My colleague has taken a last minute holiday and left me to present a major project alone… Help!
Here, Karren gives her expert career advice to a reader who has been left to present a stressful project alone after her colleague took a last minute holiday.
Q: My colleague and I have been working on a stressful project for the past six months and it's finally reaching the crunch point – but she's chosen to take a last-minute holiday over the two weeks we need to deliver the project and present it internally, then put it in front of the client.
I understand the whole process of getting the project to this point has been difficult and meant some long hours, but I feel abandoned and like I now have to carry it all on my own, which is causing me huge anxiety and stress.
What should I do?
Amelia, via email
A: First, speak to your manager about the situation as soon as possible.
Explain clearly that with your colleague away during such a critical phase, you're concerned about the impact on delivery of the project and don't want the workload and pressure to compromise the final result.
Ask whether some tasks can be reassigned or if extra support is available.
Set firm boundaries – don't take on everything alone, especially at the cost of your physical and mental health.
Keep a written record of your agreed responsibilities and decisions during this time to protect yourself and manage expectations.
When your colleague returns, have a respectful but honest conversation about how this affected you, so it's less likely to happen again.
Apprentice star Karren Brady terrified after burglar launched FOUR raids on £6m home in 16 hours taking designer gear
Most importantly, prioritise your mental health and wellbeing – take breaks, ask for help when you need it and be clear about what you can and can't do.
As tough as the current situation is, moments like these can highlight your resilience and capabilities, and will give you a chance to show your manager how well you handle pressure and take the lead when it counts.
Got a careers question for Karren? Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk.
Five ways to save on baby showers
From bargain bakes to free invitations, The Sun's Consumer Reporter Laura McGuire reveals how to organise a celebration for less.
DESIGN YOUR OWN INVITES
Eight invitations can cost up to £6.39 from Tesco, but if you have access to a computer, you can create your own for free. Graphics website Canva.com has thousands of baby-shower and gender-reveal invite templates, which you can print off. If you don't have access to a printer, you can order prints for around £13 for 20 invitations. Or you could download and email the invitations to your guests, rather than posting.
GET A CAKE FOR LESS
Novelty cakes with blue or pink filling have become a staple at gender-reveal parties. But these treats are expensive, with bakers such as Caker Street charging £126 for a medium-sized cake. Instead, head to the supermarket and pick up a decorate-your-own one, which Sainsbury's sells for just £8.75 – it's the perfect blank canvas to personalise as you wish. You could even cut a hole in the middle and fill it with either pink or blue bonbons, which cost £1.25 for a 110g bag at Ocado.com.
ORDER PARTY PLATTERS
No gathering is complete without a bit of grub, but paying for a caterer or food in a restaurant can cost hundreds of pounds. To feed guests for less, head to Morrisons.com and check out the Food To Order range. A 16-piece wrap platter costs £16, and a 42-piece grazing platter costs just £10. You'll need to order the food in advance online, then collect it in store.
FIND A CHEAP VENUE
If you can't host the party in your home, use apps such as Sharesy to find the cheapest venues for hire in your area. You can filter results based on your location and price point. For example, we found a church hall in Bristol available to rent for £15 per hour. Remember to include time for setting up and clearing up at the end, though.
ENTERTAIN YOURSELVES
Look online for examples of a quiz or download baby-themed crosswords to keep your guests entertained. You could ask everyone to bring a photo of themself as a baby, then stick them on the wall and have fun guessing who's who. Pregnancy and baby website Whattoexpect.com has suggestions for games, plus five free ones that you can print out and play with your guests for free, including Baby Bingo.
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People started looking at their neighbours, especially when Shamima first left, and thinking twice about them Punter at The Marquis of Cornwallis pub Enora Birec, 26, barmaid at The Kings Arms added: 'I go up and down this high street twice a day. It is a very diverse place. 'I do think in general it is slightly more closed off than it was. 'I have a Bangladeshi friend who told me that the community was being pushed away from the area. "She (Begum) was in a building that was being knocked down in the Bethnal Green area. 'But the Bangladeshi community is quite strong here, I think they are very settled.' According to a Government report released in 2014, the largest ethnic groups in the Bethnal Green area were White British (37%) and Bangladeshi (32%). More than a third of the residents in the east London town were Muslim, with 25.8% Christian and 21.9% not belonging to any religion. 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