Q: I am having a hard time coming to grips with something that happened at work. My day started with my sleeping through all three of my alarms and waking up late. I called my employer as soon as I woke up to inform everyone of what had happened and said I was on my way. When I arrived at work, I went to see my boss (who is also a 50 percent owner of the car dealership) to explain the situation and apologize for being late. He didn't say anything the whole day until I checked out, when he yelled across the showroom floor: "Don't be late! You really f—-ed me over this morning by showing up late. Show up on time. You show up late again and I'll fire your a—. Don't be late again!" Everyone heard this — the staff and the assistant manager.

I have been a loyal employee for 1 1/2 years and had never been late before, so hearing this distressed me. How do I handle this situation?

A: Your boss's reprimand sounds planned, which means he intentionally used you to set an example for the other employees. When you went into his office to explain your being late, that was the time and place for him to respond. His lack of an appropriate response should have warned you that something was brewing.

To show your boss that you truly value your job, apologize again and state that it was the only time you have been late in your employment there and that it will not happen again. Don't go into detail about what happened or why you were late. He doesn't want to hear excuses for any behavior he dislikes; he just wants things his way.

Consider yourself lucky that he has not displayed a similar reaction to anything else you may have done, and put it behind you. You will never know what caused his outburst that day. He may be a stickler about timeliness. He may have had an argument at home that morning. He may have thought it was a great way to assert his power and show all the employees he is the boss.

You clearly felt terrible about being late, which is why you called in upon waking, but his unprofessional response to the event tells everyone it's not about you. It's about him. You are responsible for only your own actions, so don't be embarrassed by what happened.

Do your best to not be late, and don't discuss the situation to anyone at work. If a co-worker comments on it, don't engage in the conversation. Just say you will make a point to not be late again. You may also want to choose an earlier bedtime on a regular basis.

If you've always had trouble waking up at a designated time, visit your doctor to see whether you have a sleep disorder. Routinely needing three alarms may be a far more significant problem for you than you realize. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, while The Sleep Wellness Institute reports 100 million sufferers. The symptoms can be unknown to the sufferers, other than difficulty waking up or feeling tired throughout the day. Having your boss yell at you may be the best wake-up call you've had; you might never have discovered that needing three alarms to wake up could signal a serious health problem.

Email all your questions to workplace expert Lindsey Novak at [email protected], and follow her on Twitter @I_truly_care. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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