I sent you an email outlining the “other duties as assigned” that you have piled on me since I started, and why it is impossible for one person to handle them. Since you always say “come with solutions, not problems,” I outlined the ways that our department can reorganize (with very little effort and ZERO expense), to make sure that critical items don’t get missed, and that you won’t have to continue to pay me overtime for working 12-15 hour days.
I have explained that in addition to these “other duties,” two of the other staff are using me as a secretary, and if they would just start pulling their own weight, SOME of this problem would go away. You say you are aware that they are doing this, and will “speak to them” because they have not been doing their jobs for “quite some time now.”
As soon as you returned from your THIRD vacation in less than a month, we have a department meeting, none of the issues get addressed, and seeing as how none of them were put on the agenda, I can’t even bring them up! When I dicsuss this with you, you tell me you’ll “get (me) a raise.”
I know you bitchers are going to jump on my ass for this one, but it’s NOT about the money! I don’t want a raise, I don’t want to find another job, I really like this one, and apparently, from all interested parties, I am excellent at it. I’d just like a little LESS of it.
I shouldn’t have to copy and paste peoples’ emails or do their filing, or call their customers, or any of the other parts of THEIR job descriptions I have had to do because MY job hinges on these tasks being done. I have my own tasks to do. I’d like to see my kids before they have kids of their own! —I Don’t Want a Raise, I Want to See My Family
This article appears in Mar 18-24, 2010.
I’ve seen this a few times before…
“scope creep” … by adding a few duties piecewise until it warrants another person (or people actually doing what they’re supposed to and not piling it on someone else all the time) but since it was slow to transition, it’s tough to build a case for an additional resource.
play hardball.
I don’t think they would do well with someone threatening to leave who puts in 15 hour days leaving any time soon…. use a few sick days or vacation days on short notice to see how they deal with your absence…
you sound like you’re too valuable to be taken advantage of any longer.
well, that or slack off and clock out on time every day.
either will provoke some sort of change.
I wonder what happens when you nod yet STOP doing other people’s jobs for them. Say, “sure I’ll do that for ya” and then don’t since it’s outside of the scope of your duties (good call zZz!) When the shit flows will their job responsibilities land in your lap? Probably not. The other alternative is to learn to say “sorry but… NO.” What’s REALLY sad is we can tell you’re a chick. Guys just aren’t expected to put up with that shit. Maybe you should hang with your brothers a little more often… just sayin’
As a guy I put up with this shit also. One day I informed my upper-peeps that I will not check my work account on my days off nor will I do extra when I am at work.
As the main point of contact for outside clients their shit can wait a day or two as our policy is an EIGHT day turnaround. No biggie.
They didn’t like it but they learned to respect it.
I have three words for you, OP – WORK TO RULE! Otherwise, you will continue being ‘Sap of the Year’. I’ve worked in offices for the last 35+ years and have seen this so many times, I could wrap my bottom lip over my head like a cabbage leaf.
you know what, i had this problem a few years ago. place i worked for, wanted me to do 3 peoples jobs, and get paid for one. at fucking min. wage,at that. there was a dust cloud behind me. just look them dead in the eye, and say” you want more, well fucking pay more for it”.
yep, happens everywhere…
used to be me up to a year ago… every 4-6 months they would lay other groups off and we would ‘absorb’ some duties that vaguely related to us… no extra people, no extra pay, no paid overtime… just more work, responsibilities, and shit to deal with….
all I can say is that our team was eventually dismantled the same way and the ones who picked up OUR crap… pretty much stopped all their duties for months just to handle our load… before they could get back to what they were actually getting paid for.
don’t know why they did it that way… makes no sense…
but whatever… I certainly haven’t looked back.
But how’s your cubicle?
It’s important to have a nice cubicle…maybe with some Dilbert cartoons cut out and pasted up…the latest “Cathy” mayhaps…
At least office work is warm and dry, innit?
The OB must work in DD’s office, you know three vacations in a month.