Hi, I'm an Administrative Assistant 2. That is my job title. It is quite vague. I work in HR for a state department. My responsibility is to receive paperwork to appoint new employees. I am not a receptionist.
My HR office, of 20 or so people, which is housed within our department, has two receptionists. 2. One is supposed to work 7:30-4 and the other was scheduled 8-4:30 so that all times of the day are covered. The door to our office is locked, so someone must sit at the desk at all times in case someone needs to come inside. No biggie. Except that one of our receptionists is part time and doesn't work on Mondays. Also, no biggie because Receptionist 2 fills in, except when she's a lunch, which we have a schedule to back up. Well, Receptionist 2 is out for surgery, so I've had to cover Receptionist 1's lunch break every day since I came back from my surgery (Nov 15). This isn't that big of a deal because it gives me an opportunity to play sudoku/crosswords without worrying I'll get caught.
Only, it's not just my lunch shift. I've already complained about this, but when coworker J leaves early (her shift's from 4-4:30) I'm the only other person here to cover it. No bueno.
So today, the 11:30-12 shift person left early, meaning I had to cover her shift, my shift from 12-12:30, which ran over (and always does because Rec 1 has to go get the mail after her lunch and she's slow as effin' molasses.) Now, usually this isn't such a big deal, but she couldn't get the box that was also down there, so she had to go back for a second trip. She's a slow walker, slow mail getter, and it just drives me nuts. So all in all, I was at the front desk ALREADY today for an hour and 15 minutes. Then I have to go back up there at 4.
I got to work 10 minutes early today hoping I could beat the traffic and peace out 10 minutes early. Now I will be a slave at the front desk during that time since coworker J isn't here.
Now, I know this is all menial and shouldn't be such a big deal, but it's ALWAYS me that gets asked to cover. Like yesterday afternoon I was actually busy doing something, and Rec 1 came to my cube to see if I could sit there while she moseyed downstairs for something. It was coworker T's time to cover. Why didn't she ask the person who is scheduled? There's a reason they spent 4 days e-mail the schedule back and forth to get it just right so no one would have to sit up there more than 30 effin' minutes everyday.
It also wouldn't be such a big deal if Rec 1 even acted a receptionist. I swear to god y'all, half the time she's walking back to her supervisor's cubicle to ask questions. Guess when the phone rings the majority of the time? Yep, when she's not at the desk to answer it. So then I still have to answer the phone in my cubicle when I'm doing other work.
I know it's silly to get worked up about, but why hire a receptionist who can't do her work properly? If I were the receptionist and I was constantly wandering from my post, I'd get in such trouble, but she doesn't. Because my cubicle is the first one you come to, I am the first one everyone asks, even though it's broken down by 30 minute increments! It's not my damn responsibility.
It'd be different if this had only happened once or twice, but it happens on a daily basis. I really wonder what they did while I was out for a week for surgery, did no one cover during my time? Very curious...
On an unrelated and more exciting note. M's office holiday party is tomorrow at Morton's steakhouse! I'm so excited and I have a pretty new dress that I've been dying to wear. I've been dying to wear it so badly that I actually had a dream that M piddled around getting ready and we completely missed the party altogether and I didn't get a chance to wear my new dress at all. When I woke up, I was genuinely infuriated with M until I realized it was only a dream.
Hope everyone has a wonderful winter-festive weekend!!!
3 comments:
I wrote a big comment and lost it so if it pops up sorry!! As a manager of 37 people at my last job there was always a complaint going on but it was among the coworkers. Finally I told the staff that I couldn't fix a problem if they didn't come to me with it. It was moot. So they did in fact complain to me and we worked out solutions. If you have complained and it continues ask to have your desk moved.
Wow, Morton's steak house! Go out and enjoy that new dress. Have fun
Crumbs, that situation at work is just getting a bit silly, isn't it?! I can quite understand why you're getting wound up about it. It's just not fair, apart from anything else. The receptionists shouldn't be allowed to keep wandering off like that for a start, apart from a toilet break. Anyway, enjoy your office party and meal!
Solution (if I'm not too late): get drunk and harass the other girl about not doing a good job. If she gets upset, you can blame the alcohol and something else that didn't really happen (i.e. you were having a bad day because a gift you ordered from Amazon.com got lost in the mail and you spent all lunch break tracking it down. It wasn't that big of a deal but it was the last "My First Purse" in stock and it'll be super-hard to find another one). Case closed.
Post a Comment