Wow - interesting job review chat - and a GRIPE...are you happy RANDOM?

Star*

call 911........call 911
So...I get the "I want to talk to you" the other day from boss.

Here are a few factoids - before I sum it up.

When I started (3 years ago this coming March) I was your basic bookkeeper - not a full charge bookkeeper. I have learned and asked and read a lot. There was 1 sales guy, 1 superisor and me. 2 sub crews. 12 vendors. About 30 customers

Three years later? There are 3 full time sales people, 1 supervisor, me, 2 in house installers, 4 - 6 sub contractor crews, 3 temp crews. 150 vendors, Over 400 customers give or take.

I also order supplies for everyone, clean the office and 2 bathrooms. I run errands, make the daily deposits and am not reimbursed for gas.

So imagine MY surprise today when my boss calls me in and says he has no idea what I am doing with my time. :confused: Says I should be able to do my job in 15 hours a week. :laugh: Really? Who says. He says. Then says he has thought about having me for an assistant but if I can't even get my work done - he's not comfortable pushing me into a new position.

Um..okay - news flash - I tried to explain I can't get my work done because I have been doing OTHER peoples work - so they could go out and sell so we'll all have a job. Did not belive it. (okay fine) What proof do you need? Tried to prove myself - it's like talking to a wall. Now I see - the snitch has set this all up. I've been doing a LOT of his paper work because he's asked and now he's gone behind my back and told the boss I'm "scattered" and "Overcomplicating" a lot of things. I said -WOW that's the exact same words the 'snitch' used to describe me to the consultant. THAT went over like a lead ballon. -Um wasn't I supposed to know that? :confused: Huh. (boss looked confused) THEN compares me to his old bookkeeper who went to work for his buddy who has 3 businesses and managed them with part time hours....all three businesses.

I mean HOW do I compare to that? She's been a bookkeeper for 30 years. AND in my defense I could only say - "Well maybe THAT's why she quit." He just looked at me like I was crazy - and then said "No she found a full time job." Then I said "Well she said taking care of three businesses books is more than a full time job but when someone will only pay you part time wages and your husband has been out of work for over 2 years - you take what you can get - and take the rest home on your dime." :mad: - I get so tired of him comparing me to her. He had no idea she was doing 1/2 of that work at her house.

My thought is someones wife is bored and out of work - and has told him - SHE could do my job in 1/2 the time. :faint:. This thought has stuck in his head and is as solid as a bear trap. Do a friend a solid favor - save some money - get rid of my insurance bill...all three a bonus. Then says - I really want you for my assistant, but makes no mention of a raise?? :alien:

Hm...I left the conversation with - well I have no defense except to say I will be more cognitive than I already am of how I spend your time and I am putting together a manual so that you can get a feel for how much time it takes for anyone to do this job blindfolded. To me that's the sign of a good manager. Then I said - turning around " Let me ask you this...Do YOU think I'm sitting in there goofing off?" He said "No" I said "then what do you think I am doing with the other 25 hours a week? He said "I don't know." I nodded and said - well apparently you don't think anything worth paying me for - interesting...and you think you can do what I do in 15 hours a week?Hmmm." I smiled and shook my head in disbelief and walked out the door.

That being the case - I'm going to challenge myself and see if I can. If I can - then I'm going to get him to figure out how much that is worth to him - keep my insurance and go get another part time job. Making MORE money. If I am THAT good? I should be able to make twice as much. Not?

I just wonder who is putting all these quirky ideas in his mind - first it was - outsource the payroll...gosh theres a brilliant idea - payroll takes me all of - 30 minutes a week....for 22 people...plus taxes. yeah - lets pay someone $500 a month to do what you pay me $50 a month for..brilliant! Shoulda let that happen....I would have had a whole 2 hours to myself. :faint: - to goof off...ugh. :sick:
 

susiestar

Roll With It
GRRRRR. What a total fool.

I would pay big money that the guy who started criticizing your job performance and listening outside your door is one of the ones pushing for you to leave. If the pattern stays true, boss will listen to this "good ole boy" who is "doing so much" and push you out. Then he will end up pushing out other good employees on that guy's say so.

Then, in 3 years when he is bankrupt and in debt up to his eyeballs from following the guy's "excellent" advice he will be scratching himself and wondering how it all went down the pipes.

I am so sorry. Start keeping an accounting of all you do - every minute of the day. Then keep an accounting of what the sales guys do and don't do. Just be SURE if he makes you his "assistant" that the job description and duties are very clearly spelled out - IN WRITING.

Time to hit CYA mode. I am sorry.

Want us to come take the boss and his good ole boys out to the woodshed? Or maybe give them all swirlies?
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Definitely time for CYA. It's so frustrating...this kind of attitude is the main reason I left retail. There's always somebody using your hiney for a stepladder.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Starbie dear..............someone wants your job and is setting you up for a big fall. But you've probably already figured that out by now. Maybe it's not the somebody who's setting you up who wants it.........but maybe he has a friend who's interested........yeah, you know.

First thing on my list would be.....stop all help of co-workers. When they complain make it known that the boss gave you xx amt of time to get YOUR work done, which leaves you no time to do their work too. Bet that goes over like a lead balloon. *snort*

Idiots. They haven't a clue.

Hugs
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
You know gals -

I sat down tonight and remember the conversation I had when the woman came to tighten the screws down on the business. She told me things I forgot - but I checked my notes. a.) I'm way underpaid. b.) I can handle more responsibility c.) I will be getting my own assistant d.) I will be the bosses right hand person and I am the only one in the office qualified for that position.

Where in there from her notes to the boss did it say - Make responsible bookkeeper - work in 1/2 of her time? It didn't - it said - raise her pay, get her an assistant - give her more responsibility to help you.

Yeah - see he has no clue I know this.

I'm brushing up my vita. I'm also going in at 8:00 and working my eskimo pie off and not talking to anyone until 11:00 every day. At 11:00 I'm putting my pencil down, turning my machines off and sitting there. Whatever isn't done - will have to wait until the next day - every day until he realizes that 8-11 every day M-F is 15 hours a week. Then whatever is stacked up on Friday he and I can go through and I will just keep a list of every thing I did each day 8-11. I just can't figure out any other way to do prove to him there is more than 15 hours work there. That's over double than what I was paid to do 3 years ago - with no raise - and he's asking me to do it in LESS than 1/2 the time.

--so like I said knowing what that consultant said TO HIM - ?? Now I know something is up.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Keep a detailed diary. DON'T keep the diary on your work computer, keep it on your person at all times and transcribe it at home. I had to tell this to easy child 2/difficult child 2 when she first began having problems like this with the new store manager two months ago.

Last Friday they sacked her. On her last day before her (previously approved) leave to go get married. She's been too busy with wedding plans to deal with the dismissal issues. They're trying to make it look like redundancy (and because of how they do their bookkeeping, she probably doesn't qualify for a redundancy payout).

But they had tipped their hand early enough, for her to begin her diary of problems. She didn't write anything down at work, she would write it all into her computer when she got home each day. At first she tried "work to regulations" which is always worth a try. That means ALL requests for you to help someone get referred to the boss, they have to ask him for permission to bother you with their requests.

Next time you get called in on the carpet, have your diary ready to show him (or better still, keep a sheet on how much work outside your own duties you are asked to do). Give him a simple list, like a spreadsheet.

Your office nutter sounds like he considers himself a freelance efficiency expert.

I would also ask the boss to apply the same restricitons (on only doing your own job and all your own job) to everyone else. Present your written notes and suggest that this was a really good idea of his, to quantitatively measure office efficiency. For everyone.

Marg
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Marg -

I have taken your suggestion and done exactly that - thank you.

