Dear Roze:

I can’t wait for the election to be over!  I work in a pretty small office where everyone including the big boss is a Republican except for me.  So, no one’s extreme enthusiasm for McCain and Palin is curbed.  If you saw people’s offices and cubicles, you would think that you were inside one of McCain’s campaign headquarters.  The catch is that I’ve decided to keep my preference for Obama and Biden to myself.  I basically go along with everyone in order to get along.  I have enough stress in my life right now.  I couldn’t take the wrath and negative vibes if I told them my true beliefs.  I don’t go so far as to decorate my office with Republican bumper stickers and photos of McCain and Palin, but the good thing is that a few of us in the office are known for keeping our office space real clean and tidy so no one expects me to have that kind of stuff in my cubicle.  My problem is that our big boss is having an election-night party on November 4th.  He’s even telling everyone that we can flex the next day, since the party will probably run late.  I want to go to this like I want to come down with the flu.  I’m so tired of all this.  What would you recommend that I do? 

-Obama supporter in hiding

Dear Obama supporter in hiding:

Given the history of your office conduct, I see no problem with you making an appearance at your boss’s party, just that, an appearance.  You should be able to gracefully bow out early.

Dear Roze:

Let me start off by telling you that I’ve known that there was a pretty good chance I could lose one of my jobs given the mess our economy is in right now, but what I didn’t expect is the way one of my employers fired me a couple of weeks ago.  I have been holding down two waiter jobs – a deli during the day and a pizzeria during the night.  The deli has been real slow, so I wasn’t surprised when he gave me the news.  I finished my shift at 2:30, and about an hour later, I got a call from him telling me that he’s real sorry but he has to let me go because business has slowed down.  He should have had the guts to tell me to my face before I left that day.  I really like the guy but I sure would have respected him more if he hadn’t done it over the phone.

-Fired over the phone in Norfolk

Dear Fired over the phone in Norfolk:

Most definitely, your boss should have spoken to you in person when he terminated you. The best time to convey to your boss that you did not like receiving this news over the phone would have been during the subject phone call.  That said, I realize that it is easy to play Monday morning quarterback when I am not the one who received the bad news.  On a positive note, it sounds like you parted on good terms, so when the economy turns around, you probably have left the door open for future employment at the deli if you desire.

Best of luck!

Dear Roze:

I’m not making this up.  My boss is requiring me to take an Administrative Assistant course.  It’s applicable to my job, so I don’t have a problem taking it.  But I do have a lot of other issues related to taking it.  I have to take my annual leave if I need to leave the office before my work day ends, and my employer will only buy one of the two books I need for the course and won’t reimburse me.  He also won’t consider reimbursing me for the gas I have to use to get there from work.  He knows my husband has been out of work for over a year and money is very tight for us.  It kills me the way he could care less.  I tried to talk to him about all this, but he just blew me off.  I can’t push too hard because I obviously need this job and don’t want to get fired, which I think is always a possibility.  I’m really just venting, but I wouldn’t mind hearing any suggestions you could give me. 

-Reimburse me in Norfolk:

Dear Reimburse me in Norfolk:

This situation should be handled with kid gloves.  You are in the best position to determine what action on your part could possibly jeopardize your job.  If you believe that it can be done without any negative repercussions, submit to your boss a respectful, non-confrontational written request of the course and related expenses you would like reimbursed.  If you do not receive a positive response or if you decide that it is not in your best interest to submit such a request, be sure to keep all your course-related receipts and a thorough record of all your course expenses for the filing of your 2008 tax return.

Good luck!