To wonder if I should correct my boss's spelling mistakes?

[ReluctantPA]

I'm not trained in anything remotely PA related but post kids and economic necessity means I find myself in a PA type job. That's another story altogether!

My boss is much younger than me and generally I admire her, she is super bright and skilled at the technicalities of the role (scientific), she is fair and reasonable and we get on well.

Some of the documents I have to deal with contain the most basic errors, they're/there/their is a frequent one. Although we get on well I sense she would be offended if I say anything. I have no colleagues in similar roles to ask. Is it my job to make corrections when I haven't been asked? To clarify, my role is usually to collate/send rather than check.

Ask her: “If I find the odd typo do you want me to correct it?”

You call them typos. Not spelling mistakes. Just say you spotted a couple of typos and does she want you to change them or do they not matter for these documents.

If your job is to collate and send, then collate and send...if you sense she would be offended then don't say anything, especially when it's not in your job description to correct her words...

I think I'd just correct them, then send and say nothing about it.

Clarify with her the parameters of your role - explain it in a purely job-focused way, such as "if there are any typos in a document, would you like me to correct those if I spot them?"

Only a bizarre individual would say "no please don't correct them".

Therefore in theory, you can correct away to your heart's content without fear of making your boss look silly for not being able to spell things.

Unless of course, you'd like to point out to your younger boss that you're more than a PA, and can spell better than her, in which case there's another way of doing it but may end in a bruised ego for your boss which isn't going to help you much...

Just ask if it's ok to correct typos, nothing technical if you're worried. I once had a secretary/PA, how I miss her correcting my work.

Definitely ask her as pp have said as it looks totally unprofessional. My friend is a super bright physicist but spelling and grammar are not his forte, so he just sends me important documents/ emails to double check for him. It doesn't make him, or your boss, a lesser person just someone who is aware of their strengths and the odd weakness.

I think it depends what the document is. If it's an official document change the typos and quite frankly she probably didn't notice them so just do it. If it's unimportant internal stuff either ignore or say "do you want me to correct any typos"

Case in point, last week I had to print something for the general public. I boss had sent it to me I just had to print it off. But I was littered with missing punctuation, spelling mistakes and odd grammar. I just changed it then printed it. The perfectionist in me couldn't be printing 500 copies of something which promoted my company and had several mistakes in it.

I know what you mean Lweji, I've just read that thread too

I'm a PA and my boss gets everyone to send me their papers for me to proofread for the SPAG (can't comment on the science) so it is certainly part of my role. As people say, frame it as typos rather than spelling mistakes.

Typos look unprofessional so can undermine an otherwise good piece of work. I’d also ask if she would like you to change them if you spot them. As someone said, only an idiot would say no!