Charity job - boss I don't like

[Yorkshiremummy2023]

Hi ya

I work for a charity as a freelancer and I don't get on with my boss. She's always very stressed, complains about her numerous health problems, does everything last minute and expects us to work in a way that means everythung is done last minute because that way of working is all she can cope with, shares personnel information with others in the team, I only work a 7.5 hr week but she's constantly on my case to do more hours because she can't cope with the work load she has. Iam one of two students interns and she plays us off against each other. For instance the other student intern disappeared for 10 days when we were in the thick of a ton of actions, I questioned where she was. My manager didn't know but said she would speak to her but not mention I had raised it. She contacted her asking what was happening, but blamed me for raising it why she had to call.the other intern then texted asking why I said anything and has just created bad feeling between us since then because that's how my manager has continued to operate. I have tried reaching out to the chair of trustees to ask for a 121 and get his advice about the situation I said it was confidential at this stage. He said yes sure I will let you know my availability next week I haven't heard from him, he's quite obviously told her. she's emailing me in a way which would give me to believe she's BCCING him in and she's now asking for a phone call this morning to discuss things (I'm pretty certain she will record it) because she normally always zoom calls. I just don't know if I can continue working for them. It's only another two months I keep telling myself but it will be a long two months. If anyone can give me any advice I would appreciate it

I was just asking for advice that's all ? I thought that's what this is about. Volunteering which I have done for many years is way different to working for someone as a job and getting paid. You can come and go as you like effectively. When a charities handing over cash to you that's something different. Just be glad your not in the situation I'm in cos I can tell you your not. Thanks

Why do you have to stay? I think I've missed that part.

Why can't you just leave now?

You can walk into another job tomorrow in the charity sector.

Life is too short to be that unhappy.

I have worked with charities for quite a while and that sounds very familiar:

• disorganised managers who leave things at the last minute
• interns and volunteers being taken advantage of and made to do work that should be done by paid staff.

If you are a freelancer, simply invoice her for all the extra hours she is making you do.

If you are an unpaid intern, then leave and write an email to HR and copy the trustee in explaining that you are leaving because your good will has been taken advantage of and that volunteers should not be used in this way to make up for a lack of capacity.

The charity should have a volunteer/intern written policy as well that you can quote to them.

@Startingagainandagain OP is a paid freelancer, albeit on minimum wage, and she is invoicing for her extra hours.

Thanks for your advice I'm just going to have to stick it out there's nothing else I can do really in situation. Count down the days till it ends is probably the right response.

I dont understand why it's so awful to contact the person im told I'm supposed to escalate to if I have an issue and my problem is with my manager. Christ this has taught me alot particularly how not to be.

I think your choices are:

1 Keep your head down and just stick it out for the next two months.

2 Put proper boundaries in place - don’t work extra. If that means work doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done. If you’re there to pick up their slack, they will always slack!

3 Quit. Politely, legally, firmly.

Don’t get hung up on what “should” be happening. Stick with what is going on now and what you can do about it - which is basically limited to how you are going to act. You’re not going to be able to force a major change in this situation.

Unfortunately bad bosses are not uncommon in the charity sector, and a lot of people get taken advantage of. If this is the sector you want to work in, now is a good time to learn to put boundaries in place.

I dont understand why it's so awful to contact the person im told I'm supposed to escalate to if I have an issue and my problem is with my manager. Christ this has taught me alot particularly how not to be.

Not awful at all. I’m the chair of trustees of an charity with a small paid workforce. If someone has a problem with the manager, I’m the person to escalate it too. The difference here is that I’d take it seriously, unfortunately not everyone does! I think the only thing you’ve done wrong is to be a bit naive about expecting people to act properly and according to their own policy. Sadly while that’s a reasonable expectation it’s not always a realistic one.

@LetsGoRoundTheRoundabout I've tried to put boundaries in place but my boss just gets on to me if things aren't done. So for instance we are supposed to take it in turns managing a shared mailbox. The other intern was covering Thursday and Friday last week only dealt with 3 happy emails and the remainder she left for me to pick up when I was covering on Saturday. What should I have done just left them as well ? She just cherry picks her work in how she approaches everything. So I end up doing double the work my manager doesn't care cos it's got done and that other intern is sat in the office still claiming the 7.5hrs for twiddling her thumbs. That's how it goes.

@LetsGoRoundTheRoundabout thanks that's good to hear, hasn't put me off the sector all together.

Yes, exactly, just leave them as well if you cannot cover them within your working hours and do not want to work extra hours.

If you like... "Dear Sarah and Katie, after completing the marketing document on saturday, I only had 30 mins of working time left to cover the inbox. I was able to address 2 queries but Katie will have to pick up the rest on Monday. Yours, YM2023"

It just that it's one of many jobs to do and end up with double the work. Like I say I will reflect and take on board what people have said and try to stick it out if I can. Telling myself just two months to go. I do appreciate your advice. I guess some of the comments though on the post speak volumes about the attitudes towards interns and pepple on short term contracts. Like we have no rights or can't voice poor treatment at work. We're people too and probably get a he'll of a lot more piled on us then people at a similar level on a full time contract with HR a phone call away

"I guess some of the comments though on the post speak volumes about the attitudes towards interns and pepple on short term contracts. Like we have no rights or can't voice poor treatment at work."

Honestly, I think that is unfair to people trying to help you with the situation you are actually in, as opposed to an ideal situation of some kind.

You are, ultimately, agreeing to do the extra work and being paid for it at the agreed rate. We are trying to give you suggestions as to pushing back on pressure to do the work, or quitting if you can't do that.

I have an HR team on call and I still have to push back on people wanting me to do other people's work. I don't contact HR about it, I say, "this is X's job as it covers Y, please let me know if you have any questions regarding my area, Z' or whatever. Or "I cannot make that meeting as I have a prior commitment."

HR would not be interested in either of those scenarios (and HR is always about protecting the business, not the employee)

No I don't think so. Some people have said you can't speak to the chair of trustees as an intern, my point being why not? When the chair is literally written into my contract as an escalation point. Thats my prerogative to do that like it is for anyone to seek advice from someone objective at work. There's literally two members of staff other then us interns and they both freelance as well (that includes my boss in the two) I have said over and over I appreciate the advice and will reflect and consider it so I don't know what else you expect me to do than that. But having a HR policy means that you do have effectively somewhere to go and a policy to protect you. People do seek advice from HR for all sorts of issues. HR do protect the business but that's from a range of things including you taking them to a tribunal for issues like constructive dismissal due to a bad boss. Thanks again for the advice.

I wonder if some issue is the confusion about your role?

You refer to yourself as an intern, which would assume you're having some training and / or development opportunities, and would have set hours and more management input.

But also a freelancer in which case you don't have set hours, can decide when you work and would be bringing some expertise to the organisation, and therefore left to your own devices.

If the charity uses both terms this may indicate their own muddled thinking on the role? I say this as a charity sector freelancer of many decades.

It's just funding thing they have funding for student internship. But then treat us like freelancers. So yes agree it's not really an internship in anyway you would think that's just being used to fund us

Do you have a contact at your college or university you can raise this with?

Yes that might be a good shout as well my uni literally advertised the role. But I fear now raising it with anyone after the reaction here. I will have a think what to do. I guess it's two months may jusy have to put up and shut up.