75 replies to this topic

[taikara]

I'm in quite the predicament at workies.

I started this job as a legal assistant roughly 6 months ago. I had some experience in real estate law preparation and processing when I started, but little actual "secretarial" experience.

The purpose of this law firm hiring me was to train me so that I could take things over while the head assistant underwent surgery, and the subsequent recovery period she would be absent.

Well, 5 months went by, and I wasn't trained beyond how to send certified mail and make copies and coffee. It's been pretty much a "fend for yourself and hope you don't screw up too badly" situation. And thus far, I haven't screwed up too badly. I've handled the real estate bits fairly well on my own, and have become somewhat better at handling phones (I hate them). Considering I've had no training, and no one has explained what is expected of me, and I'm not allowed to use the real estate software, I think I've been doing okay.

Well... the head assistant is absent now, and it's just me and my boss. My boss, who knows absolutely nothing about computers, much less about the real estate software that is necessary to actually do the work. And today, I apparently screwed up pretty badly.

A client called in and asked whether his title search documents had come in, and when I looked in the file, I saw they hadn't. It had been roughly 2 weeks ago they had been ordered, which is well beyond enough time to have received them. I told the client that they weren't in the file, and that I would call the underwriter to check into their status, and call him back.

I then thought, "Hmm. I bet we've got them in the real estate software." Sure enough, I pulled it up just to check, and there they were. The last time I printed anything out of the software, I got yelled at, because my boss didn't know what the documents were. So I didn't print anything out.

When I mentioned the incident to my boss, I told him that I had told the client that the documents weren't in the file, and that I'd check the status and call him back. I asked him if I could print out the documents, and explained that being able to see what mortgages, covenants, and restrictions were on the property would really help me process more efficiently. Surprisingly, he agreed.

He then asked, "Why did you tell the client that we didn't have the documents when they were in the software?"

I said, "I didn't know they were in the software, and they weren't in the file..."

"Why didn't you tell him you didn't know where they were and that you'd call him back?"

"I thought we didn't have them, because they weren't in the file, and I'm not allowed to check and print them out... and I did tell him I'd check with the underwriter and call him back."

"But you just told me that you told him that we didn't have them, when we did. You're misinforming MY clients, and now you're telling me a completely different story, you didn't tell me you said you'd call him back!" (at this point, he's yelling).

"I'm sorry, I thought we didn't have them until I checked the software, hoping to save a call to the underwriter, and you asked why I told him that, I didn't think to mention that I said I'd call him back.." (I'm starting to panic at this point).

"But we apparently DID have them, and you DIDN'T tell him that you didn't know, you told him that we didn't have them, so you're lying to my clients!! AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING MESSING WITH THE SOFTWARE?!" (he's yelling a lot now - and I should mention that since he's unable to print out the documents, I'm sort of unable to do my job without at least looking at them).

Anyway, to make a long story short, he yelled a lot (for about an hour), slammed crap around on his desk while he yelled, told me that I was screwing with his business, that I was being insubordinate, misinforming his clients, screwing with office software that I had no business messing with, refusing to accept responsibility, and that he didn't feel he could trust me to handle things in his office, and that I should leave. So, I did.

My Dad says that I've been set up for failure, because they haven't trained me, haven't given me any clear expectations for what I'm supposed to be doing, and haven't reviewed my progress with me, and then expect me to do everything the head assistant was doing, only without access to the proper tools or training.

My Mom says that I should go looking for new jobs, even though it leaves my boss in the lurch while the head assistant is absent.

Regardless, I'm not exactly certain whether I've been fired, or whether I'm expected to go in to work tomorrow.

And really, I'm not sure what I should do. I've never had an employer do anything like this before. I'm a bit freaked out, and I still am not sure exactly what I did wrong to set this off, except for opening the office software without permission - which was wrong, but I have no idea how else I'm supposed to get my work done if he can't print out the files himself.

[Flop]

I think I would probably quit at this point (assuming you haven't been fired). Possibly I'd just not go to work anymore. However, as I understand it, it's pretty difficult getting a decent job where you're at, so that's something to consider too. If I were in a union, I'd definitely file a complaint.

