There are more Capt. Francesco Schettinos out there than one would think ("As passengers fought for lives, captain steered clear in lifeboat," Jan. 18).

Employers and supervisors should beware.

Last year the comic strip "Dilbert" featured an exchange in which the pointy-haired boss asked Dilbert for a report.

Dilbert responded that he had placed the report on a pile on the corner of the boss's desk several days earlier.

The boss said he didn't have time to go through the pile to find the report, so Dilbert should print another.

Scott Adams, the author of the strip, was pointing out there are people at the top of a hierarchy who believe their time and exertions are too valuable to waste on something as mundane as work.

They delegate their work and responsibilities to underlings. Schettino appears to believe he was too important to be responsible for the passengers aboard the cruise ship.

(Editor's note: Schettino is disputing accounts on how he wound up in a lifeboat, saying he didn't flee but slipped.)

The Costa Concordia's operator, Costa Crociere SpA, is in big trouble because of this incident.

All those in supervisory positions would be well-advised to take a second look at those employees managing people beneath them.

A Capt. Schettino can really hurt a company or organization.

ROSALIND KOHLS, GLENCOE, MINN.