So upset and confused - issue at work

[Hereforthekickz]

I have worked there for 5 years. I work in admin for a large company and have 2 colleagues that do the same work as me. General admin, answering calls etc. I am a hard worker.

I am full time. My colleagues job share. One works Mon, Tue, Wed. The other 1/2 day Wed, Thurs, Fri. There is always 2 min admin staff on any day.

Our manager wanted to propose a home working arrangement with his boss. He asked what days we would like. The colleague that works 1/2 day on Wednesday ( let’s call her Jane) was very vocal and felt that anyone that got the Friday working at home was at an advantage as they wouldn’t have the travel time so, in her words, could go out early for the evening . This was quickly dismissed by our boss. Due to the short patterns, there was only actually Jane that could benefit if she got her shifts changed. She got very angry and said “well I might change my shifts to work full day Wed and Thurs and half day Friday so I can finish early on Friday then”. Our boss just laughed.

Last week we had a meeting. Boss wanted to confirm proposals for home working before he spoke to his boss. He gave everyone a home working day. When it got to Jane she was down to work half a day Friday in the morning. I raised my hand and asked how it would work because I would be the only admin person in the office for the afternoon. I explained that the phones are very busy and we always get an influx of last minute admin work before the weekend. I also asked what would happen if I was ill or had an important appointment as there would be no admin staff. My boss advised that he was okay to deal with this as it’s only an afternoon.

As the home working had not been agreed, I decided to wait to see what would happen next. Yesterday we were told that his boss did not agree to it. I thought, fine, that’s the end of it all. No home working, no problem.

Until today when this morning, I got an email from Jane, who was sat opposite me, to say her new shifts had been agreed with our boss and his boss. I just can’t understand the reasoning behind it so asked to speak to my boss. I advised again that I would struggle and explained that it meant that 3 admin staff would be in on Wednesday and only me on Friday afternoons. This balance doesn’t match the workload. I asked how I would be expected to manage this extra workload but he didn’t really answer. I asked what the business need was but he kept referring to a “possible” business need in some months to come. He basically could not give me an answer. We went round and round. I explained that I felt like I am being expected to pick up the work and if there was a real need, I would accept it, but I could see the benefit and he couldn’t provide me with a reason or what the plan was moving forward to help with this increase of workload. Basically, Janes shifts were changed because she shouted loud enough. Our boss is not exactly a great leader and he tries to avoid any kind of conflict.

This is not the only issue he has created in the office/team but I just felt completely dumped on. I was upset that he hadn’t spoken to me because it directly involves me. I was very upset that I got an email from a colleague that was sitting in front of me.

My boss got very defensive and tried saying that I should have tried harder to tell him there was a concern which I did in our meeting. He was raising his voice and became confrontational.

I got so upset that he said I could work from home so I went. His boss emailed me later to say she was sorry I was upset and that I can speak to her on Monday if I need to.

What shall I do? There have been a number of these types of incidents and today feels like the straw that broke the camels back. Jane messaged me to see where I was but I just can’t ring myself to get in touch. Please help?

@JojoSeawitchHasBeenABadBadGirl I didn’t post about dealing with MASH referrals.

To be fair, without you knowing exactly what I do in my capacity as administrator, it’s difficult for you to make a judgement about whether my workload is manageable or not. I deal with my own workload and my individual set of priorities. Some are shared. Most of it isn’t shared as I am responsible for certain Phases. We are a large SEN secondary school. You are looking at my issue from your view point and your job role. I am not doing the same job as you describe.

@SleepPrettyDarling that’s exactly it!

My boss said it’s a trial. As you advised, it’s set up to fail and it’s me that’s got the responsibility. It’s like saying “oh, I made a mistake but I can’t take it back so I will suggest that you make sure it will fail” that way, you are the one that messes it up for Jane, you look like the bad one. She won’t be annoyed at our boss cause he did everything in his power to give her what she wanted. It will be me and I will be left to work alongside her. It’s me in the awkward situation, tween the rock and the hard place. He wasn’t daft was he!

It’s like he was giving me a secret code. Just say it’s not working and I will have to change my mind!!

I told him his decision put me in an impossible and awkward situation.

Am I missing something on the importance of being off Friday afternoon? I understand if you have the whole Friday off then you get a long weekend which is nice but really, what’s the difference half day vs whole day Friday, working some extra hours in afternoon is neither here nor there? Just can’t understand why Jane felt Friday afternoons off was so advantageous to someone to begin with?

Another factor is that Jane doesn't return to the office until Weds.

meaning whatever work OP isn't able to complete on Friday will need to be picked up by Jane's jobshare on Monday. Jobshare worker will then have to pick up Fridays workload as well as mon-Weds am.

Jobshare partner will be playing catch-up on Mondays, with possibly irate 'customers' due to the delay.

Jane happily waltzes in to a calm Weds workload when all has been caught up.

In theory, all of the work simply moved back half a day over time. But in practice, that's not good customer service to the people waiting longer for calls, reports, filings, correspondence etc. because there's a permanent staff shortage on Friday afternoons.