I'm afraid I don't really have any better advice than to just quit. I know it's not much, but I'm still crossing my fingers for that other job.

[DeathDude]

Geez that's horrible Tai. I mean that your boss went off on you like that all because of a misunderstanding, you handled yourself fine in the situation with the client and really that was the right thing you could've done since you didn't know about the files, okay so you opened up the software indeed saving time from more calling and such, so really you were handling things in the situation fine, your boss obviously had an axe to grind or maybe he had a bad day or was dealing with some crap and unfortuantely you were caught in the cross fire because of what happened.

Really it's up to you Tai to see if you should go to work tomorrow, he really never did officially fire you, so technically I think if your up for it head to work tomorrow, but still after this I would seriously consider quitting if you think that's the best thing to do, and yeah from what you have said that work is hard to get it's really your choice if you want to stay or not, your call but after seeing this episode I'd quit you shouldn't get this kind of treatment and really it's not fair to you. Got to think if you really want to head back there, I seriously suggest starting to look for a new job when you get the chance, as really you shouldn't have to deal with this sort of abuse or crap that your boss did to you, which you didn't deserve, I hope this works out for ya Tai and that it gets better, because really it sucks that you had to deal with this today. I feel your pain.

[Frodo]

I'm sorry to hear that Tai.  You really don't deserve that.

It's sounds like you were doing the right thing.  You were doing everything you could for the customer.  

They should have given you proper training, and made sure that you were happy with everything before the head assistant left.

If I were you, I would go in tomorrow, but really consider writing a letter of resignation.  You don't deserve all this hassle, and you don't owe anything to that company.  No-one should get treated like that.  Also, I would put in a complaint to your boss's boss (if that's possible).

I really hope you get another job soon.

[Tom Henrik]

I hate that boss

And as your dad says, you haven't been trained in what you are supposed to do. Nor are you allowed to use the nessecary software, and your boss can't even use it himself.

This is going nowhere but further down.

I would've quit the job - before he fires you in some rage of his - and start using every contact you have (mom, dad and friends) to try to land another job.

You don't get paid enough to stand up to that kind of abuse. Heck, you're even paid 2,50$ less per hour, than what you are entitled to - on the account of him being a greedy little bastard.

I know money is a problem right now, but I think you should rather spend your office time browsing for jobs and writing aplications - and get a job that actually pays, alongside professional co-workers.

I know this sucks, baby... on the bright side, I'll soon be there with you, and we can go mental and postal on your boss.

[Dvoe]

Woah thats a tough break, I sympathize, I really do. Theres obviously nothing you could have done 'differently' to avoid this. This really wasnt your fault and sounds like your boss is just venting his frustrations in your direction. This seems to be a bit of a conundrum, you are being punished for gaining information you never should have had in the first place. You weren't allowed to use the software but that was the only way to gain access to information that could assist the client. You had good intentions.

I don't think you've been fired. I don't see how you are guilty in any way. Head to work and try to talk things over with your boss. Try to talk reason into him by saying that you were only trying to make things easier for your client, your firm and yourself. You 'misinformed' the client when you didnt have access to the information but you tried to gain that information which happened to 'break some rules' in the process. Tell him that you can't get your work done with limited access to the software, demand full access while he is under-staffed.

Quite a situation this is. Stick up for yourself. Hang in there and all the best.

[Juni Ori]

Well, in my opinion you handled the situation in the best way you saw possible. And I'm not saying there was any better way. Anyways, I'd just love to get small aggressive negotiations with your boss. His an [insert bad word here, 7 letters, begins with "a", ends with "e"] and deserves that you got sick and can't go to work for a while. I'd take care of it by firts calling and asking what the hell that yesterday was about and am I fired or not. If I wasn't, I'd inform him I'm sick and going to see doctor and I'd call later to inform when I can come back. Then I'd simply write a resignation after seeing the doctor and gotten few days off. If I was fired, I'd just say few selected words and end the call.

