MARTHA TO THE CAUSE

Martha recently started a new job as assistant director of modernisation at a primary care trust. At the end of another busy week, she collapses in front of her PC to e-mail Mary, a former colleague, who has escaped Down Under.

Hi Mary

Would you say you trusted me? I would certainly trust you - remember how we used to cover for each other when one of us had to rush home early to pick up the kids? You take it for granted with friends. Well, sad to say, We are supposed to trust everyone at work now as well. Call me old-fashioned, but I would rather decide who to trust, not have it rammed down my throat.

You know all about my sainted boss Roger, the head of modernisation and bane of all our lives? One of his many failings is that he likes to keep 'up to speed' with what he calls the Wider World of Management.

This means he spends a lot of time in his office reading about how other managers as barmy as he is go about their daily lives, and meanwhile failing to sort out urgent PCT business.

He either discovers new trends to torture us with, or gets really insecure.

This week is obviously Insecure Week, and Roger has nose-dived into a deep depression about trust.

'Do you trust me, Martha?' he said, as I took him his morning cup of Earl Grey.

'Trust you?' I wondered what he was on about. Could it be the fact that he accidentally gave me nettle tea instead of peppermint last time he made tea?

'Of course I do, ' I said reassuringly. 'No, I mean, really, ' said Roger. 'Do you trust me as a boss, and as a, you know, as a person?' The office was soon buzzing with this, and we quickly guessed that it was a new survey that Roger had got hold of.

'Oh God, ' wailed Jenny. 'And just when we need to get our new proposal ready for the next PEC meeting! We have got to find out why he's feeling insecure before we can sort him out.' We all scurried about looking for the offending document, and finally Trudy, the patchouli-scented head of press, managed to rouse herself from somewhere inside her cardigan and find it. I'll tell you what happened next time!

Love Martha Next week: taupe floor cushions