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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this woman was cheeky and rude

44 replies

ScrambledEggAndToast · 04/08/2015 21:35

I am absolutely snowed under at work as usual Today, I was right in the middle of something and one of the clinicians came in and said, 'can you get this form send out to xx' I told her that unfortunately I was very busy but there is a photocopier and she could make a copy and send it to him herself. She grandly informed me that she was very busy, rolled her eyes at me and flounced off declaring that she would get her secretary to do it.

In actual fact, during her paddy, she did herself a disservice because I was just about to say that if she left me the form, I would (as a one off) get it copied and done by Friday.

Anyhow, I am not a secretary, she has one who should be doing this. I am a support worker but people seem to think I am some sort of general dogsbody. I genuinely think that she thought I should immediately stop what I was doing and rush off to start photocopying.

What would you have done? Was I unreasonable to say no?

OP posts:
alicemalice · 04/08/2015 21:36

If it's not your job to do such things then YANBU

Fluffyears · 04/08/2015 21:39

No it isn't up to you, she has a secretary to do those tasks which you should have pointed out. They possibly treat you like a dogsbody because you will do what they ask even if it isn't your job. Pointing out that is not why you are there will help going forward. I tend to say 'oh osbyoyr secretary off?' It tends to work.

Original poster
ScrambledEggAndToast · 04/08/2015 21:40

I think I'm just not very good at being assertive. I have a very weird job but I know what's in the job description and that isn't Grin

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 04/08/2015 21:42

YANBU

starfishmummy · 04/08/2015 21:48

If it isn't your job than yanbu to say no. But telling her to do it herself in the way you describe was perhaps a bit cheeky. Although you may have been more diplomatic than the way the post reads!

lemoncordial · 04/08/2015 22:24

Yanbu. She should do it herself or ask her secretary.

The5DayChicken · 04/08/2015 23:10

I've been the non-secretarial dogs body before. It's fucking awful.

Do yourself a favour: don't do the one-offs. They're not your job. If someone comes expecting you to do something and you agree, they'll start expecting it time and time again. Then they'll start suggesting you to others.

I started a grievance that ended up affecting my redundancy settlement. My boss had given the whole team the impression that I was the dogs body. In my yearly review he both said that I wasn't getting enough of my own work done and that members of the team found me obstructive when they were asking me to do other things. Then told me that my medical appointments (for pregnancy!) seemed to be affecting my ability to do both. It was the last straw for me and that meeting got me an extra 5k in my redundancy settlement.

youareallbonkers · 04/08/2015 23:19

Ah yes, the not my jobbers. I wonder who they'll choose 1st at redundancy time. Surely that counts as support?

Nettletheelf · 04/08/2015 23:21

Was she "rude and cheeky", or did she think that doing admin tasks was part of your remit? In which case, I can see why she'd be less than happy about you telling her to do it herself because you were too busy.

I don't know what's in your job description, but 'support worker' might indicate to anybody unfamiliar with what you are prepared to do (which, let's face it, will be most of your colleagues; how would a senior clinician know that you don't see yourself as a 'general dogsbody' and, more pertinently, why would she care?) that you are there to pick up admin tasks that the other team members can't cover.

You sound as if you were a bit precious about it, I'm afraid.

GarminGirl · 04/08/2015 23:21

Are you not a team?

The5DayChicken · 04/08/2015 23:21

youare, probably the people doing so much of other people's work that they no longer have time to complete their own.

TrevaronGirl · 04/08/2015 23:22

What is a 'clinician?'

BackforGood · 04/08/2015 23:28

Very difficult for anyone else to know.
Personally I'm lucky enough to have always worked with colleagues who muck in and do what they can to help each other out, but maybe there's a reason why you can't??? Confused

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 04/08/2015 23:37

I blame the job title Grin.

Support Worker can mean any number of things. You obviously know that secretarial support isn't included, but is it reasonable to expect everyone else to know that?

I much prefer specific job titles.

OctopusesGarden · 04/08/2015 23:41

You are a support worker so it's likely more your job than hers.

YABU and racist to comment on her "paddy" though. HTHs

LittleBlueOneTwo · 04/08/2015 23:42

Im assuming that they are working in a medical/mental health type environment. A support worker in my experience has a very important role with their own caseload and admin work and are definitely not there to do other people's admin unless maybe they are involved with the same service user/client as a colleague. The clinician has a secretary for a reason.

LittleBlueOneTwo · 04/08/2015 23:43

Why racist ? Confused

The5DayChicken · 04/08/2015 23:45

Is paddy racist? It's extremely common around these parts to say a mid-tantrum child is having a paddy.

100butterflies · 04/08/2015 23:48

Perhaps of topic, and only guessing you do something within the Nhs? I am wondering since today is Tuesday and saying you could help by doing this by Friday, is this affecting a patient? It just seems a long time gap. Apologies if I have mis understood.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 04/08/2015 23:48

Racist Octopuses?

I'm pretty sure OP meant "paddy" as in tantrum. Not "paddy" as in person of Irish origin Confused.

VitaminCrumpet · 04/08/2015 23:54

YANBU. If the clinician has a secretary, why is she asking you for help?

dodobookends · 04/08/2015 23:55

According to my dictionary, (Chambers 20th Century published 1972) the word paddy means several things, including an Irishman, a field for growing rice... and - derived from paddy-whack - a nurse's word for a slap.

I suspect using paddy for a tantrum comes from the latter.

YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 04/08/2015 23:56

Tbh Im not keen on people who do the whole "not my job" thing. Unless you're terribly snowed under or pushed for time I don't see anything wrong in helping a colleague out on the odd occasion. However I wasn't there, didn't see her manner or attitude plus it sounds as if you're within your rights to say no... I don't know. I've never worked in an office so maybe it works differently from say helping out a fellow stylist with a blow dry or shampooing my own client because the trainee is so busy. I even do the bits of cleaning our cleaner misses at work. Anyway enough of my amazingness what was the question again? :o

maddening · 04/08/2015 23:57

What is your job description?

YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 04/08/2015 23:59

Oh and racist? Not in this Irish family. I've just had a paddy over hand marks on my new voile they're not nets ok? curtains.