HE offered to cover for ME

Because of the spike in covid cases, we may be on our way to another shutdown. And it's supposed to rain all weekend. Those two factors combined made me really want to get to the vet's office this afternoon. Both Reynaldo and Connie are on prescription cat food and I want to fill my larder but I don't want to haul the cans across town in the rain.

I sent an email to my teammates, saying I was knocking off at 4:00 and I was honest about why. My new boss answered almost instantly: "Of course! This is important. Let me know if there's anything you need me to block and tackle so you can take the time."

For. My. Cats.

My boss was willing to take over my projects this afternoon so I could pick up kibble. He's been my boss for about two months now, and he's been terrific. Last week, when I was off on vacation, he actually told me to stop monitoring my emails. He kicked off this week by telling me how well I handled a presentation.

My head is spinning.

My old boss never covered for me. He wasn't involved enough in what I did and wasn't interested in learning. That meant I often had to answer emails and handle calls from my vacation. I always knew it wasn't fair, but I'd gotten used to it. It did always bug me, however, that my boss expected me to cover for him, which often meant I'd be doing jobs (his and mine) for a week at a time.

That was then. This is now. My new boss is supportive. My new boss is kind. My new boss appreciates that there are things I am uniquely qualified to contribute.

I'm delighted and relieved.

This fellow deserves some credit, too. Since I live my life on Zoom, all my coworkers have gotten to know Reynaldo. He's often in my lap as I work. The mic has caught him yowling on occasion. My first meeting with my new boss, I wasn't aware Reynaldo was photobombing from the counter behind me. I used to apologize for his furry intrusions, but was told by no less than the VP in charge of market research that I "should never apologize for Reynaldo!" He's a member of the team.