I mentioned many months ago in a post titled ‘Work Ethic’    https://tabletalkpdx.com/2013/11/15/  how important it is to bring it every day to work.  The sad reality is that customers are not going to care what is going on in your life.

My dog died

That is horrible.  I know how awful it can be to lose a pet.  Or to break up with your partner (I was going to say boyfriend, but I don’t actually know what that is like).  However, you still need to pay the bills.  You still need to go to work.  People, and I don’t mean customers, are counting on you.

So, no matter what is going on in your life, you have a responsibility to come through and bring your ‘A’ game every single day that you come to work.  Customers are spending money, sometimes a lot of money, and they just want to know that they can count on their server, or their cook, to do the best job possible, regardless of what might be happening in the server’s or cook’s personal life.

This is one of life’s harsh lessons that my poor daughter, now in college, is learning.   College is fun.  In fact, in many ways, it is probably the most fun you will have in your life.  That doesn’t mean there are no hardships.  You still have to study, you probably still have to go to work.

It’s just the way it is.  So figure it out.  If you had something terrible happen in your life–call your boss and tell them that you can’t make it in to work that day.  That is better than showing up and being completely useless.  You deserve to be able to live your life, and when you are dealt a blow, you should be given time to deal.  Use that time to curl up into a ball on the sofa eating ice cream, watching reruns of “Friends”.

Bosses should understand this

So, call in sick if you need to.  BUT, if you are going in to work–bring that ‘A’ game!  As much as you deserve time off if things are going badly for you, your co-workers deserve to have your best when you do go in to work.  I mentioned in the work ethic post that it needs to happen every time.  I meant it.