Day 3, Work Question (What Would You Do?)

September 8th, 2016 at 12:17 am

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30+ minute walk
Smoothie with cinnamon/tumeric
Got in about 7 servings of fruits/veggies
Didn't buy or drink soda

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Ate chocolate (bought yesterday)

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So ... I like most things about my supervisor. There is just one thing that has slightly irritated me over the past two years. Almost every time I come back from taking a vacation of more than I few days, I find my office space / work supplies rearranged.

I get told that this is done because the way I have things arranged don't make sense to my supervisor and she can't find anything.

(When I am gone, she basically does my job as well as her own. Just she isn't logged on to the information line, so there are somewhat less calls to answer.)

So ... I sort of get this. I get used to the changes, put some things back where I prefer, and move on.

Only to have it happen again the next time.

Oh well. Not a big enough issue to bring up.

But ... a month ago or so I'm told that one of the bus drivers is going to come in and do "light duty" by answering the phone. She would wear my earpiece and I would still sell passes, etc. I was also told that I would "get" to sit at the extra desk.

Um... ok. I didn't like this idea very much (other than not having to answer the phone constantly) but I decided that if it was only for a few days, then I would just deal with it.

It turns out, that it didn't happen.

Until yesterday.

I had a lot of mail in orders that came in over the holiday weekend, needed to enter the work order reports for August, and a few other things - which I needed my computer for. Also, with just a few hours of listening to the light duty person answer the phone, I realized I needed to be there..

Plus, the extra desk is presently occupied by our "retired" accountant who is training our new accountant.

My boss was gone yesterday. So, I stayed put at my desk in my office space. There were multiple times where both lines lit up, and I tried to explain to her how to hear that, and how to deal with that ... but she for some reason couldn't hear the beeps ...

So today my boss comes back and is wondering why I'm sitting at my desk with her. I explain why and she's fine with it.

Then a little while later she comes in and tells me that the others in the back were complaining about the phone not being answered. Um ... not much I can do about that!

So the IT guy attempts to install a second phone line towards the back of my office space, by the lost and found cabinets. I'm told that this phone will be for me. That they'll set up a table or something for me there to work on. Um .. okay.

So .. the person who has no computer skills and is doing what comprises 50% of my work most days, will be sitting by MY computer and using my earpiece. While I will be sitting in the back of my office space with just a phone and a table.

No. Sorry, that just isn't going to work. Not only would I be bored to tears, but there are multiple things I do as part of my job where I NEED my computer.

The phone isn't working yet, so I'm still at my computer. But ... this person is talking like she's going to be here for at least the month of September.

If it was just for a few days .. I could deal with it. But for an entire month? NO WAY JOSE!

I already feel like I get the short end of the stick with absolutely no privacy in my office space. People are constantly walking back and forth in the back of my office space (to the conference room area, lunchroom, bathrooms, etc.) I don't mind this, really. But because just by virtue of being at my desk, anyone walking into the lobby assumes I'm available to help them, I can't make personal phone calls at my desk, eat lunch at my desk, etc. I HAVE to do that in the lunchroom.

I feel kind of ... maybe, disrespected? Like they think I shouldn't care about giving up my space for someone else. Like they can make changes to my space without asking me if I'm okay with it - it's more important for the space to make sense to them - people who spend less than five hours a week in my space.

I'm seriously, seriously irritated right now. I want t approach my boss tomorrow about this, but I'm not sure how best to do it.

We have a pretty good relationship overall, but still, I want to be careful.

I thought about asking her how she'd feel if she was told that she was going to be given an assistant, who was going to do half of her work, and be given her desk space, while she would be relocated somewhere else without all the tools to do her other 50% of the work. Or, how would she feel if she came back from vacation to find that someone had decided to redesign her office for her - to make that space work better for the person redesigning the office.

I'd really like to ask her if they're trying to get me to quit. But I don't really think that's the case. I think she's just not getting how this is sounding/feeling to me. (There's very little that makes this job tolerable. Putting me at a table with just a phone and no computer will drive me beyond bonkers with boredom.)

Please SA, your words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Posted in Work Related, Accountability | 12 Comments »

12 Responses to “Day 3, Work Question (What Would You Do?)”

PatientSaver Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 12:41 am 1473295264
1473295264

She may be oblivious about how you feel so I would bring it up in a constructive way now, so you don't stew on it and maybe explode a little later on. I probably wouldn't say anything about her rearranging your desk when you're gone. I would just focus the issue on this new person there who can't do the job anyway.

I think the least they can do is give you the right tools and accommodations to get your job done, and perhaps that needs pointing out.

Good luck. Strike the right balance between clearly articulating the problem but not going overboard so she gets irritated or thinks you're being unreasonable.
FrugalTexan75 Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 12:47 am 1473295672
1473295672

PS - I think you are probably right - that she's oblivious to how this is coming across to me. You're also right that I should keep the focus on just the big issue at hand.
Thanks!
jokeabee Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 01:01 am 1473296508
1473296508

I would try my best to keep emotion out of it and just try to state facts. The fact is you need your computer to do the work you were hired to do. Then suggest an alternative that might work better- that the temporary help can use the phone since that is the majority of what they're responsibilities are. I would agree that your supervisor is probably oblivious to how it is coming across to you. And if she is reasonable and you have a good relationship then just stating the facts should work.

