Advice needed please!

LegacyUser

I work as a trainee accountant in a small practice. Historically, it has always falled to the most junior member of staff to cover reception when the secretary is on holidays, out sick, etc.

The main secretary is returning from maternity leave next month and has dictated to the partner that she will be doing two hours less per day (one in the morning, one in the evening) to drop off/pick up her child from the creche. I think I will be asked to pick up the slack, and I am going to refuse on the basis that I was hired as an accountant, not a secretary.

Legally, where do I stand? Can I be fired for refusing to do the secretary's job? Surely if she won't work the correct hours she can be made redundant. I'd really appreciate some advice please.

Mrs OBumble

We cannot give legal advice - but does your contract say "other duties as required"? That's probably the make or break legally.

Pragmatically:

Is it a busy office, ie will covering a couple of hours reception kill your productivity totally, or can you just do accountant stuff from the reception desk?

How hard did you find it to get the job? How hard would it be to get another one?

Also re " if she won't work the correct hours she can be made redundant". Well, maybe. But maybe not - and would the firm really want to pay her out just 'cos a totally replaceable trainee is pulling a face? Sorry, I know that sounds mean, but I don't think you're in a position to choose. And I don't think there's anything wrong with being asked to work a reception desk - unless the don't allow for its affect on your other work.

Bepolite

I agree with most of the above, however if it's how you feel, its how you feel. I wouldn't be afraid to politely stand my ground but as with anything this will create a risk of you getting the punt.

www.employmentrights.ie is an excellent website to have a browse.

the world wonders

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

I think I will be asked to pick up the slack, and I am going to refuse on the basis that I was hired as an accountant, not a secretary.

Regardless of the contractual terms, a point blank refusal like this is going to do no favours whatsoever to your future career prospects.

If there is an issue where you really are not enjoying covering for the receptionist, talk it over with your manager and see something can be worked out with someone else helping to cover part of the hours -- it sounds from the arrangement with the receptionist's working hours that they are prepared to be flexible. Be careful not to give the impression of "I'm too good to work as a receptionist" -- that attitude will not get you anywhere.

LegacyUser

OP here. I didn't mean to come across as thinking that I'm too good to cover reception. What I mean is, while I am covering reception I will have to do her duties yet my boss will expect me to handle the same amount of accounting work. Many of us have tried to explain to him that it's difficult to maintain the same level of productivity while covering reception but he refuses to listen.

Mostly I think it's unfair that she is going to do two hours less per day and the boss is willing to let her, yet when other senior accountants (who have been here many years) request a day off it's met with anger from boss who normally demands they work overtime to make up for it.

Thanks for your advice, I know I can't really complain too much because it will make a horrible atmosphere in the office. I just feel it's a bit unfair.

tatli_lokma

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

Mostly I think it's unfair that she is going to do two hours less per day and the boss is willing to let her, yet when other senior accountants (who have been here many years) request a day off it's met with anger from boss who normally demands they work overtime to make up for it.

I see where you are coming from, but really you need to let it go. It is none of your business what accommodations your boss makes for the receptionist. Given it is an accountancy firm, look at it from a financial point of view - a senior accountant is worth more in billable hours than a receptionist on an average salary. The reason your boss is reluctant for the senior accountant to take time off is because that can cost him money, whereas the receptionist working a few less hours saves him money. The problem is that he is not taking into account productivity, so if he pays an accountant to cover reception then he is not really saving money.

What about suggesting a jobbridge scheme to cover the receptionist? that would cost the employer very little, give someone an opportunity to gain experience and you would be free to work on the accountancy side of the business.

In the grand scheme of things, 10 hours a week shared amongst several staff isn't very much. Particularly if it means that the receptionist is better able to manage childcare - that is actually a pretty decent thing for the boss to do, he is just not being equitable to the rest of you. Be careful how you handle it, because your posts do come across as a bit begrudging of the receptionist.

LegacyUser

tatli_lokma wrote: »

It is none of your business what accommodations your boss makes for the receptionist.

I kind of think it is, when it is going to directly affect my work.

tatli_lokma wrote: »

In the grand scheme of things, 10 hours a week shared amongst several staff isn't very much.

Except it's not going to be shared among staff, it's just going to be me, and as I'm the most junior member of staff I don't really get a choice.

tatli_lokma wrote: »

Be careful how you handle it, because your posts do come across as a bit begrudging of the receptionist.

Honestly, yes I do begrudge the receptionist. I will now have to do 40 hours of accounting work in 30, as I've been told that when I'm covering reception I will have to type letters, greet clients, do filing, etc and it seems like I won't have much time left to cover my own work. My boss is the type who likes to get his pound of flesh, so I will be given the same volume of accountancy work and expected to get it done, without excuses.

I have been panicking about this for weeks as I don't know how I will manage the extra work on top of lectures midweek for my accountancy qualification. I think I'll have to stay late or even come in for a few hours on the weekend to make up for the time I'm losing.

Thank you for your jobbridge idea - I will suggest it if I can do so without offending my boss.

Realistically I know I will have to suck it up and deal with it, I just needed a bit of a moan.

tatli_lokma

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

I kind of think it is, when it is going to directly affect my work.

