Manager is setting too many unrealistic tasks

[Toleaveornottoleave78]

I have a manager who worked in the department next door, who has recently moved to our department. We all know her and know what she is like. She was apparently moved from that department because the staff just couldn’t deal with her anymore. Now we are stuck with her 🤦🏻‍♀️

Every time she walks past me she gives me an extra job to do. I don’t believe most of these tasks are even in my job description. I do most of these things for her because she will harass me and will not take no for an answer. I’ve noticed since she started a few months ago, I’ve not been able to carry out my day to day tasks and they are getting pushed to the side more and more because she keeps giving me more to do every time she bumps into me. I try to tell her when I’ve got a lot on my plate but she genuinely doesn’t care. I’ve explained to her for example, that if I prioritise this task then I will not be able to carry out my other task as I won’t have enough time today. Which one should I prioritise? She always tells me I have to do the new task she’s given me.

I am really struggling this week as the tasks she keeps giving me make no sense. I have had no training as is usually not in my job description, and if I tell her I can’t assist with something she will tell me to find out who can do the task, and that I need to make sure it gets done, I’m on minimum wage so I am not in any kind of managerial position to be getting anyone to do anything or overseeing it. I am finding that I have no idea who to contact or who can assist me, and I’m starting to think she’s setting me up to fail. I obviously have my day to day job and I already went to speak with her when she was new and explained to her that I’m not coping with the amount of stress, due to having so much work and so many different departments to deal with. I also suffer with anxiety and depression, I am very good at my role and I’m praised often. I’ve worked here for 5 years and now my role is suffering because she’s got me running around like a headless chicken prioritising things that are not my job to do.

I do have a job description however there is a clause which says “Any other reasonable tasks” I worry that if I sit down and show her a list of examples of extra duties she’s given me, that she will somehow say that it is my job role and will get around it. I can give a vague example…
My role is to do 1 thing surrounding a certain process. She will get me to carry out the whole process from start to finish, because she sees me as a weak target. Other staff will usually tell her no. So I end up doing all of it, and when I ask for help (because for some parts I don’t know what I'm doing as it is actually someone else's job) she shuts herself in the office or rushes off because she so busy. Speaking up will make my work life hell. Her boss is even worse so I can’t go to her about any of this. I’m going to have to hand my notice in. I’ve told her that I’m not coping and all she does is pile on more stuff.

I’ve tried standing up and refusing jobs, or pointing out that it’s not my job role etc. this just makes her dig her heels in more. I’m obviously not the only staff member going through this but I do think she’s seen me as a bit of a pushover. I’m trying my best to refuse her ridiculous tasks especially if it’s not my job. She then asks me to do it as a favour to her… it’s all getting too much for me to handle. I wanted to ask her a question about another job she gave me today (this job was way out of my remit and I shouldn’t have even been dealing with it as I’m not qualified to do so, I tried to tell her this but she ran off)… she said “Oh are you moaning again” I think that’s just done it for me to be honest. My previous managers weren’t perfect but they never would have piled all of this unnecessary work onto me. I was going through emails on the train home because I ran out of time today. It feels a bit like bullying but I know it’s probably not personal against me, it’s just the type of person she is. Like I said above, everyone can’t stand her because she is a useless manager and is nowhere to be seen when you need her. The second she needs something you are expected to drop everything. Those are the perks of being a manager I suppose. I’m very upset and I’ve got my own stuff going on at home. I can’t really quit right now but I’m worried she is leaving me no choice. I want to just get this off my chest and if anyone has any good advice I would appreciate it.

Start cc’ing the higher manager in all your response emails saying no to things, that worked when I had a similar situation. It really pissed her off, but I didn’t really give a shit, I just wanted to be sure they realised what was going on.

The main point is that the company is the issue.

They already know that this manager is a problem yet they simply moved her sideways hoping that the team would be better able to cope with her.

You have to:

• say no and mean it from now on. Tasks will not get done no matter how much she pushes
• raise a grievance with HR/her manager and encourage the rest of the team to do the same. They already know full well what is going but they need to see that staff are willing to put up with her any longer
• find a new job.

Not quite true about the mortgage application: some lenders will ask for 6 months payslips, others just need to hear you have a permanent contract and see your first pay slip. I got a mortgage when I had been in a job for only 3 months, before I had even passed my probation. Speak to a broker.

I’m worried that if I tell her or anyone else that I’m not coping with the work load she will try to say I’m not managing it well. Then she will micromanage me or put me on a performance plan. She delegates tasks left right and centre but she’s persistently pushy to the quiet staff. I have decided to be a bit more upfront and actually tell her straight from now on, she needs to stop seeing me as weak.