You Boss

[Tulac]

Hehe, well you know what they say, it's always best to listen to your mother

[taikara]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

I think I'm going to go in and just see what's going on. If he's still hostile, I should just leave. If not, I'm going to at least work until the end of the week - I can't really afford another tiny paycheck - I wasn't paid for holiday time off.

I don't think I handled it well, but I'm still not sure how I could have handled it better - I think it was the mere suggestion that I even possibly thought that I could slightly be right (I was confused, and didn't see the huge difference between telling the client that I didn't have it, would need to check the status and call him back, and telling the client that I didn't know where it was, and would have to check and call him back). I wasn't even saying I wouldn't do it his way from now on, just that I didn't understand, and at some point, I asked how I was supposed to process the files without the documents, which set him off even more.

I didn't mean it in a challenging way, at this point, I was crying (embarrassing, I know), and kept saying, "I'm just trying to do a good job, I didn't know I was doing that badly," and I just was completely confused, and didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. But I think he took anything beyond, "You're right, I'm wrong," as a challenge to his authority. Even when I just said, "I'm sorry, I just didn't understand, I'm not trying to cause a problem," he yelled that I was lying, that I was obviously trying to be insubordinate and argumentative, and that I should just stick to being that way instead of lying to him.

And I think if I demanded that I be allowed to touch the office software, he would just start yelling again, even if I'm not fired.

[Tulac]

Well, all I can say is good luck!

[BeefontheBone]

That's ridiculous - I'm astonished that anyone with such a lack of ability to deal with the coworkers he relies on (as a result of not being able to use his own primary software suite) managed to get to a position of authority like that, and you shouldn't have to put up with it. I'd go to work again (not showing up would just give him a valid excuse to fire you) and explain the situation to him: They've failed to provide you with adequate training for what they expected you to handle (and had sufficient time in which to do so) and he spent an hour yesterday afternoon yelling at you and accusing you of things which blatantly aren't true which you found very upsetting. It's entirely unreasonable for him to expect you not to make minor mistakes (and this barely qualifies as a mistake, surely - how is there a problem with you calling the client back and saying "we did have the document after all, just not in the file where it should be"?) in those circumstances. Give him a choice between letting you go with a proper notice period etc etc (leaving himself in the lurch) or training you to do the job you're not even getting properly paid for.
If you don't get a chance to say any of that and he fires you, that would strike me as grounds for an unfair dismissal case, assuming you had some sort of contract - might be worth talking to a lawyer.

[Juni Ori]

Yeah, good luck, but please little Tai, leave that katana home? Would you, please? Think of Tom and rest of us?

[Tom Henrik]

Or think of Tom, and bring it

[Sean]

All I can say is good luck Tai.

This guy has treated you bad more than once and I don't see why somebody as lovely as yourself should put up with it. It appears to me that he is trying to make up for his own inferiority. Work quietly and keep an income until you can find another job. It's his fault, not yours. Don't let him convince you otherwise.

Good Luck!

P.S Tom, kick his *** when you get there

[Shrek]

Well Taikara, just let me tell you: that boss of yours IS A JERK! Wait, I' m wrong, he's a VERY BIG JERK!

I know that, I had a boss like that once, in my first job... At that point you might think it is your fault, but relax, you haven't done anything wrong. You see, that guy is just scared, because you can handle that kind of situation better than he, so he just discharged his hunger at you - he was just trying to be "the boss".

First off all, don't leave it, at least until you have something else under your sight. Just do your best, so no one can point you a finger and say "look, she can't even do these simple tasks". Since you' re not allowed to use the software, ignore it, the best thing to do is to think for yourself "there is no such thing as software here" - yes, I know, it seems like you're back to "stone age" but if this is what they want, that is what you should give them. And, start bringing them some "bad coffe": if they want it better, let them get it.

And to finish this, don't feel disencouraged, you've done well, in fact most people would do something like what you've done. The best thing that could happen to you would be: you finding a better job in the next few weeks and then quit that one with a smile on your face.

PS.: BTW, now that he managed to embarace you, be carefull, he might want to get something else from you (yes, we men have dirty minds, but that's the way we are, sorry).