To think I didn't cross the line? Work related

[checkthetraderplease]

I'm a PA for a relatively medium sized company. I've been in the job about 8 weeks now.

Every year when the company celebrates another anniversary of starting, the MD takes everyone for a lunch, drinks, and we finish by 4pm.

In addition to this, the 'significant' staff get a Harrod's hamper. The task was given to me. Most people got one costing £120, the bigger fish got one for £400.

I was given the task to order them, not the 'number one' PA. I was hired so he could be more hands off with general PA work and accompany the MD more.

Anyway, I was told by the MD that I certainly MUST order myself one (I was not on the usual list).

I did... Except the one I ordered was different. It was £80 and I got it because it had a Harrod's teddy. DS got one when he was born so I thought it'd be nice to have another teddy for him.

Long story short, the number one PA said I really shouldn't have done that as he MD would've wanted the whole £120 spent and he might be quite surprised.

I've no idea what the big issue is (I saved him some money), and the number one PA said it just doesn't work like that.

MD is only holiday for two weeks now so it can't be brought up.

AIBU to think this is a bit silly and I didn't cross and lines? This PA seems very shocked at my behaviour. The MD didn't specify a specific one to order myself. He just said the money he wanted spent on each person.

I have an otherwise really good relationship with the other PA. He is an extremely nice man and very good at his job.

Today 13:31 Ilikethisone

‘Oh and yes, it was quite obvious why the OP talked about the hamper not, perhaps, suiting someone due to religion.’

What on Earth is the relevance on this thread?

Even if the accountant was a strict Muslim and for religious purposes didn’t want to receive a hamper with alcohol, it’s hardly the same as choosing a hamper just because you prefer the contents!

I think @Brefugee has made the same point as me more clearly!

Odd thing to get upset about it, but I would probably just say oh I thought as I was so new a cheaper one would be more appropriate and leave it at that

Presumably you would have secured a very sizeable discount for a mass order of one type of hamper?

It was a test and you failed.

@MissB83 - ohhhhh i don't often get accused of being clear. Thank you!

i also think PP suggestion to get the lowdown from PA#1 is good - if you feel it necessary along the lines of "you did it so well…" and then in 6 months when you have a good picture of how things work, you can start to do your own thing

Really, it doesn’t matter whether any of us think the OP has crossed a line or not. Her MD clearly wants things done his way, including spending the amount he allocates on specific things, and it’s her job to act on that. I must admit it’s not a job I’d want, but that’s clearly what the MD expects and the OP will only make life difficult for herself if she doesn’t comply

It could be that they need to spend the full amount as otherwise next year they’ll be allocated less?

What blocked said.

It is the same in our company. Use it or lose it

I suppose it outlines, ignoring the why and wherefores of your actions, that you are not supposed to make decisions on behalf of your MD. It strikes me as the sort of job where you're expected to follow instructions closely.
Now you know this, you can either accept it, or not. For me, personally, I would hate it, as I work very independently, but some people want, and maybe even, need, to be managed so closely.
If you prefer to work more autonomously, then perhaps this job isn't a good fit for you, as no matter why you chose the cheaper hamper, the fact remains that the other PA (if not the MD directly) sees this as an issue.

AccioCats

I think the point was just that the OP had been told to be flexible on the choice of hamper contents for one individual for religious reasons, thereby putting a slight dent in the 'everyone gets the same thing' mantra. Not necessarily arguing that there is no difference, as in 'he gets to choose so why shouldn't I?' hands on hips.

Just a relevant thing to mention in the overall picture.

Missing the point, but what kind of industry is this in, where multiple Harrods hampers are still getting ordered in the present economic climate

I work for a City based firm that is thriving, not every firm is on its knees

And OP, really, don’t worry about it, you didn’t cross any line and ‘No. 1 PA’ needs to get over themselves. The senior PAs / EAs I work with wouldn’t have time to think about something so utterly trifling!

Malmi yes it did come across a bit as though the OP was throwing that bit of info in as an afterthought, to suggest that if religious belief had meant a slightly different gift for a member of staff, than that justified her choosing another gift out of preference. And of course they’re very different scenarios.

Ultimately it’s what jeremybear says. This is clearly the sort of job where you don’t make the decisions, you act on the ones you’re given

I think that part of the problem here is that you shouldn't have been thinking about what you wanted and what would be nice for your son.

