Arraaagghhh ! ! ! !

[cazza]

Sorry if I have posted this on the wrong part of the forum.  I am a new user to this site so any pointers or general guidance would be greatly appreciated.  Just a little moan, I expect at one stage or another you have all been through what I am going through at the moment, so any advice greatfully received.  I have been with my new company for 6 months, and over the last few weeks work has been getting busier and busier, not that I mind I do like to be kept busy, but I now find myself coming into the office at 7-7.30am and not leaving to 9pm.  Now normally I wouldn't mind doing this but A) I don't get paid overtime, B) I am the only one doing this.  I know I should really have a word with my boss as I don't think he realises how much work I am getting given from the other staff in the office.  Since I have joined the other members of staff in the office have become incapable of putting a file back into the cabinet by their desks and instead are putting the files on my desk so I have to walk back to their desks to put it in their drawers.  I mean that seems bloody lazy to me.  My boss is great, he works extremely hard and is very considerate and polite, although at the moment I know he does have a lot of added pressures so I don't really want to unnecessarily burden him with my problems with the other staff at the moment.  So the big question is, should I wait for a few more weeks to go by and see if it calms down, or should I say somthing now?  Any advice is gratefully received.

[gee4]

Firstly let me ask you -

1)  What is your probationary period eg. 3 or 6 months?
2)  Has this expired yet?
3)  Have you not had any interim discussion as to your progression (just relating this to my current situation)?
4)  Are you expected to have some kind of 6 month progress with your boss/HR?

I would address this sooner rather than later otherwise you are going to end up working yourself into the ground and thus not being able to give 100% where and when it matters.  I leave here at 5pm every day unless I have a meeting to attend.  I do not work overtime and I certainly do not come in any earlier unless again it's for a breakfast meeting etc.

Let me know how you get on.

[cazza]

Thanks Gee, Yes I was on a 6 month Probation but have finished that and have been signed onto proper contract, unfortunately all this mad stuff has happened after the sign over, so at the time didn't have the issues to discuss at my appraisal meeting.  I think like you say I should just hijack my boss when he's next in the office and have a word with him, as it's not that I don't like my job, it think it's more that people are taking the piss and are getting away with it a little too much.  Our office is a new office so I am the only admin person in it currently.

[raindance]

Talking this over with your boss is really important - and the sooner the better.

The second thing you should do is to keep to your hours, and take a proper lunchbreak.  REPEAT AFTER ME: "I, Cazza, will work my contractual hours and will take a lunchbreak every day".   There, that feels better .

If you are working from 7.30 am to 9.00 pm then you are probably outside the EU working time directive, unless you have opted out of it, and

The third thing to do, is to prioritize your work: boss's work comes first.

And lastly ... you don't have to manage the unmanageable.

Best wishes,

Raindance

[cazza]

thanks :-)  Yes I know and I should apply it to myself I'm usually very good at telling other people the why's and wherefore's but then I seem to have a mental block when it needs to be applied to oneself. . . .  Well boss is in the office tomorrow so I will pluck up the courage to have a word with him, hopefully he will be in a good enough mood to approach. . . .  .

[raindance]

Just say to him: would you like to discuss this or would you prefer my mates from DD to come and speak to you?  

R.

[JessW]

knuckle dusters are dusted, polished and ready!  (teeheehee!)

Jess