I also did exactly what you are suggesting about the effeciency of everyones time and the last time this was what I considered a non-issue I made a sales report and sent it to him for the nutter and the pooper to fill out. He told me he felt it was a waste of time. I did ask him today if he honestly believed that every time they left the office stating "Have an estimate" if thats where he felt they were really going. He became slightly cross and asked "Why?" I stated with sales figures in hand - "THIS is why.", and then got out the fuel receipts for each month as a cross reference and showed him that their fuel bills were nearly DOUBLE his and yet his sales were nearly DOUBLE theirs - yet they spent more time out of the office than he did. Puzzling. He had no comment. I suggested a board - a dry erase board - they could write in/out time - day - name of estimate - and sold or not - and why so we could follow up later -

Pretty standard in any office - He said - BAD idea - he didn't want the sales men to feel "baby sat" - I nodded and said - "No - they have enough to do." - like watching me - he brought up the incident about the woman I supposedly talked to today as she was in the office and do you know that he stood lording over us - as if he would just explode if she didn't leave immediately?? It was rather embarrasing. I told her I had a gift for her but that is all I said. Then he mentioned our 1 hour conversation and I said - "1 hour huh? Gosh how 25 minutes tops gets turned into an hour here is beyond me." Funny - if everyone is out on an estimate how EVER did they know we were here for an hour?" - eeeeescch.

I think my plan to work - 8-11 and then just basket B everything for the day and whatever is not done - will have to be done tomorrow - or the next day or the next day is going to have to suffice for now. That leaves me the five hours a day plus 1 hour lunch - no...oh...1/2 and hour to the bank - so I'll have to shoot...need to rethink this.

IF I work 8-11 - that's my 15 hours a week
Then if I take 1 hour lunch that's 5 hours a week
Then 1/2 hr. for the bank x 5....2.50
Then 4.5 hr. a day for (whatever it is that I am doing) 22.50 hrs.- yeah.
And if I eat my lunch at my desk and work straight through I should be able to leave every day at 4:00 because - well according to them I have nothing to do anyway.

Bully.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
I had a job that started out full time and it only took me 20 or so hours to do it. So, I only worked 20 hours a week. I didn't mind - didn't need full time pay and got to spend more time with my son who was a toddler at the time.

The bosses saw that and thought that they could give it to their daughter who was only working part time on something else. So, they laid me off.

The daughter couldn't do my job and her job (even though both were part time) and the other part time girl that worked with me ended up becoming full time.

So, they let go one part time person to add 2 full time people.

When you're good at your job and you're efficient, a good boss will recognize that and reward it. The others....they are just clueless and end up shooting themselves in the foot.

Sorry your boss is being a putz.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Thanks flutter -

It's nice to be validated....

I feel that this is about what is going to happen - and while I know that he's not going to find ANYONE to come in and do what I do to the level that I do it for 15 hours a week? And here's what REALLY chaps my hide. The bookkeeper he constantly refers to? SHE DID work for him. I replaced her. When he had NO business and just him, her and another fella - she worked for him at nearly twice my pay and 10-15 hours a week. How does he justify me at 15 hours a week with three to four times the work?? I'm pulling her time old time cards. Making copies and like Marg said - just keeping a file. I guess he can't come in and say "You're fired -so maybe he figures if he insults me enough I'll quit?


I think the line has been drawn. I know what the expert said. The boss doesn't know I know. But wow what a gift she gave me huh? I even have her number and email. I bet she doesnt think I wrote out HER verbal notes on what she said I should have at this business.

;)
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Star, follow up your meeting with a written confirmation for him.

"Dear boss, just to confirm that I got the gist of our meeting today down correctly. You said X, I responded with Z. having given due consideration to the outcome of our meeting (in terms of both what you told me, and what I beleive is the situation) I propose the following:..."

Then list your suggestion that you will work for only 15 hours, for two trial weeks. No taking work home, no helping anybody else (all of which takes up your expensive time). You will record everything you do (keeping a detailed work diary - THAT can be kept at your desk, just don't keep a work copy of your 'paranoid concerns') and if he has any suggested changes to make to this, to let you know, preferably in writing. A short informal note will suffice.

