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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be so fuming about this email from my boss

133 replies

ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:32

I have a slightly odd job, there are hardly any people in the UK that actually do it. It's a support worker role in a sense but quite specific. Anyhow, no-one ever seems to know what I do despite me constantly telling them in the hospital Angry

Consequently, I keep getting jobs dumped onto me are are absolutely nothing to do with my role that basically either no-one else wants to do or has no time to do.

I have been trying to expand the service and now my "proper" job needs to take precedence. Yesterday, really was the last straw though. I'd already told my line manager that they had to take one of the big jobs away as it's eating up 30-40% of my time. However, yesterday, I got an email saying I had to create 118 letters for patients. Last time this job was dumped on me, I had 50 and it took 3 hours so you can imagine how long this will take.

The part I am so annoyed about is when I said to my line manager that unfortunately I wouldn't be able to help on this occasion. She replied with "I think we need to work things out so that the patients are not disadvantaged" I.e DO THE LETTERS Angry

Well what about my patients, won't they be disadvantaged if I'm so bogged down in other people's work. Apparently there is a meeting with some of the managers next week to discuss this but I'm not holding out much hope. I am being made to feel as though I'm pitting them out when in actual fact, they have been putting me out for 9 months as I haven't been able to give my patients my full attention. Really, they need to employ someone else, maybe three days a week, to do the jobs I have been given.

Sorry rant over. Bloody NHS.

OP posts:
Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:33

AIBU to tell the managers that I no longer have time to help them out when they only asked me to help as a favour in the first place?

Forgot that bit Blush

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DeliciousMonster · 28/02/2015 07:36

Presumably, being that they are your boss, they get to decide where your time is spent? So you need to say 'no problem, what tasks do you want me to drop so that i can get this done?'

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:39

But I am the only person that does my job so I can't drop any of my own tasks as then they literally won't get done.

OP posts:
ILovePud · 28/02/2015 07:40

I feel for you, I work in a clinical role and over the last few years all our team's admin support has been stripped away (because it's more acceptable for cost savings to be made from back office functions rather than frontline clinical staff). All this means is you have highly paid, highly skilled clinicians spending more of their time doing admin than seeing patients. We have highlighted this many times and whilst it is acknowledged I think it is unlikely anything will change. I am wondering which managers you are helping as a favour, if they are your managers then I'd make sure you are not endangering your job by refusing a direct order.

ILovePud · 28/02/2015 07:42

X posted with you scrambeled I think all you can do is make it clear to your line manager that whilst you can do the admin task it will inevitably mean that you have less time for the clinical work.

PowderMum · 28/02/2015 07:43

Maybe your line manager has decided that sending out these letters is of higher priority than what you perceive as your day to day job. Just ask them

hauntedhenry · 28/02/2015 07:43

YABU. Your boss decides which tasks are priority at work, not you. It's annoying, but that's the way it is.

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:45

Your point about endangering my job is one that is definitely worrying me. It is also why I didn't send the email that I really wanted to last thing on Friday because I knew it would come across wrong and then my boss has it in writing!

The people asking are not even my bosses though. My line manager has only got involved because the big boss who asked me (band 8 for anyone who works in NHS) forwarded it to her.

I am playing on the fact that I want to improve my own job but whether that will work I doubt it. They just want as much out of you as possible. I'm only a band 4 FGS!!

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Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:46

Haunted- So she can suddenly decide that a job that isn't even my job should take precedence over my role?

Some of my patients have been waiting up to 7 weeks for contact from me and this is due to this work being dumped on me.

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arethereanyleftatall · 28/02/2015 07:47

I agree with delicious.
Your daily tasks are whatever your boss tells you they are, regardless of your title.
It's always good to email then to say 'fine, but please note this will take x of my time so x won't be achieved.'

Mistigri · 28/02/2015 07:50

I don't think you can refuse a "reasonable" request from your boss (and this is "reasonable" unless it puts your own patients at risk), but I agree that you should ask which other urgent jobs this takes priority over.

winterinmadeira · 28/02/2015 07:51

Is it in your job description? If not, then you need to perhaps compromise this time but state to your line manager that you'd like to meet and discuss your job responsibilities and plan for the year ahead.

This should hopefully give you the opening you need to try and box this off.

ILovePud · 28/02/2015 07:52

It might be worth auditing how you are spending your time over the course of a month then you will have that information to put to your line manager at your next 1:1, it's easy to overlook how much time a 'little' extra job here and there takes up and the cumulative effect in terms of taking you away from your patients.