The fact that you chose a different hamper indicates that you were thinking about yourself personally rather than just carrying out the task that the company wanted you to carry out.

Your personal likes and wishes shouldn't have been your priority.

The pa role is fundamentally about support and delivering that support in a way that appears invisible and effortless, not a way that draws attention to yourself unnecessarily.

If this was my company I wouldn't be happy - I can't think of a worse gift to receive than a hamper full of cheese & booze it would likely end up in the next school raffle so I'd be pretty pissed off if someone abused their position & ordered themselves something which in my opinion is better (irrespective of price) & didn't extend the choice to others.

We have people like you in my company who think they know how to do things better when they've been asked to complete a task a certain way... they don't last long!

Wow. This thread has gone from "I was told to order myself a hamper, and mine is £40 cheaper than the rest, I think I've made an error" to people accusing the OP of thinking she knows better than the MD (who sounds annoying but thats just me).

Someone saying 'Order Mrs X some roses, £100 or so, etc' and finding a beautiful bunch for almost that price and not realising when he said 'spend £100' he meant 'don't spend a penny less' isn't her being a dick or taking control!

I genuinely just wouldn't worry OP. If it gets brought up, be honest 'I haven't been here long, so I ordered myself the smaller one as it felt cheeky to get the £120 one' or whatever. It's hardly a bloody crime to be conscious of spending a companies money!

I think the No.1 PA is on a little power trip whilst the head honcho is away, they're yanking your chain.
Just make a mental note of this and try to work around it.

Oh OP, ignore some of the nastiness on this thread. You made a mistake. You won’t do it again. I used to work somewhere that sent us all Fortnum and Mason hampers for Christmas, nobody knew what anyone else got because they were delivered to our home addresses.

I can see the problem with you buying the other one for yourself. Everyone else gets the hamper they are given (no question as to preference asked, everyone treated the same), while you get the one that you want. That it costs less is irrelevant. If you were giving yourself a choice of hamper, then in theory everyone should also have had a choice of hamper so that you were all treated equally (which would have been completely against what you were asked to do so not a good idea!).

Classic aibu. I rest my case mn

I can kind of see your colleague's point.

I understand your thought process, but you weren't given "up to £120 to spend at Harrods" on whatever you wanted. You were directed to order particular hampers for a group of staff, and to include yourself.

You've only been there 8 weeks - you're not a trusted member of staff yet. You were given a financial task and have gone off piste, to suit yourself.

Perhaps your colleague is actually trying to be helpful and to warn you from making a worse mistake in future?

He doesn't know you. For all he knows, you may think nothing of spending the £120 on something totally different for yourself next year - on the basis that it's still costing the business the same amount so is fine, no?

That could be seen as theft and and could end up with you being dismissed.

IME you have to be pretty careful around money at work - it's not wise to take decisions independently which could be construed as being beneficial to you personally.

It’s an interesting scenario. My husband had something similar way back one Christmas. He asked one of the PA’s to go to Selfridges and buy quite a few (somewhere between 10 and 20) gift cards for a high value for support staff in the office. She was to be included in this. She went off and bought all the gift cards bar one at Selfridges. For herself she picked one up of the same value but at a different shop.

He didn’t say anything but he told me about it and decided (quite rightly I think) that he would buy them himself the following year as he very very uneasy that she had something different. I often ask if he thinks his staff enjoy receiving Selfridges vouchers and whether somewhere a bit more purse friendly would be better but he insists it should be a treat.

🤷‍♀️

"Missing the point, but what kind of industry is this in, where multiple Harrods hampers are still getting ordered in the present economic climate"

It's called recognition and appreciation. Happy staff are productive staff.

Really?

8 weeks into the job and you have decided to ignore the boss and order a different hamper for yourself? Yes, I think that crosses a line and I wouldn't have done that (or expected someone to do that) so early in a job.

You didn't order it to save money, you used the company money to get your DS another teddy that you liked.

Yes sorry you were in the wrong - you were in charge of the cheque book and decided to order something you would prefer! What if all the other staff queried why you were given this special treatment and then decided they would want to order something they would prefer. They gave you specific instructions and you decided to do something you wanted to do for yourself...it would raise trust issues for me.