I work in a lab whose office manager is a single mom. Our boss is incredible: as long as the work gets done on time, he doesn't care when or where you work, and unless you had a meeting with him that day, you don't need to call in sick. However, I think our office manger is constantly afraid of that changing.
OM frequently has to work from home due to one sick kid or another. Every time this happens, I get a frantic phone call from OM saying she's so sorry she can't be here, but to assure the doctor that she's working from home. Without pausing for a response from me, she then goes into explicit detail about what's wrong with her child. I really don't need to know about her daughter's first menstruation or her son's diarrhea, including the frequency and consistency of said problem. My attempts at firmly saying her name and that I don't need to know more never seem to stop her long, rambling explanation.
Do y'all have any advice to stop this behavior so that I can enjoy my morning coffee and not panic when the phone rings? Thanks!