Primadonnagirl · 28/02/2015 07:52

You do come across as rather princessy I'm afraid. Yes your job may be unique but almost evryone has to do mundane perfunctory tasks at times - even " big bosses". Do you really expect your managers to do it themselves so as not to disturb you? Or do you think there is someone else who should do it. In which case, they might feel exactly the same. Work is a transaction - they give you x for doing y .if they are trying to change the content of your job by all means discuss that but dont whinge. Unless you are prepared to leave over it.

JollyFrog · 28/02/2015 07:54

YANBU it sucks.
im a band 4 and have been supposedly 'trained' to do the same work as band 5/6, all for band 4 money. The only difference is I dont calculate/administer drugs.

TendonQueen · 28/02/2015 07:57

I would be sending an email spelling out exactly what the consequences are for your own work and patients if you take on this extra task, eg, twelve patients who you would have seen / called to check up on this week won't get that. Ask very specifically if they are fine with 12 patients not being seen (or whatever) if you do the letters instead, and say you will wait for confirmation of that before you start.

In my experience, the kind of reply you've got actually means 'I want this done but without anyone pointing out that other stuff will slip as a result, so what I'm hoping is that if I guilt trip you, you'll just stay late and get it done that way'. This is of course very common in the NHS, because people often do feel guilty about work and do unpaid overtime as a result. But that doesn't solve the problem long term. I would start a paper trail now with emails and then maybe ask for a meeting to discuss how you can make sure your service doesn't suffer, where you will be able to refer to these specific requests to put your own work aside if you have made your boss spell it out.

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 07:58

I rather resent being called princessy. I have helped out for 9 months and taken on large tasks to the detriment of my own work. Patients who used to be sorted in a week are now waiting significantly longer which I think is disgraceful, however, there is nothing I can do to improve this unless I can 100% concentrate on my own job.

It's not up to me to decide who should do it instead, I am quite interested to hear the outcome of this meeting. As I said before it would be a perfect part time admin job, around 3 days a week would suffice.

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Bakeoffcake · 28/02/2015 08:00

This kind of think has been in the news recently so I'm afraid your bit the only one being asked to do admin work which isn't in your job description.
I do think its worrying though that you say done of your patients are waiting 7 weeks to hear from you. Can you explain to your manager that this is worrying you and you need time to get rid of your own backlog.

bakingaddict · 28/02/2015 08:01

Sounds like you haven't properly formalized what your job role is. You've been doing these letters now for 9 months so the managers see it as being part of your job and I think it's unlikely that they will get a PT person if you've been doing it for that time with no real detrimental impact to your patients. I don't think you can start refusing to do them.

I think you feel a bit demeaned by doing these letters and that your main job is more important than this but this sort of stuff happens when you have a niche role. The amount you have been given on your estimates would take 6hrs. Do they need to be all completed together or over the course of a few days when you have a bit of spare time outside of dealing with patients

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 08:03

Sorry, I wasn't clear about the letters. The big job is the one that takes (30-40% of my time). Can't say what it is as it may out me but I have been doing that for 9 months. The letters, I have done on approx 4 occasions over 3 months, totalling around 300 letters. This would have been an additional 118.

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ILovePud · 28/02/2015 08:05

I think tendonqueen makes an important point about managers wanting to stick their heads in the sand about the impact on patient care. You may well be right that creation of a part time admin post would solve this problem but they may not have the funds for this.

JenniferGovernment · 28/02/2015 08:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

neepsandtatties · 28/02/2015 08:08

I think given you are 'only' a band 4 (and I don't mean that in a rude way at all) means that it is totally appropriate to bat this back to your boss - I'm in a similar situation and I do it all the time. You're not paid sufficiently to be concerned with NHS resourcing, that is the concern of your boss and you should not feel you have to work unpaid overtime. So you email them "This week I can either send out those letters or I can [follow up with xyz who has been waiting 7 weeks with no contact]. Pls can you confirm your preference and I will make an immediate start"

IAmAPaleontologist · 28/02/2015 08:08

If you have a support role with patients then doing admin work is absolutely not your job. admin and clinical are separate things.

support workers do their work with patients be it specific care or just getting them up to shower or toilet, ding their obs, helping with their meals. They support the medical staff. They might clean equipment or restock cupboards when time allows.
admin staff who are office based keep track of notes, appointment making, letter generating etc.

Both roles are important but they are very different and you should not be being asked to be a Jack of all trades.

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/02/2015 08:08

Ooh, I like that Jennifer. I'm in Unison as well Grin

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