Slacker tip #36 - Keep people on a need to know basis
One of the keys to successfully getting away with being a slacker at work is keeping people on a need to know basis. Once you start giving up too much information freely, you run the risk of getting sloppy or getting caught.
I have a friend that was envious of my supreme slacking abilities and tried to institute some of my principles herself. Sadly, she did not follow this rule, which honestly is one of the most important. She freely gave up too much information and it bit her in the arse. See, she was living a few states away from her parents and her dad has health issues. So, she had informed her boss of this fact and on more than one occasion she wanted to skip work so she called in saying that she had to fly home cause her dad was ill. Then she’d call her mom to let her in on the joke, so that if the employer called the mom could lie for her. Bu why would they call you ask? Because she freely gave them her parents telephone number one of the times that she called in with this excuse. I’m sure her thoughts were that they would want to check up on her and make sure she was telling the truth. But you shouldn’t give them information that they are not smart enough to ask for, that’s just dangerous.
So, one time she called into work and used this excuse, but for some reason she did not call her mom. You can guess what happened next. The boss caller her parent’s house to check on the father’s health, to which the mother replied something along the lines of “He’s fine, he’s not in the hospital.” Then the boss called her at home to let her know that she knew what was going down. Needless to say, this friend did not end up back at that job. Moral of the story? Keep your boss on a need to know basis.
When I call in, I leave a message simply saying “I won’t be in today.” That is really all they need to know. If they ask why I wasn’t there when I return to work, I simply say “I was sick” because they don’t need to know the details. Of course, I am ready with more details if they keep asking, but I don’t willingly give them up, and neither should you.
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