Trying not to get sucked into work problems...

[Waytooearly]

I'm the kind of person who steps in and sorts things out, if they are right in front of me. Although it's usually a nt a bad trait, I think I do have to be mindful of it at work.

I'm really happy in my job. I have a very specific role that brings money to the place. Happy doing that, pretty good at it, all great. Pay is pretty low.

However concurrently at my office there is this huge rangey project going on (new branch being built). It's kind of a messy enterprise, though progess is being made.

I don't think it's a red flag, just managers in over their heads on something they don't usually do.

I'm just having a hard time when it affects my work.

The managers involved keep asking me to do things like hire a receptionist, sort out a skip, somehow find cleaners, yet I'm also expected to do high-stakes time-sensitive work--with no office. I am also cleaning up after the builders have been, schlepping paper around, assembling furniture. And now a franking machine needs to be set up? What's a franking machine?

Last night I stayed up until 11 finishing my own work because today I have to sort out more builder stuff.

Sorry if this sounds petty but at 48 I am feeling like if they want me to be invested at a manager's level they need to pay me a manager's salary (not low 20s). If I were earlier in my career I'd feel differently.

I'm trying to be helpful and a team player whilst also maintaining some boundaries around this. Any ideas on how to address in a positive way?

The franking machine arrived. Still don't know wth it is. Also some guys arrived with 100 boxes of paper. Okay? I just told them to put in one of the empty rooms. and

Franking machines weighs post to calculate postage. If all this is out of the scope of your job and you're having to work late to fulfil your role then you need to report to your manager.

I really am grateful that you've taken time t respond but I don't know what 'report to manager' means. They know I'm working all hours but I just get, 'Won't it be great when new office opens? Wow we'll get even more successful!'

And I'm like, 'Unless that means some kind of raise for me, then no its not that exciting TBH.'

Just feeling very moany and trying to work out how to turn it into a positive conversation with my boss.

Well you are overworked. So you need to ask them to prioritise or someone to help you. What exactly is your job, are you office manager?

What would happen if you left at your scheduled end time or 30mins later

'left' where? I am setting up an office and I've also been assigned clients for time - sensitive legal work. If I just stop working after 5:30 and miss court deadlines then we get cost orders and then I personally get a bad reputation.

The others involved are doing their legal work plus the office stuff, to be fair to them they work very hard, but they also make like twice what I make.

So just do your legal work and say you do not have any time to do the office move work.
Left - to go home!

I think the thing is that it's really awkward if I get a text saying for instance 'Could you fix the leg on the boardroom table before that meeting?' or whatever, and then I just go, 'No.'

But if you are a legal professional, which I assume you are, then it is simply not your job. If you are in an office manager type role then it probably is. But you seem to be in some sort of hybrid where neither work takes priority. Your bosses need to decide what they want you to do in the time they pay you for, plus a little extra if they're lucky enough to get that from you for nothing and communicate what that is to you. If not then 'no I am working on this document which needs to be done by the end of the day' is a perfectly valid response to being asked to fix a table leg.
If you had a six bedroomed house and hired a cleaner for an hour to clean the entire place you'd expect to have a conversation about priorities, right? And you'd have to accept some things would not get done as there simply isn't time.

You need to bounce stuff back to them. If it isn’t your role, send straight back to whoever should deal with it. Look at your contract and stick to what you should be doing. Fix a table leg? No, fuck off!

Thanks but that's not so helpful. No one says 'no, fuck off' at work, to their boss.

What I am doing is saying, 'Sure I'll do random thing once I get these court forms done!'

So why can't you say I don't have time to do both in the time I have remaining at work today?
Do you not see my analogy with the cleaner? Assuming you get paid more then I'd assume more flexibility on your part but they don't own your soul

And is it legal documents or fixing the table leg that is your actual role

Do what every bastard ex of mine has done when they had to do something they didn’t want to do - do it badly!

Then they stop being asked to do stuff!

Start talking loudly now about the family you haven’t seen in years coming to stay for a month, after Easter and how you are going to be soooo busy.
And then start leaving at 5.30.

I think the thing is that it's really awkward if I get a text saying for instance 'Could you fix the leg on the boardroom table before that meeting?' or whatever

If you are getting texts or emails, then ignore them. Seriously. Ignore them. They are not methods of communication for instant response. (If it is earth-shatteringly vital, they can pick up the phone or come and ask you in person.)

If pushed, say you'd muted texts and email because you were focusing on client x court issue. Rinse and repeat.

My role is the legal stuff of course!

What Ive done today is get tackling some overdue court docs, abd the franking machine can wait. I sort of shrugged and said, `Well that's how we get the money in! '

I think I need to go for a brisk and cheerful tone rather than moany.

And IF it is earth-shatteringly vital (99.9% it won't be), agree to "help out" - but the court documents for client x won't get done if I need to fix the table leg and can they confirm that's ok?

What I am doing is saying, 'Sure I'll do random thing once I get these court forms done!'

I am probably that project manager. When up against s deadline I will ask anyone to do anything. The most helpful kind of people either say yes and do it then, or say would love to help but I have this to do, look sympathetic and agree isn't it mad

Saying I'll do it , needing to stay late and get resentful is not really helpful.

Agree brisk is the way forward , practise some phrases like 'not sure what to suggest '. And especially to not reply to txt.

Do the old 'yes but' or 'no but response'.

'Can you fix a table leg?' 'Yes, but it won't be until X date as I have X to finish and it's time sensitive' ' No, but I'd be happy to help with something else after I have done X and X because it is close to deadline'

Etc
I've become good at this as the most junior person in the office.

If they continue to pester say 'I am happy to pitch in, but I'm afraid that it is affecting my role and I don't wish to perform below standards'