[pinksugar]

Ok, to start off with, I really like my job. I like my boss, and I like what I do (receptionist)..

The only thing is. I'm a receptionist to a serviced office. Which means that 3/4 of the office are tenants. The remaining office space is taken up with an architectural firm that own the company that manages the whole office (does that make sense?).

Recently the head architect (not the owner of the business, but the most senior person in the architect side of the office) has asked me to do a whole lot of copying and printing and stapling. (I could go into more detail about the other things she's asked me to do but it would take too long. Suffice to say, all these extra tasks on top of my regular workload.)

I'll be the first to admit that most of my work day, I don't do much. I answer calls, I help the tenants with stationery or bug spray or whatever it is they need, I make sure that any visitors to the tenants are offered water/tea/coffee or whatever. Simple.

And it's not that I don't have the time to do what she's asking of me. But it takes me away from the desk. I have a cordless phone so incoming calls are covered, but what if someone turns up in reception? I'm not there! I don't feel I am doing the best by the rest of the tenants by being stuck in the printer room printing off like 200 pages. (I'm serious, she asked me to copy 200 pages of a book for her. WTF.)

I'm not sure what I should do. I guess the problem is, I'm happy to do it as an extra favour, you know, 2-3 sheets, but I don't really think that it's part of my job. But because her company own my company, it's like she thinks it's ok.

I'm not comfortable being away from the desk that long - my bag is in the store room too so I worry that people could steal things since it's so open plan.

What do you guys reckon? I can't tell my boss since she's off this week recovering from surgery. I don't want to spring it on her when she gets back either, and I don't know how/whether I should bring it up with this woman. She obviously thinks I'm some kind of menial slave. She knows that I don't really do much though, so she obviously thinks 'she's lazy, I'll give her something to do'.

I'm not sure how to handle this, but at the very least I just wanted to have a whinge about it really, LOL

ETA: ARG!!!! ok, printed all her random stuff, and she came in while i was doing it, and asked if it was in order. I said, yes, it was in the order it was handed to me. She decided there was stuff missing and went to get it. I finished printing and left it in the copy room for her, assuming that it was for her.

She just came out of her office and said 'I just walked past and it was in there.. I just don't think it should be left lying around... is it finished?'
I said yes, and that I'd left it there for her to finish adding whatever it was she needed to add. Since I assumed it was being printed up for her.

so she's all, well, for future reference... you might want to make sure you hand it back to the staff member who asked you to print it (which wasn't her).

I guess she doesn't like that I kind of stand up to her, rather than saying 'yes ma'am sorry, I shouldn't have left them in there' etc. Whatever trevor. GRRR!

[Ashley]

Eek..this is a bad situation. I think you need to tell your boss as soon as possible because it sounds like you're having to do work that's not part of your job!

[daer0n]

Why do you have to do stuff for her if she isnt your direct boss, i mean, i know they own the company you work for, but she doesnt have the right to ask you to do stuff for her if you're not getting paid to do so, plus, wouldn't that be kind of like risking your job too for getting away from the desk, and not being there for the people who come and ask for help and stuff, and also risking that people could steal your stuff as well?
Hm, want my honest opinion i think that woman is a b*tch lol, i'd be pissed if she was asking me to do stuff for her all the time and i didnt get paid for that, she assumes that just cause they own the company you work for that she is allowed to treat you like a slave, uhm, i don't think so?
Some people are just -allow me to say- stupid.

[pinksugar]

lol, Nuri! I agree!

but the thing is, if I mention it, I'm worried I'll look like i'm being lazy.... I mean, I DO spend most of my work day on MUT! LOL

[Bec688]

Unless it is in your job description, I don't see why you have to do it, besides she isn't your direct boss either. (I am such a hypocrit, I do lots of things outside my job description! Though I completely understand the frustration.)

There's a different between photocopying a few pages for someone and asking someone to mass photocopy, that's taking advantage. Also, if you feel like these extra tasks are distracting you from your actual job, then perhaps you should mention it to your supervisor. You are not being lazy, it's just not your job to have all these extra tasks dumped on you.

[speedy]

But you're not being lazy, your job is to be on the reception desk, not to do duties that take you away from the desk. It would be different if the photocopier was right at the reception desk so you could watch the desk whilst you were photocopying, but it's not, so she has no right to ask you to do that.