No it's not. How your work will changes your business but why and how the other person is accommodated is none of your business. The agreement about her changing hours is a matter for her and the boss, and not for you to approve or dismiss.

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

Except it's not going to be shared among staff, it's just going to be me, and as I'm the most junior member of staff I don't really get a choice.

As you say you are the junior. It's what is known as paying your dues. I am guessing the receptionist is there longer than you and has proved her worth to the boss or she wouldn't be getting any cooperation from him about changing hours. When you have done the same you can let someone else pick up the place and do the grunt work. But until then, as the junior you're the grunt!

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

Honestly, yes I do begrudge the receptionist. I will now have to do 40 hours of accounting work in 30, as I've been told that when I'm covering reception I will have to type letters, greet clients, do filing, etc and it seems like I won't have much time left to cover my own work. My boss is the type who likes to get his pound of flesh, so I will be given the same volume of accountancy work and expected to get it done, without excuses.

This makes you sound pretty and immature. Fine, be unhappy with the extra workload, but why make it a personal issue with the receptionist? You can hardly blame her for making the request, and the boss obviously thinks it's a reasonable one or he wouldn't agree to it. You are bringing too much personal feeling into it and not being objective and professional. Maybe if you sounded less whiney and begrudging you might stand a better chance of your boss actually listening to your concerns.

Adviceneeded123 wrote: »

I have been panicking about this for weeks as I don't know how I will manage the extra work on top of lectures midweek for my accountancy qualification. I think I'll have to stay late or even come in for a few hours on the weekend to make up for the time I'm losing.

Those are valid concerns and if you discuss it professionally and present things in a fair manner to your boss he may be more understanding of your worries. You need to perhaps undertake a 'time in Motion' study in that you quantify your daily tasks and productivity so that you can show you are already working at full capacity and achieving x/y/z but if you are to take on reception you will be having to make compromises which means you will not be able to do a/b/c

But the way you are going about things right now makes it look like you think you are too good to do reception, and why should you and that cow on reception doesn't deserve any help from the boss. Really not painting yourself in a very good light at all.

As for offending your boss, making a practical and sensible suggestion won't offend anyone or at least it shouldn't. The only way you can cause offence is if you present this begrudging attitude. As long as you are professional the worst that can happen is they listen to you and consider your proposal but decide not to go with your suggestions. But you have nothing to lose by trying.

LegacyUser

I imagine if I were in your shoes, tatli_lokma, and I was looking at my situation I would probably agree. I don't necessarily agree with all of your points but you have certainly provided me with an alternate view and have given me a lot to consider.

I think I am being too emotive about the whole issue, but I have always been that way, unfortunately it is in my nature. It's something I will have to work on.

I haven't spoken to my boss about this yet, as I wanted to have a level head when I have to face him and fine tune the details of how this new arrangement will work.

Honestly, working in this office is pretty s--t at the best of times. All of us, regardless of level or experience, are belittled by our boss. He could scream and yell at you for an hour over a simple typo in a draft of a letter or throw personal things (such as taking time off for illness) into our face. There is no HR or any other manager to report his behaviour to so we simply put up with it. I've been here 10 months and in that time I've seen all of the staff (men and women) alike become extremely upset and cry over his treatment of his staff. So as a result I am extremely concerned about how to cope with this new workload.
I suppose it will allow me to improve my time management skills.

Thank you for all of your opinions and advice.

LegacyUser

At this stage you need to work smart not hard.

I would tell your boss that you understand that he needs you to do reception due to your co-worker working shorter hours. I would then ask him what he expects you to do in regards to your own work load as you don't want to be letting him down or missing dead lines?
I would also ask him if the receptionist was out for a day because her baby was sick what would happpen in this case?

By doing the above your showing your boss that you are a team player and you are trying to prevent problems before they happen.
You have to remember that your boss was happy to let the receptionist work less hours to save him money but if you are in reception you can't be doing accounts work for thoes 2 hours a day.
You need to let your boss know in a nice way that you are a team player but that you are not going to be walked on.

If the recpetionist wants to work 2 hours less each day she has to be prepared for a sighly higher work load when she is in work.
I would tell her that you have to go to class on /// night/nights towards your accounting exams so she knows that you are not in a positon to work late re filing/typing.

I would advise you that if you have to work late that is due to your own work load and not her's. If you are very busy I would work late just one night a week. You have to remember that you are working full time and are studying on top of this so you need to have some free time.

You need to remember that work is part of life but not all of your life.

wmpdd3

I would ask what would happen if the lady was absent, but NOT mention her child.

Neyite

OP, you do need to take the emotion out of it if you want to be taken seriously and not come across as begrudging. And as it seems you have a difficult boss, you need to approach it in a way that he will agree with.

So, figure out his motivation - what would get him to agree to an alternative? Saving money? Losing clients? Then, once you have identified what might make him listen, present a solution to him about this issue rather than just having a moan about it, in factual, businesslike terms.

Unfortunately trainees are exactly that. The trainees in our work have full degrees, masters, and a handful have phd's but they still have to help admin as required. Its expected as part of the job.

I think the job-bridge is an excellent idea, but that is only a temporary solution. But maybe by then you wont be the most junior anymore.