If you don't already, I would suggest reading the blog "Ask a Manager" (www.askamanager.com) Alison is brilliant with wording and taking the emotion out of emotionally charged situations. (For the record, I would be pissed if this were happening to me!)
FrugalTexan75 Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 01:12 am 1473297122
1473297122

Thanks Jokabee, I'm really going to try to keep my emotions out of it. I've got lots of emotions running over at the moment ...

I used to read that blog - it was pretty good. I'll have to take a look at it again.
Butterscotch Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 01:29 am 1473298164
1473298164

My first thought is that she is trying to get you to quit. Like she doesn't want to fire you and be the bad guy, so she is just putting your out and bothering you so tha you'll want to leave on your on. I hope that's not the case, but I've seen it happen. Is there an HR department you can go to? Or are you a member of a union?
lirpalynn Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 01:39 am 1473298740
1473298740

It almost makes me wonder if that "extra" person is the one with a big personality? I know at my work, my team tends to get pushed around because we are always the one following directions, being available for anything anytime, etc. There is also a team that pushes through everyone, their way is ALWAYS right even if the boss doesn't agree, and basically does whatever they please because the bosses don't stand up to them. Do you think this could be the case with your situation? Maybe that extra person is the one who wants a "real" desk to feel important and since you do your job you're easily pushed around because others don't feel like you will push back?
creditcardfree Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 02:28 am 1473301707
1473301707

Does the this new person need the computer too? If they can bring in another phone it seems another computer would be in order as well. I wonder why you were chosen to share your space? Can this person rotate offices?

I think the biggest selling point on this being an issue is that you don't have easy access to your computer to do your job. THAT is a problem.
FrugalTexan75 Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 02:34 am 1473302050
1473302050

Butterscotch - Yes, there is an HR department, and yes, I'm a member of a union (currently we're without a contract though.) That thought had crossed my mind as well, but I don't think that's it really.

My DH made a good point when I attempted to talk to him about this tongiht (in the 10 minutes he had before leaving for work) that my boss hasn't changed her attitude towards me, or treated me any differently. So it's not too logical that she'd be trying to get me to quit.

Lirpalynn - This extra person had some kind of shoulder procedure due to a work related injury from driving a bus. She's got a sailor's mouth, is constantly on her smartphone, and does have kind of a big personality. But I don't think she's the one trying to push me out from my desk. I'd met her one time before this I think.
FrugalTexan75 Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 02:36 am 1473302162
1473302162

CCF - This person has NO computer skills at all. She can use her smartphone really well though ... She was chosen to share my space because she's doing part of my job responsibilities - answering the phone.
ceejay74 Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 04:51 am 1473310274
1473310274

Hmmm... very strange but sounds like typical bureaucrats not thinking things through properly. I agree with others that you should try to put aside feelings of being disrespected, slighted etc. and focus on the practical. Do you email with your boss? Maybe you could just email and say "hey, once the phone is working at the back table, it seems like it would be more efficient use of space if light-duty lady moves there since she's only covering phone duties, whereas I need to access the computer to perform my duties. Let me know if that would work."
VS_ozgirl Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 12:08 pm 1473336512
1473336512

I've had the unfortunate situation last year of being without a computer for a few days and while I coped it was beyond annoying. I could only get half the work done because everything took double as long! So perhaps this should be your main argument: productivity. Let your manager know that while you are happy to accommodate the situation you simply can't be as productive as before because you haven't got the means to (the computer). Then offer some solutions: 1) light duties worker gets shifted to back office and you get your desk back or 2) you get a computer to the back office or 3) your duties get shared around because obviously with the current situation they cannot all be done. Leave emotion out of it, especially as light duties is only here for a month. This is temporary. Ps whenever I come back from work I find a note from my coworker telling me I've been doing something wrong when half the time I was never even told the right way to do it the first time! You are not alone. Good luck!
snafu Says:
September 8th, 2016 at 08:08 pm 1473365305
1473365305

I wonder if it's possible to meet your supervisor for coffee in a neutral place away from your office to talk informally, more casually about something that's come up. Here's the situation [from an outsider's point of view]. It's terrific to give a injured driver a desk job but in this case the skill sets needed are missing.. Driver lacks customer service skills need to respond to phone inquiries. 50% of the work is on computer and driver is computer illiterate, no skills at all. Most serious of all, driver's hearing skills are insufficient. She does not hear the beeps indicating there is a call on a secondary line. You customers are not served well if hearing is an issue.

Given your background, experience and education, aren't there other jobs in the organization that offer you more?

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Day 3, Work Question (What Would You Do?)

12 Responses to “Day 3, Work Question (What Would You Do?)”

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