I can certainly relate to the communication element of your post!  My boss is exactly the same.  He will instruct clients and 3rd parties to ring me to schedule meetings - they call expecting me to have an indepth knowledge of their query - and I have never heard of them!  A particular favourite will be arranging meetings with another PA's boss - and wondering why it has not miraculously found its way into his diary! Well that would be because neither myself nor the diary are psychic and the other PA will (rightly) presume I have been informed!

Another favourite will be agreeing to a meeting via email - forgetting to copy me in and then again wondering why said meeting hasn't been posted in the diary!  Textbook busy boss behaviour! 

Regarding the office, I agree with you that he is feeling resentful at leaving his old office and travelling further to work.  Hopefully in time he will realise he has to be a grown up and if he wants the new role then he has to take the new office.  We have had a refurb at our offices recently and the promise of shiny new desks has certainly helped sugar the pill of those reluctant to move.  Could you ask him if he wants to put his stamp on the place? Maybe something to make him feel more at home?

Thanks Peaches.  My manager spoke to me this morning and said he had no idea that it had been advertised at a higher rate and will speak to HR about this as that is certainly not what he wanted. 

Feel a lot better now the air has been cleared. I have kept integrity and professionalism throughout this process.  My committment to the job and supporting my manager will be the same on my last day as it was on my first. Self respect and pride in doing a good job would prevent me from allowing my standards to slip. 

 

Yes I have a company mobile and as for "how on earth did you get into this habit" - it is an expected part of the job unfortunately.

You're entirely correct he is spoilt! We cover each other's positions if the other is away from the office but it is quite commonplace for him to ring me whilst I am on holiday/weekends/evenings.  I have had to travel back from the gym, cancel plans with friends and on one occasion leave my family in a restaurant during a family party - despite the fact I had booked a day's holiday and someone was covering my job!

This is another reason why I am SO angry about the remuneration discrepancy.  I put my heart and soul into my work every day and now this!

Thanks Peaches.  The trouble is he doesn't get on well with the other assistant we have, they're very different people shall we say.

I have heard from HR today thay they have set up interviews next week and want me to attend.  I'm happy to assist although not altogether comfortable with it!  One particular reason for this being that the agency the job has been advertised with let slip that the vacancy has been listed for £2k more than I am currently paid! To say I am not happy is an understatement!

It will take all my professionalism and resolve to get through next week!

That's a really good idea but I'm not sure he'd go for it.  He's quite traditional in his ways.

I am trying hard not to feel guilty about leaving but it is very hard.  I do feel a strong sense of loyalty which is perhaps misplaced.  The fact is that I am grossly underpaid for the job I do - I am EA to the head of huge international Plc, and my salary is an absolute joke!

I was thinking the same thing.  The majority of people in a job will be on four week's notice.  I have been looking on all the obvious job sites and I can't see the vacancy advertised either. 

Thanks msmarieh

I think they are dragging their heels for the same reason too. I actually don't want to be involved but my boss is very keen on the idea and is pushing me to chase HR daily.  I don't feel comfortable doing that. 

I don't think he's going to be over the moon at me leaving if they don't have someone else lined up either but my contracts says four weeks and I have already agreed a start date with my new employer. It feels very much like a lose/lose situation at the moment!

I have fed back to my boss - he was copied in on the original email and when he chased me for a response I forwarded the reply I had received from 'HR'.

I am always conscious of involving him in problems like this as he is so senior in the company but I don't think I should be taking the fall for the HR director's sulky nature!

Thanks Gee. 

The difficulty I have is that boss specifically asked me to take part in the recruitment process.  Its not something I'm looking forward to as I have a million things to do before I go.

Whilst they are under no obligation to include me in the process, surely if my boss, as CEO, has asked them to, then they should at least respect his wishes.

I feel like I'm in an impossible situation!

Please can I ask what you would do in this situation.

My immediate boss is a very high profile person.  Recently I handed my notice in - although I love my job and we get on reasonably well I have been made an offer elsewhere that I really cannot refuse.

I spoke to him and explained, he was supportive, said he'd be sorry to see me go but understood my reasons, and asked that I assist in recruitment of my replacement.  However he did ask that I keep it a secret from my colleagues to "stop the rumour mill".

After our conversation I emailed HR, sent a very lengthy email and said that they could rely on my full commitment to assisting in recruitment of my replacement, to which I received no response.  I sent a further email a day later asking if the first email had been received and got a reply saying "receipt confirmed", that was it!  I thought this was very bad manners and unprofessional to say the least.

I now have my boss chasing me for CVs/interviews whilst HR seem determined to keep me out of the loop. The last communication I had with them said "we'll let you know when interviews have been scheduled".  However my boss is continuing to chase me.

Also, unaware that I am leaving, my colleagues are arranging meetings for the time after my leaving date.  I feel almost like I am deceiving them but I have been asked by my boss to keep the news secret.  He has given me no indication when I am allowed to tell people.  It is making life very difficult to say the least!

Any advice would be gratefully received!