Q: My boss is a good communicator; my co-workers are another story. The boss is available by email, voicemail and texting, and if she is in a meeting, she returns messages when she is finished. She never lets a question go unanswered; she responds that day. She also doesn't hover over us, allowing us to be independent. Unfortunately, my co-workers don't follow her example of professionalism.

We have to coordinate efforts and communicate, even though we work on our own. One co-worker hates cell phones, but, nevertheless, we must use them. He refuses to set up voicemail and subscribe to texting. He says he can see who has called and can call back when it's convenient for him. He also thinks texting wastes time. Well, that is crazy.

Phones are a convenience for both callers and recipients. When it's convenient to return a call, it may not be convenient for the recipient to answer. Without voicemail, a person doesn't know if it's an emergency. I see it as disrespecting the caller's time.

Another co-worker works from home. Her computer uses her phone line. One would think she would keep her cell phone on, but she doesn't, using the excuse that she forgets to charge it. The result is that she is rarely available. She says to email her, but if I need an answer immediately, she may not read that email until the end of the day. I find their reasoning and excuses unprofessional and unacceptable, and in an effort to be forthright, I have privately expressed my feelings to each of them.

Our boss rarely contacts us outside of email, so she is unaware of their phone practices. If I complain to her and she reprimands them, they will know it came from me. Direct communication may be the most respectful, but it is not the best when the person ignores one's comments and the number of co-workers is too low to make an anonymous complaint.

We need rules for phone procedures and business etiquette (which should be common sense but is not); however, I don't think establishing rules is our boss's style. How do I handle this?

A: Dealing with peculiar, odd, quirky, weird or unusual co-workers leads to one important question: Is the behavior detrimental to getting the job done correctly and efficiently? That should be every employee's goal. The behaviors you describe for both co-workers are unprofessional with damaging results. Your boss may allow independence in how employees do their jobs, but if she's concerned about performance standards, she should appreciate being made aware of the situation.

Although the boss typically doesn't call you or your co-workers, think of a way she can discover their phone practices in the line of business. Ask her if you may suggest a situation where she calls you for information that involves you collecting information from your co-workers. This may seem manipulative, but sometimes one has to be creative in the interest of correcting bad situations.

Keep in mind you are not doing this with malice in mind but to correct a situation that hurts your job performance, and ultimately, the company.

For example, if your boss calls you for information she needs immediately, you would need to call your co-workers to compile it. Assuming they don't respond in a timely fashion, you would then have a legitimate reason for reporting why you don't have the information — that one co-worker doesn't have voicemail or texting set up, and the other co-worker's cell phone continually goes to voicemail, which means the phone is off or that the call was intentionally declined. The boss can then call each of them to experience it herself. What happens after that doesn't involve you, and the less you know, the better off you will be.

Email your questions to workplace expert Lindsey Novak at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com 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.