My business phone rings while I am sleeping
Dear Delyara, I own a small care agency with twelve employees and forty-three clients. In theory, I am my own boss. In reality, every illness, missed shift, family complaint, medication error, payroll problem, and inspection notice enters my bedroom through the phone. I sleep with it beside my face. Tonight, one worker called in sick, another said her car would not start, and a client’s daughter threatened to report us because someone arrived twenty minutes late. I am now covering the 6:00 a.m. visit myself after finishing payroll at 1:30. My husband has started sleeping in the spare room because the phone wakes him. My daughter says I answer clients faster than I answer her messages. She is right. I built this company because I wanted to provide dignified care and create stable jobs. Now I am afraid one mistake will destroy the whole thing and everyone who depends on it. People congratulate me for being successful. I have not slept through the night in two years.