I'm posting this on behalf of a friend ...
My friend started working for a woman about a month ago. The interview process was a little odd and she did get feel a couple of warning signs but proceeded to accept the job when offered, as it is her dream industry and she's very good at her job. Plus, as her predecessor just up and left, she sensed some opportunities to create some great new systems and really make her mark.
There are just the two of them in this office and in the past couple of weeks the woman has been acting very strangely - texting my friend early in the morning to say don't come in as she doesn't have enough work for my friend to do (even though she's tasked her with a huge list of things); asking my friend what she's working on every half hour or so, then interrupting her to say something else is more urgent (it never is, and she's constantly stop-starting things so she forgets where she's at and wastes time tracing her steps). This woman sounds like a bloody nightmare to be frank (certainly to someone who likes structure and organisation). She's also really slack - doesn't get back to her clients, is late in getting stuff out to her clients ... just all over the show.
On Monday, this woman called my friend and said she was taking a few days off so she shouldn't go in; she then contacted her on Tuesday to say not to come back until next Monday as she won't have anything for her until then. My friend responded to say she had xyz to do, and this woman snapped back at her to say all of that can wait. A similar thing happened a couple of weeks ago when she told my friend something could wait, then barked at her a couple of days later about why it hadn't been done. My friend offered to divert the office phone to her mobile which this woman said would be a good idea. Today my friend emailed the woman as she received a call from a client chasing something up that was due days ago; in response, the woman called my friend and shouted at her for "daring" to work unapproved hours. My friend explained that she was only relaying a message that she had received via phone, and that she wasn't even charging for the time she's been spending answering the office phone, but this seemed to fall on deaf ears. This woman told her they'd discuss it on Monday before slamming the phone down.
My friend is beyond upset. She puts everyone before herself and often gets walked over, which I think is happening here (I told her this). In my view, this woman is taking advantage of her kind and generous nature and I think things will only get worse over time.
This latest situation is just the tip of an ever-increasing iceberg. I think the biggest issue is the clash in personalities - this woman is extremely messy (she has three desks, all littered in paper, scribbles notes to herself which she struggles to understand afterwards, forgets things ... whereas my friend is incredibly organised and likes structure. This woman also sounds irritating - constantly running late, sighing and complaining about how much she has to do ... but she doesn't really get anything done as she spends too much time procrastinating.
I've suggested to my friend that she give notice and give a white lie of some description - that she has to care for a relative or something. I think if she told this woman it wasn't working out, she'd be out for revenge!
What advice would you offer to my friend?
PS: The job was meant to be five hours a day, five days a week but has strayed a lot from that (some days she's worked eight hours; others two; sometimes she hasn't gone in at all). She also had her carpark taken off her in week two, as someone from another business offered this woman more money for it.
My friend started working for a woman about a month ago. The interview process was a little odd and she did get feel a couple of warning signs but proceeded to accept the job when offered, as it is her dream industry and she's very good at her job. Plus, as her predecessor just up and left, she sensed some opportunities to create some great new systems and really make her mark.
There are just the two of them in this office and in the past couple of weeks the woman has been acting very strangely - texting my friend early in the morning to say don't come in as she doesn't have enough work for my friend to do (even though she's tasked her with a huge list of things); asking my friend what she's working on every half hour or so, then interrupting her to say something else is more urgent (it never is, and she's constantly stop-starting things so she forgets where she's at and wastes time tracing her steps). This woman sounds like a bloody nightmare to be frank (certainly to someone who likes structure and organisation). She's also really slack - doesn't get back to her clients, is late in getting stuff out to her clients ... just all over the show.
On Monday, this woman called my friend and said she was taking a few days off so she shouldn't go in; she then contacted her on Tuesday to say not to come back until next Monday as she won't have anything for her until then. My friend responded to say she had xyz to do, and this woman snapped back at her to say all of that can wait. A similar thing happened a couple of weeks ago when she told my friend something could wait, then barked at her a couple of days later about why it hadn't been done. My friend offered to divert the office phone to her mobile which this woman said would be a good idea. Today my friend emailed the woman as she received a call from a client chasing something up that was due days ago; in response, the woman called my friend and shouted at her for "daring" to work unapproved hours. My friend explained that she was only relaying a message that she had received via phone, and that she wasn't even charging for the time she's been spending answering the office phone, but this seemed to fall on deaf ears. This woman told her they'd discuss it on Monday before slamming the phone down.
My friend is beyond upset. She puts everyone before herself and often gets walked over, which I think is happening here (I told her this). In my view, this woman is taking advantage of her kind and generous nature and I think things will only get worse over time.
This latest situation is just the tip of an ever-increasing iceberg. I think the biggest issue is the clash in personalities - this woman is extremely messy (she has three desks, all littered in paper, scribbles notes to herself which she struggles to understand afterwards, forgets things ... whereas my friend is incredibly organised and likes structure. This woman also sounds irritating - constantly running late, sighing and complaining about how much she has to do ... but she doesn't really get anything done as she spends too much time procrastinating.
I've suggested to my friend that she give notice and give a white lie of some description - that she has to care for a relative or something. I think if she told this woman it wasn't working out, she'd be out for revenge!
What advice would you offer to my friend?
PS: The job was meant to be five hours a day, five days a week but has strayed a lot from that (some days she's worked eight hours; others two; sometimes she hasn't gone in at all). She also had her carpark taken off her in week two, as someone from another business offered this woman more money for it.