Work Situation

by simplesally 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  simplesally

  Bull,

  I was happy he stuck up for me but definitely not happy with him saying the 'snitty' part. I am expecting her to do her job. I really am not there to gossip with her, hang out at her desk or have her in my office for coffee. I really don't have the time nor the desire. I don't always say "please" I usually say 'thank you' but this is a fast paced job for the managers.......we don't usually leave for lunch, I have constant phone calls, customers coming in to do paperwork, bank rates and approvals to approve, credit to review, etc....... So what happens is when she is paging me, I will say, "Take a message" When I check the sales managers desks I might see they need new folders before the weekend......so I will drop them off at her desk and tell her as I keep walking "Lisa, make sure the guys have folders ready for the weekend." See, I think she is looking for her to always say, "could you, do you mind?" etc.....And again, she doesn't like it to be called to her attention that she misstook a message. Writing down numbers really makes me mad!!

  I know that Nathan Natas has said I have to face my fear.......well, I think I will talk to the GSM about it today..... she is going to a specialized training that our store has pushed for thru corporate. So she will be there this morning. I talked to the girl giving the class, who is another redhead, LOL...... Anyway, Miss A and I had a chat and I brought up our complaints and she was in agreement. I told her that receptionists need tools on how to handle their job so they are not pressuring us but assisting us. The GSM is hoping that her jets will really have been cooled by this afternoon. But they should never have been fired up is what's on my mind.

  There was an offer for her to go to work for corporate in our phone center. Not customer service, but initiating the phone calls to customers that came to our store trying to get them to come back. It was to get her out of our office. But this was last month and she decided that the pay raise would not offset the commute time or gas money.

  So, today is the day...........will see how it goes. But I am still of the "this isn't a personality issue and I don't want to be there" attitude. I really want him to just let her have it.
• 

  zev

  ahhhhh the dealership stress. how i don't miss it this week, on vacation.
• 

  Country Girl

  I've only had problems with women bosses when they didn't treat me fairly. I was young (18) when I got my first *real* job in the stock brokerage business, and never, ever thought bad of anyone. If someone was doing something unfair to me, I immediately put the blame on myself and tried harder to please. It seemed the more I tried to please, the more my first lady boss had contempt for me. I was best friends with this guy in our office. He would come over to my house and we'd go out dancing or play Monopoly or go to concerts. The problem didn't start until we (the guy friend and I) started hanging out together. She would then pile so much work on me that I would be staying til 10 at night (and I got there at 6 a.m.). She was always very critical of me, and would talk to the other employees about how I did this, or did that. Nothing work related.. just about my physical attributes or my friendships with the various runners from different brokerage firms.. or whatever. Very catty. She made me so miserable that I ended up seeing a doctor for depression. If I'd gotten a clue then I would have confronted her. But I didn't have the cajones then.

  A big boss came to our office from California and interviewed each employee. He was there to momitor employee relations, morale, salaries, etc. I told him of all the problems I was having with her, but didn't feel I could confront her by myself out of fear. I told him of many instances when she was just plain mean to me. He told me he would have a talk with her. He said that the mistakes that I had made were easily correctable and weren't so grave that I should be fired or even reprimanded. He told me I was doing a good job, despite what my lady boss told me all the time. After he left, she was sweet as pie and I got a $400 a month raise. Later, we found out that they were going to lay off people that weren't needed, and all of a sudden my work started disappearing. How convenient. I got laid off. I found out later that she was sleeping with my best guy friend at this job, and she was jealous of the time we spent together. She was married, so of course, the time they spent together was minimal.

  My second job was at a law firm. My boss was a really neat lady and we had a good working relationship. I was a receptionist there, and came to know many of the clients as good friends. The problems that I had were with a few older legal assistants. One actually had the nerve to tell me that I should wear stockings EVERY DAY, since not to wear stockings was very unprofessional. I immediately went to her boss (who was a partner) and asked HIM what he thought about that. He said she was full of baloney.. that stockings weren't required in a law firm, and that he'd have a talk with her. She was nice to me after that. The only way that I have had problems is when women feel the need to tell me things such as this that have nothing to do with my job, or does not violate company policy.

