Help! My coworker is trying to make me his personal assistant and the boss won't do anything about it!?

Question

I was hired to be the salaried office manager of a small, busy construction office in Chicago, IL. I have also become the HR director, the receptionist and at the moment, the accountant. One of the guys in the office is dumping a lot of work on me which severely limits my capacity to tend to my original and additional duties. I don't have time for breaks and barely have time for lunch. The boss said I have to help him. This guy yells at me, swears at me and constantly belittles me. He also yells at everyone else in the office, telling them what their job is and how to do it. I complained to the boss and the guy stopped swearing at me, but that's all that's stopped. I have been bringing work home nights and weekends, yet I get yelled at for not getting all the work done and have to deal with upset customers and coworkers because I don't have time to do anything for them. I have 3 kids at home and I'm having a hard time finding another job that pays decent. What can I do?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, as a salaried employee, you have no entitlement to take breaks and lunches. You are technically "on the clock" 24/7. However, I'd questions whether or not your position truly meets the salary basis test which determines whether a position can be classed as exempt from overtime - most administrative positions don't meet the requirements. You may want to check out www.dol.gov, read through the info on exempt vs. non-exempt positions, and determine if you meet the "administrative exemption." criteria.

Now, let's discuss your entertaining coworker. Some people dump on others at work because they can - the boss gives them authority to, they are in a position of power, and/or the dumpee is accommodating and nice. If this guy is truly stressed, working crazy hours, and so on, he may be dumping on you because he's drowning and you're the closest thing he's got to a life preserver. If you're killing yourself and he's out the door at 5, then you are being taken advantage of.

in the first case, try sitting down with him and talking calmly about how to structure the workload so that everyone's needs get met - his, yours, and the top boss's. If it's the second, you need to push back on him - again, calmly and professionally - by telling him that you have other priorities, you'll get to his request at X time, and so on.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Find a different job. You are being taken advantage of because you are allowing yourself to be. It might not be easy but keep looking for another job. This one is going to end badly, in one way or the other. The co-worker is abusive and you don't need this. It is best to interview elsewhere while you are still employed. Apply for jobs as each of the jobs you perform and customize your resume for each one to reflect the specialized duties for that role which you perform. Expand your search and look for a job as just an Accountant/Book keeper or just an Office Manager or just an HR Manager. Make sure you are looking for jobs in those fields and don't be overly concerned with what title an Employer decides to call it. You might be a bookeeper or a Executive Assistant or a Recruiter for a Temp Agency. Don't pigeon hole yourself.

The alternative is to list the jobs you perform and be very detailed and specific about each and every task, (Receptionist, Office Manager, Accountant and HR Director) take the list, which you have divided under each title and go into your boss and ask for a raise of say, double what you are making. Tell him you are doing the jobs of 3 or 4 people but you are only asking to be compensated for the jobs of 2 people. See the look on his face. Then you can negotiate a more reasonable pay raise, a part-time person to assist YOU, or get him to make the other guy back off and stop dumping his work on you.

If it were me, I would do both of these things at the same time. Look for another job and see if you can fix things where you are. You then have a better chance of ending up where you want to be instead of where someone forces you to be.

Answer 3

Don't take work home nights and weekends. Or if you do, at least be sure your boss knows it, and pays you for it. Being salaried does not necessarily mean that you don't legally have to be paid overtime.

Take a list of your tasks to the boss, with what you feel are the priorities, and ask him if there's any priorities he wants to change - then work from the top of the list. Let him and this other person know if something is going to be late or not get done.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Put up with it and continue to look for another job.
Write down everything in a journal/diary of what goes on, like insults and dates. Just in case you have to file an unemployment claim.
Plead with your boss that you need help for all the hats you are wearing.
Just because you are salary doesnt necessarily mean you are exempt from overtime, if you work it.

Answer 5

My cousin is going through the exact same thing with her company. I suggested to her, and I will to you: Assert yourself in the workplace. I don't mean get an attitude. Just the opposite, I would make sure that you are very very professional and no-nonsense at all times. What I mean is - make the guy prioritize beforehand and not just dump things on to you. Push back on things. Calmly and matter-of-factly tell him you have too many other things to attend to and tell him you will get to him later. Make him listen to your laundry list of other "urgent" tasks. Don't plead with anyone, don't give in, don't reinforce his behavior because he is just a bag of entitlement. You need to take control.

Really, Good luck!!

Answer 6

What a stupid answer the guy in front of me posted...... If it is something he is supposed to be doing you just need to do it wrong then give it back to him just under the deadline to have it completed..As far as the yelling when he does it get a rubber band and shot him on the end of his nose a time or 2.

Answer 7

quit. find a man to take care of you. i dont understand why women work anyways. u should find a man to take care of you.