Comments on: What to do when your assistant sucks

By: Save the Assistants -- Workplace Horror Stories, Job Search Tips, Bad Boss Guide

Save the Assistants -- Workplace Horror Stories, Job Search Tips, Bad Boss Guide — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:12:59 +0000

[...] wanted to hate this article, really we did, just from the title: What to Do When Your Assistant Sucks. Thing is, we take [...]

By: california

california — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:57:30 +0000

WOW, power tripper in the house. I guess if it makes you feel better about yourself then by all means keep on b/c EVERYone surfs the net on the job just to take a mental break for a few minutes. lol, give me a break.

By: Lawyer's Right Hand

Lawyer's Right Hand — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:27:06 +0000

MK: You don’t mention whether the two fired employees had performance issues. I submit that a little personal Web surfing isn’t a problem as long as work is getting done to your satisfaction. If it isn’t, then everything changes, of course. But if it is, who is to say that a quick visit to MySpace is any different from, say a smoker going outside every hour or so for a cigarette, or anyone stopping to use her office phone to make a dental appointment or return a call from her kid’s teacher? And what about the two legally-mandated 15-minute breaks every hourly employee is entitled to each day?

If you want to recruit and keep good employees, you might want to relax a bit. Self-motivated people don’t like being watched over as if they were recalcitrant children.

On the other hand, you could just revoke your staff’s Internet access. That would eliminate the problem. While you’re at it, take the phones off their desks, too. You wouldn’t want anyone using firm equipment for their personal communication.

Oh, and tell all your smokers they have to quit.

By: MK

MK — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:08:50 +0000

I’m an attorney … just left a big firm. Hired and fired 2 newer hires. I decided to tell everyone that in a small office you can’t hide, and the work needs to be done.

for each one I found the transgression and brought it up generally to the staff at 2 meetings … I am seeing now that use of the net is a huge problem.

told the staff … NO web surfing on company time. there is a cafe in the bldg with wi fi, and if you want to do that at lunch go ahead. all agreed.

the next day, each surfed the web — myspace — and each was gone.

can’t fix that. so get rid of them.

By: Shelby

Shelby — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:29:35 +0000

Being a former assistant myself - yes. agree. do these things.

By: Shelley

Shelley — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:35:52 +0000

That is SO much better than my Google claim to fame — “how to get blood out of carpet.” Sigh.

And it’s great advice, too. I can’t believe how few people know how to interact with their assistants.

By: Not that this applies to any readers of this blog… « Lawyer’s Right Hand

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:08:56 +0000

[...] any readers of this blog… PT-Lawmom has done some plain speaking about a taboo topic: the sucky legal secretary. Of course none of us is one, but we all know one, don’t we? PT addresses her post to lawyers [...]

By: LRH

LRH — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:56:44 +0000

Excellent post! I just hope some lawyers read it. Glad you’re feeling better.