My colleagues disappear for hours at a time. What should I do?

March 27, 2026 — 4:01am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Save this article for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.

I work in a small organisation. I am part of a small team. My colleagues frequently leave me alone in the office – occasionally for hours at a time. Sometimes they tell me they are having a meeting off site. Sometimes they don’t say anything. They just leave the office and are away for a long while.

At first I thought this was none of my business. But as it has kept happening, I have found it peculiar and am now starting to ask myself whether I should be worried. What do you think?

What a bizarre mystery you find yourself in the midst of.

I can see how your colleagues’ actions have elicited a dawning anxiety rather than being immediately disconcerting. At first, when you were new to the team, this abandonment seemed like an idiosyncrasy you simply hadn’t developed the cultural literacy to understand.

You didn’t worry because you thought that a rational explanation would eventually clarify itself in front of you. After some time now, that explanation remains elusive.

The obvious........

© Brisbane Times