On what's fair..

My assistant has a tendency to send stream of consciousness emails. I just received another. She also has a horrible tendency to never use the subject line. More on that another time.

"I put aside a box for you, as you requested. It has your name on it," she wrote. "Also, before you leave, I'd love to get your advice on how to get coworkers to listen and take me seriously.."

Let's be clear on one thing. I'm writing this blog because one of my direct reports has stood me up for our weekly one on one meeting. Again. What's that about me teaching someone how to be taken seriously?

Anyway, it has me thinking about fair treatment. My assistant is on the receiving end of some pretty brutal office treatment. What makes it worse is she tends to be pretty passive aggressive about it too. She'll wait for the bad treatment to come around instead of alerting me to a situation beforehand, so she can complain to people later on. Here's a great example: The division hosts a thank you lunch. The email goes out to everyone inviting them. She'll say to someone on staff: "Let's see if they remember to get someone to cover the desk so that I can attend. They never think of me so I bet they'll forget, and I'll just sit here while everyone is at the party." True story. What she SHOULD do is say to me, her supervisor, "I'd like to go to the lunch but I know the desk needs to be covered. Can you help?". You know. That kind of thing.

So I've done the best I can to make her feel more included, to make life feel more fair for her. But then I run into things like this:

US Weekly headline:

Angelina Speaking, Laughing During Labor

Now, how am I supposed to take this? Is this a direct retort to the "silent labor" Katie Holmes allegedly endured in her devotion to Scientology or, should I interpret the more popular translation:

You will never beat Angelina Jolie at anything. Not looks. Not allure. Not baby delivery. Not hopscotch. Not sudoku. Not Connect Four. Not bargain shopping.

Honestly. How necessary is this? Am I to believe Ang was overwhelmed with laughter reflecting on the latest New Yorker cartoon while pushing out twins? I suppose her birthing robe was Dolce and Gabbana and People arrived for their 100 Most Beautiful People shoot while she was in labor, as the dewy glow gave her an added level of hotness. Ain't no sweat like baby sweat.

Life really isn't fair sometimes. And I bet People magazine won't even call me for a quote for that article either.