  My last job was as a technical writer at a Federal agricultural bank. My boss was male. He was alright as a boss. He pretty much left me alone. I liked that job at first, but writing software manuals wasn't my bag after awhile. At times I would wear western jeans (in colored denim) with cowboy boots, and he would mention it. However, I would tell him that some of the bosses would wear blue jeans and cowboy hats in the office, and ask him why I was getting called on the carpet for it? He said he didn't know. The bank finally put out a memo that we could wear "colored" denim jeans, but no blue jeans. However, I *still* got called on the carpet for wearing colored jeans. GEEESH! I felt the need to wear jeans because I did a lot of hauling of hundreds of pounds of technical manuals on a dolly back and forth to the print shop, working in the print shop and getting messy, and working in graphics. It was kind of like the Borg: they wouldn't make a definite stand one way or the other. Grrrr....

  I've always considered myself to be a good worker, and a good employee, and I value and am proud of the work that I have done. But when someone has some hostility toward me because of their own personal feelings, and nothing to do with the quality of my work, then I have problems with it. I would not hesitate to confront now.

  Country girl
• 

  Billygoat

  Yikes Sally. I'm so sorry. Document, document, document is something that I HIGHLY recommend. I've had to do it with one of my bosses here, but it still didn't amount to a hill of beans with HR. So...that among other reasons, is why I've decided to leave. I don't trust this company to take care of their employees.

  If you guys decide to discipline her, do it on paper. Give her a list of objectives that she must turn around in one month's time. If you have to "talk" to her again about her behavior then obviously she's not meeting her objectives. When it's in black and white, sometimes it makes the discipline more real.
• 

  Sassy

  I say ... she needs to go

  and they can hire me..
• 

  waiting

  I assume this was asked.......but didn't see it.

  For a company that size - isn't there a written directive of what a receptionist's duties are?

  • A general conduct code?
  • Is common courtesy to others an expected part of her job?
  • A dress code? At least not showing up with one's underwear showing?

  If there is any of the above.......are men allowed to show up with their underwear showing - as part of their working attire? If not, why?

  As for the discrepancy in time reporting - well, that could be shown on paper.

  And really, why haven't you written her up? You are a manager - manage.

  Go git 'er.

  waiting
• 

  simplesally

  Waiting, I didn't write her up because I am not the one who hired her or her direct supervisor. But, I just got out of a meeting with the GSM and I told him I didn't want to sit in the meeting and would not. I explained the things I have discussed her and my reasons......(thanks guys and gals for all the points and support).

  I had Ray, the other finance guy, sit in with me because he witnessed ANOTHER incident that happened this morning. The GSM asked "Another situation?" Ray told him it's not a situation but Lisa's attitude toward me. Ray had even talked with her on Sunday and told her that she doesn't seem to have a problem taking direction from the other managers but only from me. He said Kelly is no different and you have to realize that there is no personal attack/intent on my part and she should realize that when any one of us tell her to take a message.....He feels that there is jealousy involved as well......socio-economic, ethnic, job position, etc.....

  The GSM is writing her up today. He is speaking to her alone. Apparently, last Saturday, he told her that if he is not here, I can fire anyone on the spot if I see the need. That obviously did not impress upon her mind enough by today. And the training class was rescheduled until the first week of September.

  He, too, fears a lawsuit, and that was his explanation of going slow with her. I told him to make sure we have our ducks in a row and that instead of verbal warnings, they need to be in writing because of the litigious nature of our situation.

  Will tell you how things go.......
• 

  Ghosthunter

  I manage a woman and also report to a woman. Personally, I think it's easier, in some respects, for women to report to men. I think there's always some 'cattiness' that goes on between women in all situations, but working relationships are a little worse because you're all "competing". I can definitely look back at former jobs and say that I favored the bosses that were men (with one horrible exception).

  I get along with my boss as she tries to be fair. But, I'm honest with her and she respects that. I could certainly forgive any mistakes made by my receptionist, but since she's dishonest and tries to cover them up, I can't trust her.
• 

  simplesally

  For a company that size - isn't there a written directive of what a receptionist's duties are?

  • A general conduct code?
  • Is common courtesy to others an expected part of her job?
  • A dress code? At least not showing up with one's underwear showing?

  ~ ~~~~Yes, there is a written handbook. She is just immature and has not been duly reprimanded. I left work today at 5pm, I suspect that the GSM was waiting til just before she was off work at 6..........I know she was surprised I was leaving without having our little group chat. Will see the repurcussions tomorrow I suppose and ask the GSM how it went.