@HoppingPavlova it makes no sense to me either!

It came about when boss asked us what day we wanted to work from home (which was crazy as the top boss hadn’t even agreed it yet). No one was really bothered but Jane got quite vocal and was saying whoever got Friday was at an advantage because there would be no commute so they were better off if they were going out or away in the Friday evening. No one could see her point.

Most of us live very close to work so it didn’t make sense and none of us wanted a Friday anyway! We all said we didn’t understand her point and she got a bit nasty. She then said that she was just looking out for the team
and thinking about everyone else??? I told her I didn’t understand her point as did others in the office. She then said in that case I might just swop my shifts and have Friday afternoon off. Our boss went quiet and someone said that it wasn’t about switching shifts. Jane really didn’t like that. It then appears that’s just what she did. I can’t help but feel she did it because she was annoyed that she was challenged and thought “sod you then”.
Jane is that type of person. She always takes the morale high ground and wants everyone to know that she is team focused. She is a bit of a princess and likes to be known for being the most conscientious person. She sets very high standards for everyone and is a bit of a bragger, exaggerating achievements. She comes across as someone who always has her own way in her personal and professional life.

This is why the others will have to work to rule so there is still a backlog on a Wednesday and the boss will have had daily emails of all the urgent stuff still outstanding.

@Gazelda this is why her job share partner disagreed with the change and also raised it at the meeting when discussing working from home. She knows it will add to her workload. She has worked there for many years. She also challenged Jane in the meeting because Jane often sends her emails on a Friday detailing incompleted work that she could not finish on a Friday because she has been so busy. Now I didn’t know this. So she challenged Jane with this saying “but Friday is a busy day as you state in your emails”. Jane just shrugged and mumbled “no it’s not really”!

There is nothing for it but to continue as normal but I will not be picking up their work. That will have to wait for either the job share on Monday or Jane. I will prioritise the work accordingly. I am not busting my guts to get everything completed before the weekend.

I will keep notes of unfinished workload and will email by boss and he can make decisions about what happens to that work. Let him actually have to do his job for a change. He never looks at his emails so that’s gonna fail from the outset but that’s his problem. I have decided it really isn’t my circus. I have the Union rep should I need it.

Work are going to see a different side to me! I will be professional and do the work I am paid to do but not one thing more. That goes with my colleagues too. I have been taking on more than my share for far too long and they have absolutely taken advantage of this and of me.

I know without doubt that if I don’t start putting things in place, I am going to burnout. I don’t want to reach this place but it’s heading there for sure. I want to completely separate work from home so don’t want Jane sending me texts out of work time asking if I am having a good weekend etc. I am not encouraging this contact.

I also want to make sure I take my lunch away from my desk etc which never happens. These little things add up.

Thanks to everyone for your input. It’s really helped me.

I think if it's a trial everyone should be logging the requests for every day, and how long they took to complete (and turnaround if relevant), complaints etc then you can objectively show that Fridays are busy enough to need to 2 and Wednesday's are not busy enough to need 3.

A very sensible decision if I may say so, OP, though I had to smile about the boss never looking at his emails

All the more reason to make sure you keep copies, though I'd love to be there when it all goes wrong to see what his explanation is to higher management.
He'll no doubt try to blame you for "not letting him know", so I imagine his face will be a picture when it's bounced right back at him

Edited for typo

Thanks @Puzzledandpissedoff I am also slightly looking forward to the shit hitting the fan! I am a believer in karma!

I will let you know when it does 🤣

He will definitely try and blame me. He has done this before when he asked us all to pick up a job heading our way. I shrewdly asked him to confirm who he wanted to take on the responsibility but he wouldn’t commit because he has no balls. When the job hit a few days later, I had an important priority job to finish so my colleague volunteered to complete it. Of course, I was questioned in front of all my colleagues and asked why I hadn’t had time to do the task he had asked me to do!!!! I ended up asking to speak to him in private and 1 hour later, he apologised! After the damage was done. Horrible little man!

For clarity @JojoSeawitchHasBeenABadBadGirl, I am the safeguarding governor, so know exactly how many referrals we make, as this has been discussed through my mtgs with the DSL and our LA safeguarding mtgs. Our pastoral care team, are also well aware of this sudden spike in referrals.

… is she shagging him???!

She wants to clock off early and go the pub

@AcheyBalzac 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oh that’s had me laughing. I wouldn’t put anything past her. She did bring him cake and believe it or not, she has a thing going with the boss that involves her leaving little pictures of a male celebrity she likes around the place. She has put these pictures in his draw, on his phone and, I kid you not, on his car whilst it’s parked in the staff car park. She also texts him more than she should out of work. I don’t think there is anything in it for her but this is typical behaviour. It’s how she ensures she gets her own way and she does it with male colleagues a lot.
If a male colleague can see through it, she doesn’t like them!
@AcheyBalzac thats just the thing, she doesn’t go to the pub and her son is in school so she really had nothing to gain.

Can you come and work with me please cause you would have me in hysterics!!!