I received an automatic "Out of Office" reply from a third-year associate.
It said she was "unavailable" for the weekend due to a family reunion.
I was confused.
I thought she worked for me, not the post office.
I called her personal cell immediately.
She didn't answer.
So I called her parents' landline.
I found the number in her background check file.
Her mother answered.
I told her it was an emergency regarding her daughter's future.
The associate called me back three minutes later, breathless.
She asked if she was fired.
I said no, just missing in action.
She spent the reunion refreshing her inbox every 30 seconds.
Availability isn't a setting in Outlook.
It's a lifestyle choice.