New co-worker

[countrigal]

Ok, I'm excited to have a new co-worker, someone to take over from the one who retired and take some of the load off of me, but would someone please explain to me how she thinks that my office is hers???  The job description she applied for told her that the position was at our other office location, some 40 miles away, and the person she is replacing was over there, was involved in the interviews, and it was spelled out there too.  So why is she walking into my office today, acting like it is hers, when she has an office all of her very own on the other campus?  Yes, my office has 2 desks and one is hers.  But it is only a temporary post, a place for her to sit and use the computer when she has to be on this campus and is not a permanent location.  All of the file cabinets (except for 5 smaller drawers) are full of items I use in my job, as are the bookshelves.  Some of these duties cross over to her area too, which is why we share this office space, though I'm permanently located here for the extra storage/file cabinets needed specifically for my duties.  She has a big, beautiful, solo office on the other campus, full of tables, chairs, storage, file cabinets, etc all to her very own self.  I don't even have a desk over there to use when I need to go to that campus -- I just have to find an empty desk  where I can, hoping that someone is on leave so there is one available.  So why did she look at me all askance when I showed her which drawers were hers, where she could put her stuff, and explained what was in the other drawers and such?  This could be an interesting week with her trying to find her spot. I'm going to welcome her, but I'm sure going to let her know where her space is (very professionally of course!).  I don't need yet another nurse trying to tell me anything, much less where my "place" is.  And if she thinks that I'll move to the other campus, she has another thought coming.  My idea, she follow what her PD says, and take her butt to the other campus and set up her office over there instead of trying to re-arrange mine.

Yup, guess I'm a little bitter this morning over this.  Don't know how much of it is pregnancy hormones making me b*tchy and how much of it is simply being treated this way by yet another nurse.  Guess I really need to get out of this job.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[diamondlady]

Well think of it this way, at least you have "help" from the new co-worker and can show her what's what.  I would have a talk with her politely of course and let her know that this is a temporary setup at this building for her.  She should already know that by her interviews, but sounds like she needs a gentle reminder.

Hang in there kiddo.  Time to brush up that resume and get it circulating, hopefully within the same company.  

Hugs!


Diamondlady fka chris68
Peer Moderator

[juspeachy]

"Don't know how much of it is pregnancy hormones making me b*tchy..."

CG, did I miss a post somewhere?  Are you expecting again???

JusPeachy

[countrigal]

Yup.  22 weeks along now.  Guess we didn't learn what caused the first one.  That's what's causing some of the issues/stress at work too, the fact that I'm having another baby (so soon).  Just got to love manager's/boss' who don't remember what it was like to be young and having babies, even unplanned.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[juspeachy]

Congratulations!  Try not to let all the stress at work get to you and remember to take time out for yourself as often as you can.

JusPeachy

[sobriquetnic]

Congratulations CG - wonderful news!  Please try not to get too stressed out at work (very difficult I know even without hormones!) and take good care of yourself and 'Junior'!

Best wishes and congrats again!

Nicola.

[gee4]

Am I missing something too?

1)  If she is there to help surely she needs to be in your office.
2)  If she is not required to be in your office to help, and she should be at the other campus, has someone informed her of this?

Perhaps a quiet word in someone's ear might do the trick.  However my guess is she is only doing what she has been told.  Sounds a bit harsh to me CG but you cannot be resentful of her if she is there to help.

G

[unique]

Keena

Sounds to me like your new colleague either:
a. hasn't picked up exactly where she was to be 'placed'
or
b. she hasn't been explained to exactly her actual place of work (ie on the other campus), but has at least a desk to work from - on occasion - when in your office, as required.

I would suggest that you and she discuss initially to ascertain what she perceives to be correct, then if you disagree with what she says - take the 'problem' to her/your direct supervisor to confirm arrangements for future.

Probably better done sooner rather than later - then everyone will know exactly what's what.

I'm sure everything will work out just fine.

Regards




Pam
Peer Moderator

[countrigal]

To clarify some confusion... this is a co-worker, not here to help me per se except by taking over the duties that I assumed upon the retirement of the old co-worker.  We work together, our jobs are related but not the same, and as such we each have our own requirements.

She is aware that her office is on the other campus.  I made sure of this prior to her actually starting, when we met a couple of weeks ago.  During our polite, get-to-know-you conversation I casually asked where she'd be working, since she is moving from a position that is "housed" on this campus.  She said she'd be at the other campus.  Our boss is on that campus, the person she needs to check in with and get her initial paperwork from, but she still started out over here with the attitude that 1/2 of this office was all hers, as well as the entire, spacial office (which she's seen!) on the other campus.

I've been around here long enough to see how things work, and I know that if I'm not careful, I could be the one being sent to the other campus.  I have to stand my ground, keep justifying my need for this office and all the cabinet space (which is without a doubt justified), and not let her - or anyone else - walk all over me.  I'm not saying that all nurses are like this, but all the ones I've had to work with here are very much of the opinion that they are god, and what they want they should get, especially if it only inconveniences someone who isn't a nurse.  One other co-worker, who's job doesn't dovetail with mine, tried to move into my office and my first inkling of it was when she started telling me what I had to move where, and how she wanted the office re-arranged to suit her.  That was only about 5 months ago, so call me paranoid, but it made me want to hold my ground strongly very early in any discussion of locations.

For those of you wishing me the best with this pregnancy, never fear.  I'm keeping as little stress as possible (which is saying something, what with the other personal issues that are ballooning up right now! -- non-baby related, thankfully) and will not allow this job to jeapordize this baby's health, nor my own during this pregnancy.  I've actively started hunting for another job within the company, and doubt that I'll have much problem making a switch in jobs anytime I determine it's time to go.  Being in a position of that kind of "power" makes for less stress.  And as of last night, baby boy is doing very well, growing perfectly, looking calm and serene in his little world, non the wiser what mom is going through.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator