When I was on my way to the office (don't worry, I was at a stoplight) an email popped up informing me that my secretary wouldn't be in until the afternoon because her dog was sick. Seriously, you say? Your secretary called in because her dog was sick? Oh yes, and it is not the first time. Two weeks ago she called in and missed the entire day because her dog had diarrhea.
O.M.G. Some seriously bad words came out of my mouth when I read that email. You see, my secretary has not been present for an entire 40 hour week in at least the last 6 weeks. Twice she has overslept. About 5 times she has called in because she just didn't sleep the night before and was going to try to get some rest. Another time it was allergies. Oh, and she was throwing up one Monday because she "got too much sun" the weekend before (when she just happened to be out of town attending her high school reunion). Yeah, right.
So I was pissed this morning. Because my secretary had gone around me and asked the office manager if she could leave early last Friday. So all the crap I gave her on Friday got shoved in her inbox, and then she wasn't there to deal with everything I needed sent out today, so I had to go plead with the other secretaries (who are sick of picking up her slack) to take care of my projects.
She finally did show up this afternoon and was in a royally pissy mood. A paralegal was helping me index an upcoming document production, and I instructed to paralegal to use my secretary so that she could finish up as quickly as possible. Secretary informed Paralegal that she "might not have time to get to it." Bullshit. I had already handed all of her projects off to other legal assistants and I checked in with the associate with whom I share Secretary to confirm that she wasn't overloaded. So I specifically instructed her that this project was top priority, and once I intervened, she managed to actually help out but was none too happy about it.
I am just about ready to pull my hair out at this point. Until recently she has done a good job and had good work product. But lately her work product is slipping, she complains constantly, she tries to wiggle out of work and the unreliability is insane. I have never in my adult life overslept for a job. Or called in because I was just too tired. And I sure as hell didn't call in because one of my animals was sick.
I've talked to her and so has our office admin. At this point I think she is trying to get fired so that she can collect unemployment. But my firm hates trying to hire new people, and therefore nobody ever gets fired. We have another secretary who is rude and hateful and a miserable person to be around (even to Big Boss) and she is still around. (She has been on vacation for the last week and it has been so quiet and peaceful!)
The funny thing is that my firm has the nicest lawyers of any firm I have ever been in. There are no major assholes. I guess you have to have some crazy somewhere in an office--but in a law firm you usually expect it to be the lawyers, not the staff.
5 comments:
So freaking annoying. It's like when my boss hired his lazy, asperger's stepson as a legal assistant in our office dealing with sex abuse victims. Genius!
Have you checked out the "No Asshole Rule" book? Wonderful for making civilized workplaces. Now if you can get your Big Boss to read it, it'd be perfect.
while it sounds like your sec is abusing it and probably making it up, sometimes it IS necessary to stay home with a sick pet - either to give them medication or make sure they don't get worse. a vomiting pet can end up very, very ill in a short period of time if left alone for 12 hours during the day.
If my pet were so ill that I felt it couldn't be left alone, I would board it at the vet for the day to ensure it was being monitored and cared for. I just don't think a sick dog is a valid excuse for missing work, at least not when not preceded by a rash of other absences.I sure as heck couldn't cancel a hearing or deposition because one of my animals was sick.
Ugh, that really, really sucks. Can you and the office admin put her on a written performance plan? I know the firm doesn't want to fire her and have her collect unemployment but perhaps something forceful in writing might make her realize the gravity of the situation? I hate (HATE!) the "I don't have time" bullshit. I have never said that in my life. Drives me nuts. Have a coworker that does it and spends half the day on her cell. Grrr.... The problem is that people get away with this behavior!
That's insane. One of those things on their own would be annoying, but acceptable, everyone has stuff that comes up. But all of it? Plus a bad attitude? That's totally unacceptable in any job.
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