Admin Pro Forum
Share best-practices with your administrative peers. Pose a question, offer advice, or just be a fly on the wall.
Question: My company is looking for a permanent part-time person for two days a
week. The job description is filing, scanning and backing up the
receptionist. We are not having much luck finding someone for the
position. The applicants we’ve spoken to seem overqualified, and we
think they will get bored easily. Any suggestions? We are in Orlando,
Florida. - Anonymous
Question: My company will not allow administrative professionals to have their own business cards. We must use our superior’s card and write in our names.
Since they won’t budge, I would like to know the proper way to add an admin’s name to the card so others know who the person is and how to contact the individual. Should the name be added to the front or the back and where should the admin write in the contact information? - Anonymous
Question: We have a company policy that does not permit employees to make/take personal phone calls during business hours without a supervisor’s permission. I have an employee who has been warned verbally and in writing for abusing the policy.
Co-workers have complained that the employee makes personal phone calls while I am out of the room. My supervisor informs me that either myself or another supervisor must catch this person making the personal call.
If I leave the room and come back and suspect that a personal call is being made, the person pretends that she is talking to a customer. (This person is a customer service rep.) I am looking for any advice on this situation. - Darlene
Question: I will be attending a conference next week, and the program says
“business casual.” Should I wear a jacket, or just pants and a blouse? -- Anonymous
Question: I need to send a thank you letter to the families of some of our team
members who have been working extra long hours on a specific project.
This letter needs to tell the families how much we appreciate their
"spouse, mom, dad, etc." spending time away from their family. Got any
templates along those lines? I was hoping not to have to start from
scratch. -- Caron Nugent
Question: I am currently employed in Southern California, but I am looking for
employment in Dallas, Texas. I am an executive assistant and have an
excellent work record. I have applied for many jobs online that I am
completely qualified for, but I don't get any feedback. I believe this
is because I am not located in Texas. If I found employment in Texas, I
would give notice immediately here and move within two weeks. Is there
any way to find employment before relocating? -- Help
Question: How do you feel about being asked or
expected to make coffee in your office? If you are the first person to
arrive at the office, do you take it upon yourself to make it? What if
you are not a coffee drinker? Is it your duty/responsibility to brew up
a fresh pot every day? -- Anonymous, Los Angeles
Question: I report directly to the director and I also supervise the receptionist/secretary in our agency. The problem is dealing with the assistant director (AD), who is a bully. I have tried to let the bullying slide, but the receptionist/secretary has submitted a complaint to me on how uncomfortable it makes her feel when the AD screams at me.
The AD gets mad about things I have no control over. She also makes verbal changes on procedures and when we make the changes, she comes back and states she didn’t say that. I handle payroll and she will come in and make changes on payroll day. Then she comes into my office and hollers and screams at me because I had to add information into the payroll system. I have tried to speak to her. I have apologized to her. But she is a bully, and I am at the point that I may need to look for another position. The director speaks to her and she gets upset and hollers at him, too. He allows it, and then I get it even worse. --- Anonymous
Question: Last year, my boss reassigned my direct report to a new supervisor
because it "wasn't fair" that the supervisor didn't have a
direct-report secretary while one of her peers did. The consequence of
my boss's action stripped me of my supervisor status, thus preventing
me from attending any supervisor meetings and/or training sessions. Was
this a just act? I’ve had no performance issues and over 20 years of
excellent reviews. Any advice? -- Anonymous
Question: With the ever-rising cost of materials, especially gasoline, the need for
additional income has surfaced as a means of making ends go a bit
farther. As a single mother, I would like to do some work-at-home clerical
jobs to help with the budget. Has anyone had any experience with this
type of employment or do you know of any legitimate organizations that
offer at-home based work? -- Anonymous