The outcome of your meeting - his concerns with you were not resolved. He made statements, you disagree. However, if he is correct then shutting yourself back to 15 hours presence i nthe office should prove his case, especially if you make yourself completely available ONLY for your work and nobody else's, during this time.

Of course this means no cleaning the toilets or staffroom unless he specifically asks or it's specifically in your duties.

Every task you do, keep a time sheet. "9.01 to 9.17 - did worksheet payrolls. 9.18 to 10 am, made up accounts to be sent out, printed accounts, printed addressed envelopes, filled envelopes and stamped them. 10.01 to 10.15, took outgoing mail to post office and returned."

You get the drift. He can't ask you to do this, not without it looking really bad for him. But if YOU choose to do this, and if it proves what you already know - that if you walk out after 15 hours and your work is not done and could not have been, it WILL cause inconvenience. You do not want this to play into the hands of nutter and sidekick.

If after all this you find your hours actually cut back to 15 hours, then go find yourself another part-time job. Do you really WANT to be this donkey's PA?

And if the expert told you stuff, is there a chance she either told something to the others, or maybe a copy of her report got seen by one or both of them? If I were them, it would be enough to make ME paranoid about MY job.

What your boss is doing could constitute workplace bullying. Make enquiries.

Marg
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Starbie, this sounds like my last position. I was the office manager/staff accountant & I was to get things done in 20 hours/week.

The lady before me had full time plus overtime but I was expected to finish in 20 hrs / week.

I was always behind however I documented my time. My financials were never ready for the board mtgs because there wasn't time to keep up with the day to day. Boss stopped me taking work home.

Booom - I was out. (The tweedles didn't help.) Turns out they were looking to hire back the original bookkeeper.

Sometimes the fix is in ..... sometimes you can change the situation.

Just giving you a heads up - aw heck you already know office politics.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
I got here early this AM -

I checked the amt of invoicing/sales/payroll vs. the old bookkeepers hours - you know the one that is able to leap small buildings etc etc.

With 3 total people working nearly part time hours - herself included....she was being paid for 15 hours a week - and the sales volume, invoicing, accounts payable were all less than 1/4 of what they are now.

She was paid almost double what I've been taking home for the last 3 years. I also found this out on my own time - made copies.....and put it in my folder for home. I'm not rushing to do anything more than I've been doing. If I could have done it better before? I would have done it that way. I've never wasted his time - or anyone elses. If he wants an assistant he can have the nutter. That's what that nut wants anyway.

When no one wants to work here because he's allowed his nice little business to sink (consultants words) I think I'll take her advice and continue brushing up the Vitae. Nothing is going to change here.

I could even show him the old bookkeepers time cards, pay stubs, the sales reports, AP/AR records and tax records - but I doubt that would even sink in to prove my point. Volume in that manner means nothing to him. It's in his mind that my job could be done in 15 hours - never mind the work load has quadrupled....it's a "simple" job.

So......we have 2 options - I can stay and continue doing what I've been doing. Like I have been doing it and continue to be berated for my work and ignore him knowing I do the best job anyone could do. I'm loyal, honest and deal with it until something else comes along.

or

I could walk out and say something not nice, leave him hanging - let him find someone to DO it in 15 hours like he thinks can be done - and cut off my nose to spite my face.

Right now? I'm stuck with option 1 and just biding my time. :sick:

Linda - thanks for the support - I borrowed some really nice gray linen heavy bond paper and envelopes from a friend last night for resumes and cover letters. I'm not angry - I'm not even frustrated.....I just feel betrayed. I like that least of all. I don't think he's being totally honest with me about any of this.

We really need a TOAD icon...lol.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
It really is ridiculous to have to justify what you do because someone else can't be bothered to pay attention to the right things. Bide your time and protect yourself, but I think you should be on the lookout, and earnestly, for something better. You don't need a job like this.

And I agree, a toad icon is needed here!
 
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