Boss asking me to do personal stuff for his wife, friends, etc.

[Guest]

I hope someone can help me here - I work part-time for a very arrogant man in a one girl office. When I interviewed for this job (office position) it was doing typical office work from 9-2. This guy was just starting up his business.

 

I've been there 7 months and now I'm being asked to take on work for his buddy who runs an IT company (fixing computers) who doesn't even office with us. My boss wants me to help him out so he in return can get free computer services.

 

He said it would only entail 30 minutes a day keeping up with his calendar and billing hours for clients. I agreed if it was only 30 minutes a day but so far this IT guy has yet to follow through.

 

Next he tells me his wife's brother wants me to open up his bills and file them and track them in Quicken. He runs a dance studio. He said "He can be a major jerk" - I flat out said NO.

 

This pissed off his wife who is determined to get some kind of control over me. Today she calls him on his cell and asks him to get me to call people to confirm they will be attending her friends wedding shower.

 

I am a damn good secretary with excellent skills - I feel degraded and taken advantage of - I took this job only because it was a one-girl office working for one-person.

 

My boss is imposing on me to do other things like go pay his traffic tickets or go renew his overdue car registration! He doesn't want to stand in line. Well neither do I.

 

I don't like doing he and his family and friends personal crap. I love the office work related to the job itself but I'm also supposed to pay his wife's parents monthly bills (because supposedly they just can't keep track of their money).

 

I hate being asked to do demeaning stuff because other people are just too stupid to do it themselves. Who can't pay their own bills? Who can't use the telephone?

 

Another thing my boss does is he refuses to call anyone. I have to call up the person he wants to talk to, tell them why I'm calling, put them on hold then tell my boss I have that person on hold. Then he lets them sit there for a few minutes before he takes the call. This is so behind the times and rude.

 

His wife seems determined to get some kind of control over me. She doesn't work herself - she just calls to get me to do stupid stuff for her (that she is fully capable of handling herself).

 

Both my boss and his wife think they are movie stars and name-drop constantly, drive Corvettes and a Jag, have major egos.

 

I'm a working single mom and I just can't relate to these snobby people. Should I give my notice? I know no job is perfect but I'd just like to be treated as if I'm not lower class and the maid hired to do whatever they ask.

 

Any thoughts?

[tinktronik]

Either start looking for a new job, or agree to do the extras and set up a seperate billing like 2times but make sure your boss pays for it himself .

[TYASAFAHICSI]

Is he paying you what he agreed to pay you? Do the checks clear the bank? If yes there is not much you can do other than deal with it or quit.

 

As a start up, there are a gazillion little things that need to be done and possibly to the expense of the mundane and personal stuff. So he relies on you to be his girl Friday!

 

Maybe you can talk to him and explain that it is not what you had envisioned or what he described.

 

As for the wife--they can get like that. I had one and got rid of her. After we divorced, I found out that she would call my office and talk down to my employees. What a beyotch., But they all saw through her and basically told her that they would have to run anything through me.

[napoleandynamite]

Not only is this job a risky podunk little start-up company, but it's family owned. Working for a small family-owned business can be a real drag. I did it and I will never do it again. You work with the husband, wife, sister, brother, cousin, best friend, and crazy uncle! Usually many people I know, including myself, complain that when you work for these type of companies, you are the one that gets blamed for everything and gets stuck doing more than just scut work! Then, ultimately, when business begins heading south, who do you think they are going to terminate to save money? The wife, the sister, the uncle??? NO! It's going to be YOU!

 

On top of this, you have to deal with family related disputes that are quite unfair. In a regular company, where no one is related, you could address this formally to HR, but you don't have this option at a small family owned start-up business.

 

He's making you do his work because some bosses are like that. From what your post conveys to all of us, you were expecting to be more of an Excecutive Assistant or even a Secretary, when the job is really being a Personal Assistant.

 

When you interviewed for this role with the company, did you ask for a detailed description of what your job would entail? Where you advised you would be responsible for managing personal matters such as running errands and taking care of his personal calendar/etc?

 

If not, then you should address this issue to him immedietly and in a professional manner. Intimating you don't want to be his second wife is not the best approach to this situation. Tell him when you accepted the position, you did not expect to be managing more business-related tasks. Don't sound like you hate doing his personal tasks, maybe mention your concern with wondering why you are performing more personal tasks then business tasks...i.e. how is business itself going. Something along those lines, those are just brief examples.

 

In the meantime, look for another job and fast! I know it's the holidays, but jobs are always out there. If you are not happy with this type of work, find another secretarial position that is aimed towards assisting the boss with more work related tasks. Always be clear on all your duties when going on an interview...even when they tell you "other duties as needed" ask them what they percieve the "other duties" to be, as it may be something that turns you off completely and does not suit your interests.

 

good luck!

[love4ever]

It sounds like he is trying to make you into a personal assistant. I'd probably look for another job first. Then ask him he wants you to do all these takes he'll have to pay you more to be his personal assistant. If he isn't willing to do that I'd quit.

[blind_otter]

he's trying to make you his personal assistant. I had a job like that. For 2 weeks. Then in a meeting he was pissed that I didn't attend to his personal business and I got pressured into quitting.

 

Bosses like that are toxic. They bring you down little by little. If you can handle it, by all means, but I wouldn't.

[Porn_Guy]

Bosses like that are toxic. They bring you down little by little.

yep, these guys are like sharks lurking near a beach