Sounds to me like your boss in on a power trip.  He/she has no right to make people feel like, whether it is intentional or not.  You are entitled to know beforehand exactly what the meeting is about - that is basic decency and human rights if you ask me.

It's happened to me in the past but I really wouldn't put up with it if it happened now.  Distressing people over such things is just not on in my books.  If it was me, I would be asking for a meeting sooner rather than later because I have some issues to discuss too - this would take him/her aback a bit.  If they wouldn't tell me what the meeting was for, then I would say "OK, I suppose I can just bring my issues to the meeting too."   When the meeting arrived and he/she reprimanded me, I would point out my concerns about how the situation was handled and the distress it caused me.

This isn't being "smart" or "clever" but if there's no other way to make it clear that this type of behaviour has no place in a modern working environment, you have to make a stand somehoe.

You must take action now, before you make yourself ill.  Take it from someone who's been there and back.  I can only tell you from my experience what I did in a similar situation and I hope it's of some help.

You've already done the right thing and explained to your boss that you feel you need some support, but you now need to go back to your boss and say that you have some deep concerns about the new workload and that being overloaded has started to affect your health.  

Explain that you feel concered that the quality of your work may be compromised because you haven't got enough time to do as thorough a job as you would like to.  Tell bossie that you want to deal with this situation now - you don't want people coming up to you in two/three months time complaining that you're not doing as good as job as before - and that you are not prepared to wait until you become ill through overwork and stress before someone takes action. You want to remain an efficient and effective team member and that you don't want to let the team down because you're overworked.

If the company is still not sensitive to your needs, you really need to consider moving jobs.  I know it sounds a bit drastic, but please don't wait until you have made yourself really ill - stress-related illness is horrible.

The way I look at life is that you only get one ride on this planet - it has to be as enjoyable as possible. We have to accept that work will always play a big part in your life, but I will never let it make me feel miserable or ill again.

Take care - hope everything works out for you.

Let's use this moment to remember everyone around the world who's lost their lives to terrorists throughout the years.

God Bless them all - may peace prevail.

Well as it's been a bit quite in here lately I thought I'd bring this one up.

What does everyone think about a possible war in Iraq.

Being from the UK, I can give your my perspective.  I think it's wrong - I know that things in Iraq need to change, but surely there's some other way to do this rather than bomb people?  I would have thought the combined Intelligence Services on US and UK could have orchestrated a coup or something.

Most people in this country (if you believe statistics) are against the UK getting involved.  It's even been mooted that Tony Blair would lose his job if he decided we were going to war.

Just wondered what everyone else thought.

Groan!!

I think you are very sensible, Countrigal.   A child on it's own in any situation is a target these days.

Just this weekend, just as it was announced that the two young girls missing in the UK for 2 weeks had been found murdered, a 13 year old girl, whilst out shopping with her mother in a busy street, was grabbed in broad daylight as she left a shop just a few steps behind her mum.  Fortunately, she escaped.

The 2 girls from Soham were just more than likely going to the shop (a few minutes walk from their houses) when they were abducted.  It was a very small, very quiet village where everyone knows everyone else. They should have been safe, but they weren't.

Bringing children up has now become a precarious business - you have to be careful not to smother them whilst making sure that they are not snatched by some pervert.

This weekend, I have seriously questioned what the world is coming to.  

Please spare a thought for the families of two young girls that have been found murdered after being missing for two weeks in the UK.

They're disappearance has touched everyone here - their parents have shown so much courage during a very difficult time.

There is so much evil in this world that we cannot protect our children from.  It is so scary.

On a lighter note, has anyone seen Celine Dion's new video for "I'm Alive"?  They've digitally enhanced her face so much she looks like an alien.  Everyone's talking about it here, and I thought they were exaggerated until I saw it myself.

Just a word of support.

It's always good to do these feedback exercises, but please don't ever take them to heart.  

I have been involved in these things in the past where comments have been misinterpreted, people who have niggles and grudges against others 'get their own back' by making comments that really aren't justified and others just didn't think about the effect on the person of what they were saying before they said it.

What I learnt from my experience was that you take them with a pinch of salt.  

I much older and wiser now - I was a lot younger when I was told that I was too humble, too nice to people, needed to be more ruthless (what's that all about - I was only working in an office???)  and was made to feel that I was stupid.   I really did take it to heart at the time and made myself very ill over it.  Thank goodness I left that company but it took me a long time to realise that it wasn't me that had a problem.

Sorry - just had to rant.  

I'm sure that's illegal in the UK.  They misled you - we're having something similar over here where electricity and gas companies are coming in and saying "I need to read your meter, just sign here please".  You then discover that you've moved electricity companies.

They're tightening up on stuff like this over here, thank goodness.

This is a really unfair situation to be in.

Have you thought about writing a handwritten letter to your boss and putting it through his door?  Be very professional - tell him you are very concerned that calls are going unanswered and that you think this might be affecting the business.  There are issues arising which you think he really needs to be made aware of because they will require a decision from him.  Ask if he could ring you at the office to talk about the specific issue because this really does need his attention and is something you can't make a decision on because you don't have the authority.

This approach is not one I'd normally take but if he really is ignoring your calls, there's no other way around it.

This guy has his own business and at the moment you appear to be keeping it running.  That's just not on - I don't want to be alarmist but it could mean that the company's in trouble (I know cos something similar happened to me once).

Good luck with the job hunting.

To all bossies out there.....

If you are unreasonable to your staff, you will lose them.  Serves you right!

Well done Bea - I hope you are very happy in your new job.

How about something along the lines of Business Services Assistant or Business Support Officer - this would incorporate the reception duties and acknowledge the support role provided.  

Clair

Have you tried http://www.theaa.com/getaway/index.html - it's the AA's own site, which gives you a list of hotels in specific areas of the UK and you can specify what rating and facilities you want.  I've found that AA ratings are usually a very good indicator of the quality of hotel (especially the food!!)

Kittie

Good going, Andrea.  We're all really proud of you!