[pinksugar]

I guess the problem is, in my job description, it does say that we may be asked occassionally to do PA work for the owner of the company. Since he's not here, he's mostly overseas, we don't do that. Plus, even when he is, he might ask me to colour scan something, or help assemble some boxes or stuff like that. Nothing major, and it doesn't take me away from the desk.

This woman is just a major stresshead. She freaked out over the whiteboard markers the other day. She asked her colleague to come and ask me for new ones. I didn't have any, so I gave her one old marker from one of the other rooms, assuming it was just THAT ROOM that had no working markers.

5 minutes later, she comes out and has a freak out about how we should implement a weekly system to make sure they're all working and can I order some urgently from the stationer and blah. Like, what?! who uses up a WHOLE whiteboard marker in a week. Chill woman! I ordered them and it took like 2 mins for them to arrive from downstairs. Instead of a weekly system, how about you fools just come out and tell me when they're getting faded and I'll put in a new order? DUH!

[Anthea]

Lol @ Rosie, Whiteboard markers, why people get so worked up about small things sometimes amazes me.

Sometimes I wish I worked with people as I sometimes do get a bit lonely at work on my own, then on the other hand its a blessing as I don't have any hassles with other employees or bosses.

[pinksugar]

haha, Anthea, get down on your knees and thank god every day that you work alone. Worst comes to worst, you could call a friend and chat!

[CellyCell]

I got lost in your job description. I'm like, "tenants? She works for an apartment complex or something...". Ha.

Anyways, I don't think you should do anything that takes long away from your desk. And when your boss comes back, you ought to let them know. They did that at my job, like ask me to DRIVE somewhere and I'm like, ugh no - I'm not paid to be a chaufer and waste MY gas. Or like, print stuff and I would say... "Well, you gunna look after my kids?". But I'm rude and big mouthed like that so I dunno if being a smartass will be good for you, haha. But it saves me from doing things I shouldn't be doing anyways.

But most def. let your boss know that you don't mind doing a bit of extra things but if they need your help - it should be a task where it won't take you away from the front desk. Don't be a chicken, chicken... just tell them once they're back. Ha.

[magneticheart]

She's being unreasonable to expect you to do this whole extra amount of work imo.
If she was asking you for a favour every now and then that didn't take you away from your desk for very long then I don't think that would be TOO bad but at the end of the day you don't even work for her! If she wants someone to do all that stuff she should hire someone. She's totally taking the mick! Your job is at the front desk so you shouldn't be away from there for very long. You should just take your boss to one side when she gets back and just let her know that you're not lazy but you don't appreciate the extra workload the architect woman gives you and you feel that it stops you from doing your job to the best of your ability. I don't think she can argue with that.
Hopefully this woman will get off your back to soon. Jeez, when the woman flips over board markers I'm glad I don't work with her! I don't have as much self control as you, I'd end up screaming, "It's a marker! Get a grip woman!!" LOL

[kbella]

Don't they have assistants?
It's not your job to print 200 page book...front desk comes first..what if a client shows up and no one was there to welcome him or anybody else for that matter, hate to say this but you will be the one to blame.
This lady is obviously picking on you, I would definitely write a short brief email to my boss to notify her, before anything else happens.

Good luck.

[S. Lisa Smith]

Originally Posted by kbella

Don't they have assistants?
It's not your job to print 200 page book...front desk comes first..what if a client shows up and no one was there to welcome him or anybody else for that matter, hate to say this but you will be the one to blame.
This lady is obviously picking on you, I would definitely write a short brief email to my boss to notify her, before anything else happens.

Good luck.

I agree. If your boss is still sick, I'd wait until she gets back. Give her a day to get back into the swing of things and then say " I was asked to copy a ton of stuff (do they talk like that in OZ?) and it took me away from my dest for a long while. What do you want me to do/say if it happens again?" Then you'll know what to do next time...good luck!

[magosienne]

i second Lisa's advice.
your job is first to be a receptionist, so you have to be there in case someone comes in or calls. i think it's part of your job to be without activity for a while, you are here to welcome the visitors, but you don't make them come to you.