Dear Queenie,
I work for a small family-owned business where one person is supposed to clean things up every day after we close for business.
Recently that person got a promotion, but they’re still supposed to do the cleaning, but they’re not doing it. The talk around the place is that they didn’t get a big enough raise with their promotion so they’re slacking off on the cleaning and no one else will do it because it’s still supposed to be their job.
When customers come in sometimes they comment about the condition the place is in but still no one does anything about it. I can’t go to the person who is supposed to do the cleaning because they are now in charge of my part of the business, which makes them my boss.
Queenie, what can I do?—Offended employee
Dear Offended employee,
The person who is supposed to do the cleaning must have a boss. Do not complain about the person who is supposed to do the cleaning, just mention to their boss that customers have commented about the condition of the premises and suggest that maybe they need to get additional help for the cleaning.
If nothing happens after that, you could ignore the situation, help with the cleaning, or start looking for another job – which might be a good idea, because if things get bad enough the business will surely suffer and you might find yourself without a job.
Dear Queenie,
A woman in our neighbourhood lets her two pre-school children run around outside naked in her yard and sometimes even out in the street.
Queenie, am I being prudish? How old should children be when this is no longer okay?—Offended Neighbour
Dear Neighbour,
Children older than 3 should not be naked in public, no child of any age should be playing outside that way without adult supervision, and no child of any age should be playing in the street, naked or clothed. Have you mentioned your concern to your neighbour? If so, and they have ignored your concern, perhaps you should have a word with the juvenile authorities and/or the Court of Guardianship.
Dear Queenie,
When I was a teenager my parents got divorced because my father kept getting involved with other women. My mother didn’t make his affairs part of the divorce proceedings, but she told me that was the reason for them breaking up. A couple of years after the divorce my father married one of his other women.
Now my father is in his 80s and he claims that he never knew why my mother wanted to divorce him.
Queenie, I wish he would be more honest about it all!—Disgusted daughter
Dear Daughter,
It is quite possible that, at his age, your father does not remember clearly what happened so long ago. Is he showing any other signs of mental failure? Try to be patient with him.
Dear Queenie,
My wife and I have friends over for dinner quite often, but I have noticed that some of them never invite us to their house or take us out to eat.
Queenie, why do you think that is?—Always the host, never the guest
Dear Host,
Perhaps your friends cannot afford to entertain you the way you entertain them, or maybe they were never taught that it is rude not to reciprocate someone’s hospitality. Have you tried asking them about this (as tactfully as you can manage)?
Dear Queenie,
My girlfriend and I have been going together all through high school, but now we’re going to graduate and then I’ll be going away to university. I told her we could be together as much as possible until I go away, but after that it wouldn’t be fair for either of us with me away for most of the year. Now she is mad at me because she says I am going to just abandon her.
Queenie, how can I make her understand?—Soon-to-be graduate
Dear S-t-b Graduate,
Try to make your girlfriend understand that you are not just going to abandon her. These days it will be easy for you to keep in touch with each other via social media while you are away at school and you can continue to go out together when you come home on vacations, but both of you also should be free to see other people while you are away at school.
