Workers’ Rights
Dear Aunt Bossy,
I have a job as a receptionist in a very quiet office. No one has ever complained about my work.
The problem is my boss. He wants me to just sit there when I don’t have anything to do. He has found out that I spend a lot of time on Facebook at work and insists that I stop. I suspect he disagrees with my politics, which is the real reason he wants to shut me down.
Is this infringement on my freedom of speech? It does not interfere with my job.
Rita
Dear Rita,
I am astounded that you would have a job for any time at all given this question.
If you are being paid to be there, you are being paid for your time. The employer has purchased your time. You have no business socializing on his time, unless it is job related. So, stop.
I assume you have a computer screen in front of you or somewhere on your desk. I don’t see any reason why you could not download books to read while you sit there, if he doesn’t want you to do anything else. You might also ask him if there are some other things you can do to support the business during your time there.
Needless to say, if you do download books to read, the second another human walks in, you look up, make eye contact and greet that person. You don’t get to read another word if work is there, even if it means you don’t get to find out who murdered whom until later.
Good luck. You have a nice boss. Be grateful.
Aunt Bossy
What to Wear Where
Dear Aunt Bossy,
I never know what to wear when circumstances are between casual and formal. For example, what to wear for a cocktail party at 6 pm.
I put off going places because I fear looking ignorant.
Harriet
Dear Harriet,
You are asking the right person. I become paralyzed trying to figure out what to wear. Here is the solution.
Wear all black with one colorful accessory – a piece of jewelry or a scarf. You will look like a sophisticated New Yorker. You will look slimmer. You will blend right in.
Try to make certain your clothes are high quality, because that is more important when they are black. If you are on a budget, get online and check out ebay or Linda’s Stuff, which is a great online source for good clothing.
Visit a high-end consignment shop near you. There are a lot of rich ladies who have one too many at lunch, go shopping, and end up having to get rid of things. I’ve even found some things with the price tags still on them. My biggest score was a black label Armani suit, with the $4,500 dollar price tags intact. I paid $100. And, yes, both the label and the suit were black.
Oh, and one last thing: no one cares what you wear. They are too busy caring how they look.
Best,
Aunt B
