Employees speak out on unprofessional management requests
Canadian HR Reporter’s companion publication Administrative Assistant’s Update recently asked subscribers if they’d ever crossed a line for their boss, or if their boss had asked them to.
Pretended to be his wife
I think the worst thing I’ve done for one of my bosses is “pass for his wife” because he asked me to register his kids in their new school and take care of all the details about their bus travel, cafeteria tokens and the like. He was new in the company and was going to move his family to town in a few months. My guess is that he was supposed to register the kids in school but thought it was “woman’s work” and passed it on to me. Just like all the other stuff he asked me to do like go to the cleaners, get his watch repaired and pick up something at the grocery store for dinner. Thank God I got a transfer and didn’t work very long for that boss.
Bookkeeping in pencil
I refused the instructions of my boss at one place I worked. I was doing bookkeeping and was requested to make entries in pencil. Of course, I did not. It was only when I came to do the quarterly returns of taxes to the government that I understood the request. Since there was no one there to show me what to do, I looked back at the previous returns and sales figures to follow what had been done. It was then that I realized that they were falsifying the figures in order to pay less taxes. I left the organization shortly after.
False expense claims
I have had incidences where I’ve refused to do something that I felt was out of line. A few years ago, I prepared a claim for my boss after a business trip. He was one of four senior officials from our company on a mission to the Middle East. When preparing the claim, I noticed that several lunches and dinners had been hosted and paid by various companies so I didn’t claim the allowances for these meals. He said that the other team members were going to claim the meal allowances and that he would be expected to do the same. When I told him that I wouldn’t go against my principles by falsifying the claim, he reluctantly agreed and signed the claim as I had prepared it. He had to let the others on the team know of his decision because the claims are cross-referenced by our financial department for consistency. They were not too pleased with his decision and were obligated to follow suit. Although I am a very loyal employee, I would never compromise my integrity or my principles for any boss or organization.
Babysitting at the office
In one of my first office jobs (I was still in university at the time), on the days that my boss was supposed to stay home with his baby, he would bring it into the office and leave it with me to take care of, even though I had never babysat in my life and had no idea of what to do with a baby.
One day it spat up all over my blouse, he came and collected the baby and I went home and changed, and when I came back he had brought the baby back again, and sure enough, later that afternoon, I had another blouse to add to the laundry. I did tell him I knew nothing about babies, but I think I probably had more instinct than he had, and eventually his wife found out and put a stop to it and apologized to me.
Feeling guilty about illegal acts
When I was younger, I was asked to do something that was over the line. I did as I was instructed and then about a week later I quit for two reasons.
The number-one reason was that I felt guilty about what I’d done, and number two was that I felt if they did illegal things such as what they had requested of me, then I really did not care to be a part of their company anyway.
Helping boss play hooky
I can’t think of a specific incident/occasion when I’ve had to “cross the line” but we do almost everyday by “covering” for our bosses when they do not want to attend a meeting or have double-booked themselves or can’t make a decision as to which meeting to attend or would like to play “hooky” and the list goes on.
Avoid ethical conflicts
Although I am loyal to my employer, I would not willingly put myself and the company in a situation where any actions I took would be “over the line.” Any employer with integrity would not expect her assistant to undertake any task that would compromise her role within the organization.
Canadian HR Reporter’s companion publication Administrative Assistant’s Update recently asked subscribers if they’d ever crossed a line for their boss, or if their boss had asked them to.
Pretended to be his wife
I think the worst thing I’ve done for one of my bosses is “pass for his wife” because he asked me to register his kids in their new school and take care of all the details about their bus travel, cafeteria tokens and the like. He was new in the company and was going to move his family to town in a few months. My guess is that he was supposed to register the kids in school but thought it was “woman’s work” and passed it on to me. Just like all the other stuff he asked me to do like go to the cleaners, get his watch repaired and pick up something at the grocery store for dinner. Thank God I got a transfer and didn’t work very long for that boss.
Bookkeeping in pencil
I refused the instructions of my boss at one place I worked. I was doing bookkeeping and was requested to make entries in pencil. Of course, I did not. It was only when I came to do the quarterly returns of taxes to the government that I understood the request. Since there was no one there to show me what to do, I looked back at the previous returns and sales figures to follow what had been done. It was then that I realized that they were falsifying the figures in order to pay less taxes. I left the organization shortly after.
False expense claims
I have had incidences where I’ve refused to do something that I felt was out of line. A few years ago, I prepared a claim for my boss after a business trip. He was one of four senior officials from our company on a mission to the Middle East. When preparing the claim, I noticed that several lunches and dinners had been hosted and paid by various companies so I didn’t claim the allowances for these meals. He said that the other team members were going to claim the meal allowances and that he would be expected to do the same. When I told him that I wouldn’t go against my principles by falsifying the claim, he reluctantly agreed and signed the claim as I had prepared it. He had to let the others on the team know of his decision because the claims are cross-referenced by our financial department for consistency. They were not too pleased with his decision and were obligated to follow suit. Although I am a very loyal employee, I would never compromise my integrity or my principles for any boss or organization.
Babysitting at the office
In one of my first office jobs (I was still in university at the time), on the days that my boss was supposed to stay home with his baby, he would bring it into the office and leave it with me to take care of, even though I had never babysat in my life and had no idea of what to do with a baby.
One day it spat up all over my blouse, he came and collected the baby and I went home and changed, and when I came back he had brought the baby back again, and sure enough, later that afternoon, I had another blouse to add to the laundry. I did tell him I knew nothing about babies, but I think I probably had more instinct than he had, and eventually his wife found out and put a stop to it and apologized to me.
Feeling guilty about illegal acts
When I was younger, I was asked to do something that was over the line. I did as I was instructed and then about a week later I quit for two reasons.
The number-one reason was that I felt guilty about what I’d done, and number two was that I felt if they did illegal things such as what they had requested of me, then I really did not care to be a part of their company anyway.
Helping boss play hooky
I can’t think of a specific incident/occasion when I’ve had to “cross the line” but we do almost everyday by “covering” for our bosses when they do not want to attend a meeting or have double-booked themselves or can’t make a decision as to which meeting to attend or would like to play “hooky” and the list goes on.
Avoid ethical conflicts
Although I am loyal to my employer, I would not willingly put myself and the company in a situation where any actions I took would be “over the line.” Any employer with integrity would not expect her assistant to undertake any task that would compromise her role within the organization.
