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I started a new job working as the company operator/switchboard/admin or whatever you want to call it. I have been working for about 1 month now. The woman I report to is the office manager. It's a company of about 300 people. The job is pretty easy and what I expected. My manager is another story. She's a micromanager and complete thorn in my side. She's probably on her early 50s. I'm 33 years old. When I interviewed and accepted the position I let it be known I was looking for hours of 8-430. My commute can be an hour each way some days and my husband travels for work sometimes during the week, so I will have to pick him up from the airport. I also have several appts and prior engagements going on in the evenings.
Next week there is an informal meeting going on where they are introducing new people and having a few speeches with refreshments. It's going on partially during work hours and a few hours after work. We were told staying past 430 was "optional". That evening I'm scheduled to have a small medical procedure done at 6pm. This isn't something I can reschedule and I let my manager know I would not be able to stay beyond 4:30 and of course she didn't like that. There were also 3 days one week she wanted me to come in early and I told her I wouldn't be able to as I carpool and drop my husband at work each morning. That with the commute doesn't make it possible. I feel that each week she is getting more and more pushy. I do my job and my attendance is great. I have had bosses before that take advantage and got very pushy - been there, done that. My personal time is my personal time. I know the girl before me was very young and right out of college so I can't help but wonder if they expect me to be like her.
Is it wrong for me to have a life outside work? How can I be respectful but firm about this issue?
I would carefully document each instance of this conduct by the manager so that if you have to quit or are fired the termination isn't your fault. This is important for unemployment insurance, at least if we're talking about New York. As an attorney I am not licensed elsewhere so I can opine only on New York law.
OP is a receptionist that really isn't a high level job.
So I can see why she wants to leave at 430 on the dot.
Also the issue the OP mention with her boss not wanting to pay her overtime seems a bit odd.
If you want my time after hours you better expect to at least at the bare minimum pay me overtime.
Im hourly so yea Im not exactly in a high level salaried position. But after 40 hours overtime kicks in which I am never approved to work it anyways so I go home.
Being part of a union does help
Like another poster mentioned, the OP never said anything about not being paid overtime.
In regards to leaving at 4:30 on the dot... I don't care WHAT kind of job you have, the majority of the time some flexibility is required. I've worked as a receptionist before and while it was rare that I needed to come in early or stay late, it did happen on occasion.
I don't agree that managers should tell you that day that you have to stay late, but I also don't agree that an employee should be ticked off because the manager asks them to come in early a few days in advance. Especially when the OPs situation did not look like it would pose any real issue with doing so.
The OP never said the boss didn't want to pay her overtime. That was an assumption made by others posting after she did. She merely said the boss wanted her to come in early on a couple of occasions and stay after for a function.
Right. Which is why the correct response absolutely has to be, "Ordinarily, I would be happy to do that but I have a personal conflict where I can't do it on that day." End of story. You can't give that response every time but any manager knows that employees have life commitments.
Geoff this is true, but she was asked to come in three days during a week and she declined all three. The correct response would have been "I'm sorry, but I have a prior commitment on one of those days, but I can certainly be there the other two." Especially when the OP already declined a separate event. That would at least show willingness compromise. A hard no every time you're asked if a sign of impending disaster.
Yes, as I stated before, research The Department of Labor and how many cases of wage theft they get from businesses who typically pay low wages. Also, do look up why President Obama passed legislation he did concerning overtime and salaried workers. They have also been screwed. Not all but many. I don't like assuming but perhaps you have always worked a job that's considered middle class and you get treated well. Anyone who has worked in retail or fast food can tell you how widespread this is. It's not even something to debate.
A miniscule segment of a huge population. The questioner should not need to do your research for you when you make a fallacious claim.
I started a new job working as the company operator/switchboard/admin or whatever you want to call it. I have been working for about 1 month now. The woman I report to is the office manager. It's a company of about 300 people. The job is pretty easy and what I expected. My manager is another story. She's a micromanager and complete thorn in my side. She's probably on her early 50s. I'm 33 years old. When I interviewed and accepted the position I let it be known I was looking for hours of 8-430. My commute can be an hour each way some days and my husband travels for work sometimes during the week, so I will have to pick him up from the airport. I also have several appts and prior engagements going on in the evenings.
Next week there is an informal meeting going on where they are introducing new people and having a few speeches with refreshments. It's going on partially during work hours and a few hours after work. We were told staying past 430 was "optional". That evening I'm scheduled to have a small medical procedure done at 6pm. This isn't something I can reschedule and I let my manager know I would not be able to stay beyond 4:30 and of course she didn't like that. There were also 3 days one week she wanted me to come in early and I told her I wouldn't be able to as I carpool and drop my husband at work each morning. That with the commute doesn't make it possible. I feel that each week she is getting more and more pushy. I do my job and my attendance is great. I have had bosses before that take advantage and got very pushy - been there, done that. My personal time is my personal time. I know the girl before me was very young and right out of college so I can't help but wonder if they expect me to be like her.
Is it wrong for me to have a life outside work? How can I be respectful but firm about this issue?
always be on the look out for another job, always.. the game is simple. do your job in the capacity where they need you. but make sure they're aware not to cross boundaries where you'ld leave.
have no loyalty to any company. they don't care about your personal life. if her behavior continues, when a better opportunity arises, take it. keep doing that for 20 years, and you're climbing the corporate ladder.
have no loyalty to any company. they don't care about your personal life. if her behavior continues, when a better opportunity arises, take it. keep doing that for 20 years, and you're climbing the corporate ladder.
To what end? It is good to switch at start of career to find where you like. But to do it for 20 years? You miss out on being vested in retirement plan or stock shares.
To what end? It is good to switch at start of career to find where you like. But to do it for 20 years? You miss out on being vested in retirement plan or stock shares.
it's not uncommon for people to switch companies every 2-4 years upon entering the workforce. once they do reach executive or managing director positions, that's where they stay cos they've become boss.
now i understand not all people aspire to that. but it sure beats getting abused by what sounds like a ridiculously controlling boss for the OP. my point is there's alot of choices out there, but people sometimes lock themselves into career not very different than an abusive relationship. sometimes people just stay out of laziness as well.
retirement plans like 401k's are transferable to new job. give me the 401k match any day over company stock, unless it's a hot tech startup.
To what end? It is good to switch at start of career to find where you like. But to do it for 20 years? You miss out on being vested in retirement plan or stock shares.
Senior executives typically switch jobs many times before finding that last job. 20 years is nothing. Read the newspaper, most CEOs, CFOs, etc. got their present jobs in their 50s and usually got them by switching employers, not by being promoted internally.
Senior executives typically switch jobs many times before finding that last job. 20 years is nothing. Read the newspaper, most CEOs, CFOs, etc. got their present jobs in their 50s and usually got them by switching employers, not by being promoted internally.
Okay... But the person in question is a receptionist, not an executive of any level.
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