My management style was to make my employees happy. I worked around whatever their particular needs were and rewarded them when a job was well done. I never expected them to do anything that I was not willing to do. I worked my share of late hours and weekends. I always made my quarterly sales and payroll bonus and was eventually promoted to district manager and was in charge of 7 stores along the panhandle in Florida. I can safely assume that I did not get there by displaying a superior attitude towards those who made it all possible.

This woman totally lacks people skills. She is rude and abrupt and demanding. She left a mandate on the answering machine for my husband to call immediately because she needs someone to work tonight. This his day off. The gas station is her problem to deal with and I wish I had been available to answer the phone when she called so that I could explain that our primary concern is our business and that if no-one else can work the shift that she should do it herself. She doesn't work any weekends or holidays or anything other than the day shift, setting a stellar example for the people she expects to make her store a good one. I guess you can tell that she gets under my skin.

Back to the title of this post. Not long ago I had a conversation with my daughter. She works part-time just because she likes having a little cash for her pocket. Her boss is much the same as her Dad's. She was telling me that when some one would ask her to fill an extra shift and she told them that she was unable to, that they would ask why. She felt that this was intrusive and none of their business. I agree. My daughter will simply say, "No, I'm sorry, I can't." with no further explanation. Now she needs to teach her Dad to do the same.

Why he gave his cell number to these people I have not a clue. They installed a new computer system not long ago for the cash registers and he was getting calls at home when they would encounter a problem. I would have told them to call their manager. She called him on his cell as he is out picking up supplies for our business. He made up a story about renting equipment to "get out of working"! I wanted to tell him that she is not his teacher and he doesn't need a note from home. Just say NO.