Grouchy Rant

[supergirl]

Well, the day had to come, and this was the day.  After severe layoffs due to a budget crisis, my school is suddenly running with 4 fewer administrative employees.  Yesterday there were 9 of us.  In addition to sorrow at losing respected colleagues, those of us who are left are dealing with issues like: whose job is it to go shopping for special lightbulbs for the classroom building? where IS the toilet paper? (no one is in charge of facilities). Who will check and respond to all the phone messages in  the departments that are now unstaffed?  

It is maddening because the board is, of course, unavailable to see us dealing with the results of their decisions.  They fired everyone and went off on summer vacation.  We are all picking up the orphaned departments as best we can, in addition to doing our own jobs.  At least I am hourly, and will be paid for what I do.  The salary people are just being pounded with work, because they don't have to be paid extra.

It's amazing how frustrating it is when the simplest things go wrong--and how long everything takes.  I am dreading the first time I have to carry all the trash and recycling out, or when the computers go down and none of us "survivors" know how to fix them.  It's only Day One--I suppose I'll adapt.

Supergirl

[gee4]

Typical of most companies - act first and worry about the consequences later!

G

[uberpa]

I so feel for you!  Keep your spirits up.  All you can do is the best that you can and plod on sometimes especially if complaints will only fall on deaf ears.   Many companies think Admins are  a dime a  dozen and that one can do the job of 5 so why pay  5!

Our Office Manager is going through something similar.  They fired the Admin Asst a few  months   ago because I was  in the office, they felt she could do the job of 2+ and I would help even though it's not remotely connected to my job as a PA to the MD.  I do help her out of courtesy because I like her and I feel for her because I really could get away with not doing  it if I wanted to as my boss is the first Priority always.  Now that I am going she won't have any help another consequence of the guy in charge of the office getting rid of us so he can have a big office.  He is going to lose a really stellar Office Manager because he can't see how over worked and under appreciated she is.