Dear Kelly,

My co-worker is a hypochondriac who misses a lot of work.  Because there are only two of us on staff besides the boss, whenever she is out I'm the one doing all the work.  You'd think she would have been fired by now considering she has missed at least 40 days of work in 2012 but the boss is a big softie and feels bad for her so he does nothing.  He doesn't seem to realize that the special treatment she receives puts added stress on me.  I'd love to quit but don't have the time to job hunt.  Do you have any suggestions on how I can handle continuing to work there without losing my mind?

Thanks,

Exhausted At Work

Dear Exhausted,

Ask your boss to go to lunch with you so you can talk to him about how you're feeling.  Don't play the "Poor Me" card or say anything about how treats her differently than you.  Instead, focus on your workload on the days when your co-worker calls in sick.  Bring up the idea of hiring a temp on the days when you'd otherwise be alone.  If nothing else, as for comp days in exchange for the days you're working for two. As much as she calls in sick you could end up working 4-day work weeks!  Most importantly, remember to focus on you and your feelings and make it clear that you love your job and just want to be able to maintain the quality you're known for even when the quantity increases.

Best of luck!

Kelly McKay