The Night Shift has never really gone “smoothly,” per se, since our company’s inception. However, three years after K.Lo’s hire, we have something of an established, functional routine. K.Lo now, as always, has found a new way to shake things up over the past weeks by requesting in polite (and certainly not-so-polite) ways that the Manager, rather than CEO, take over her Night Shift training.

The CEO, of course, is happy to trade duties, as N.Lo is a model employee at night. Put him in his uniform, brush teeth, lay him down with the all-important blankie, turn out the lights and shut the door. Done. Then he works through the night, typically without interruptions, and occasionally until absurd hours of the morning. Today, for instance, he broke all kinds of company records by sleeping until 11:45 AM. He’s devoted to his work, that N.Lo, what can I say. (Please note, I did check a few times to make sure he was still breathing. Sixteen+ hours of sleep?! It was making me nervous.)

Meanwhile, I’ve taken over a good bit of the Night Shift training with K.Lo. This task had previously been allocated to the CEO, mainly because at the end of long, long Day Shift, if I heard one more tiny whisper of a whine, I would go insane. But, as K.Lo’s Night Shift (and even Day Shift)performance has improved, the job at hand doesn’t seem quite as big a deal. In fact, dare I say it’s almost… relaxing. So long as K.Lo is feeling cooperative and not attempting to bait me (very key conditions here), I have an opportunity to sit in the employee’s cubicle with her, lights out, noise machine on, and read. Reading! It’s a nice thing for a Manager to be able to do every now and then, even (especially?) in a forced context. And, sitting in the dark while a (hopefully) quiet employee settles down after the work day is a good opportunity for Management to unwind as well.

I’m beginning to see why the CEO hasn’t complained too much about the job in the past. When it’s gone well, anyway.

*FOLLOWING MORNING UPDATE: Of course, the second I post anything remotely praiseworthy about employee Night Shift performance, it is jinxed. Most *exasperating* night with K.Lo, EVER. Am calling in Tired and Annoyed today. Something tells me this excuse will not fly with the staff, but I’m going to try anyway.