Dear Annie:

I work for a wonderful company as an "administrative assistant extraordinaire." I love what I do and do it well, and I adore the owners.

A major headache for me is "Maxine," the woman who covers for me when I'm away from my desk, running errands, etc. When I return to my desk, clients and employees often comment that Maxine comes across as uncaring, unhelpful, rude and just plain miserable.

Management and the owners of the company are aware of her shortcomings but say backing me up is not Maxine's main job and, therefore, not a critical issue. My company plans to hire a receptionist in the future, but at this time, it's just not possible.

I find it hard to believe that Maxine is unaware that she lacks people skills. She is an organized, presentable woman. I want to bring up the issue with her, but she makes me so uneasy that I don't know how to do it. Can you help? － Terribly Frustrated

Dear Frustrated:

Maxine is being insolent because she resents covering for you and behaves accordingly. However, your supervisors have made it clear that they value Maxine and have no intention of doing anything about her rudeness. Tolerate as much as you can, and if anyone complains about her, tell them they should take it up with management.