She also tries to guilt trip me, which I find weird. Last week she kept asking me for something (it was personal and not technically work related to be fair) it was something voluntary which I didn’t feel comfortable with. She would not stop going on and even tried to just do it anyway when I raised my eyebrows at her and told her firmly to stop. She then tried winding me up and pretending to do it anyway. I explained to her and the other lady that it was a safety concern and that’s why I didn’t want to do it.

Can I be honest here… if all of the top banded staff haven’t managed to get rid of her because of her behaviour, how will I possibly win? I don’t have a voice and I’m already looked down on at work like I’m not relevant. This is how they treat us in this place, that’s why the turnover is so high as they all leave. I feel if I push back at her and keep refusing jobs she will actually get worse. I’ve started to keep a log of all the inappropriate things she’s asked in my notes app. Going to her boss is not optional at the moment, I’ll only go if she starts pulling me up on my work or twisting it around to make me the problem, I’ll explain to her how I feel and I’ll tell her I’m going to the boss (with my evidence)!!! I bet then she will start being nice to me.

Some managers have very simple mindsets. They think that more tasks lead to greater productivity, whether these tasks are more productive or not; usually not. Just old-fashioned make work,

How do I do this when she’s told me to stop emailing her? She’s given me a few jobs to do via email on Wednesday evening after work. I read the emails on Thursday morning when I got in, and was happy to do them but she needed it all ASAP. This will take approx 2 weeks to get what she needs as it all needs to be purchased and there is a long process to do this plus delivery time. She was not clear at all in what product she wanted and I physically couldn’t purchase them without her confirming. She didn’t respond to my email the whole day and I am now on annual leave. I’m worried of the shit I’ll face when I return. I couldn’t phone her as she was on a training course elsewhere so basically had a day off. She set me a task last minute before my annual leave but failed to give any actual details of what she wanted me to order for her.

I might have to just go in the office when I’m back and sit down with her, and my list. I might need to physically explain a few things and see how she responds. I would prefer if she asked me for something that she give me a time frame. Everything with her is urgent… maybe because she’s a shit manager who leaves everything to the last minute and then panics when we have an important visit from people in charge… maybe if she was more organised her department wouldn’t have these issues.

I think her accusing me of moaning has now set the tone that I'm a problem member of staff. I do not like this as it’s not true. My previous manager will confirm this and she still works in the building too. If I raise an issue with my manager, I think it will get twisted around on me and there will be a lot of gaslighting. Am I allowed to bring a witness with me to a meeting? I’m not in a union and it’s too late now as the issue has already started they won’t assist with prior issues before registering apparently.

Would threatening to hand my notice in work? For example saying that I can’t work under these circumstances and things have taken a negative turn recently in the department and I feel that I am now unable to carry out my job role like this? Or would she enjoy pushing me out?

Threatening to quit didn't really work for me. It made things harder.

Talk to your mortgage advisor. Better still talk to multiple advisors. Does it need to be 12 months of payslips from the same employer? My experience is so long as one person in the couple has a permanent job lenders will still lend. The option to think about is if you apply for and get another job in the same trust would the mortgage lender even know?

Join the Union now. They will support you from the moment you join as this behaviour is bullying and continually harassing you. And yes you can also bring friends and colleagues to any 'performance' meetings. Good luck and stick to your guns.

Why are you letting someone who you know is a shitty manager treat you like this?

I do totally sympathise, I'm not being harsh I just want you to ask these questions yourself and rile yourself up!

I know you say she "won't take no for an answer" but realistically, she's not going to stand over you and force your hands on the keyboard until you have completed it.

You need a paper trail. Once the verbal fobbing off has happened, send an email to her, copying in her manager or someone if you like, and lay out in writing that you were asked to do x task but as advised you do not have any workload capacity at present as you are already doing w x and y tasks as requested on [date], on top of your daily work load.

If she REALLY doesn't let it go, then I would once and briefly say you don't have capacity, smile and nod to anything else she says, and when the work isn't done I would be putting in writing again after any conversation, that after several instances of being asked to do a task, advising you do not have capacity, and being told to do it anyway, you need intervention on your work load and a clear job description/task list as you are currently unable to do the job that is outlined in your job description during your working day.

If it still didn't stop after being called out, then I would look for another job. But I have hope that you can overcome this, as other colleagues seem to be successfully refusing the pile on of extra work and as you said, she sees you as a weak target. Show her that you're not!

You sound like you are suffering stress. See your GP and explain. You should be given sick leave. Stress is very dangerous. You must think of yourself.

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