Meeting with Boss - the results.......

Mrs_Sparkle

Can I just say that this really isn't the professional way of doing things. If he had something to say to you about use of the net or whatever he should have done that in work, not taken you out to lunch. Lunch should be a pleasurable treat!

I'm glad you're ok though and I hope the next lunch you get treated to is more enjoyable :-)

leon103

Was expecting more

cazziebo

Mrs_Sparkle wrote:

Can I just say that this really isn't the professional way of doing things. If he had something to say to you about use of the net or whatever he should have done that in work, not taken you out to lunch. Lunch should be a pleasurable treat!

I'm glad you're ok though and I hope the next lunch you get treated to is more enjoyable :-)

I will often meet with people outside of work because sometimes it's a much better environment to discuss certain issues. For formal meetings such as performance reviews or disciplinaries then certainly it should be at the workplace.

If I wanted to give someone a gentle nudge about too much surfing during working time then I may well do what Loopy's boss has done and mention it during this kind of "chat". I would be a bit p***** off if no notice was taken of it though....and raise it more strongly next time.

Cazzie
xxx

gelato_cat

Glad you're OK! I'd been looking at the other thread.

I just wanted to put another POV across, as I line manage a team and look at things like this from another angle - and it seems like there have been a lot of responses from the point of view of people who are putting themselves in your shoes.

Firstly, it always makes me smile when people say "I've been given more work but no pay rise". (When is your appraisal by the way?) I would only give a pay rise if my employee had taken on more responsibility or shown exceptional achievement (and the reward in the latter case would probably be in the form of a bonus rather than a pay rise). Taking on more work has never warranted a pay rise on its own at any place I have worked.

With regard to the friendly chat about using your mobile and the Internet, I'm afraid if someone on my team told me that they didn't have enough work to do, had asked others for work and when this failed they resorted to spending their spare time on the Internet and phone, I wouldn't be impressed. From what you say, your job has something to do with marketing, which I know a bit about. You could have shown some initiative and proposed a new project and seen it through to completion - this would have given you brownie points and more ammo for the appraisal when you are asking for rewards. It didn't seem as if you had gone to your boss complaining that you didn't have anything to get on with, as he's saying that he has more work to give you - which you didn't previously know. I'm just saying it would have been better if you'd gone to him a few weeks ago and said you wanted to get involved with more work rather than say it after he'd had a grumble at you for spending too much time on the phone and Internet.

You and your boss obviously differ over how much time you are spending on the phone, but he has noticed it and thinks it is too much. I am not too sure why people think they are entitled to make personal calls during work time - I mean if it's an emergency then fair enough, but you are there to work. The same goes for surfing the net - I'm surprised that some employers allow people to have "surf time" - is this outside of breaks? He is probably thinking "she does work late, but then I haven't asked her to, she's not busy in the day and she spends a lot of time on the Internet and phone anyway, so it all evens out in the end". So if you're getting paid X but not working to full capacity and then are given more work, why should he pay you more? As far as he's concerned, it's just keeping you busy during your contracted hours of work because you are currently underutilised. Basically I work out capacity, give my people the relevant amount of work, let them get on with it and if they faff about during the day they have no option but to stay late to get it done. It's not like I gave them too much to do in the first place.

I hope this hasn't come across as harsh, but they are just my thoughts from the details you have given - an opinion from the "boss" POV!

Suze

loopyloulou wrote:

Hello you crazy people!!

What did I start eh?! Your posts made me chuckle (I still havent read them all!) LOL

well this is what happened with the meeting.

We walked to the pub in dodgy silence (which made me more scared!) sat down in a very quiet corner and he had his notebook and pen (very worrying!) he asked me if I was still enjoying working there etc, and he said he wanted to talk about what we both could do to improve the way things work in our team etc. I suggested a couple of things and so did he. So we had a list of things we both need to do re marketing etc.

Then he had a moan about me being on my mobile in work hours (I very rarely do, and never use the work phone) so I told him that (and reminded him that I do over an hour of overtime every day without getting paid for it) and then he mentioned that he thinks Im on the net too much. (honestly I am only on here when I have nothing else to do and not as much as most people in our firm!). So I explained the situation and said I always ask around if I have nothing to do to see if others want help and he suggested that when I have no work to do to "pretend I am busy - for perception purposes!"

I said I would like to take on more work and get more involved which he is happy for me to do (which means he has to give me more work) but no mention of payrise. There were lots of positives and the phone and net thing was a "friendly word" so that the Big Boss doesnt notice. (I have probably focused on it more than anything else cos it annoyed me!!)

I must admit I was more than a little peeved, as there are far worse offenders in our department, that get away with it but they are obviously sneakier than me!! LOL

So wasnt all good, and no pay rise or promotion (and I did go home feeling angry and gutted), although if I am taking on more work, I can at least raise it in my appraisal and then ask for more money!!

Sorry not as dramatic as expected!! LOL

But thanks all the same for all your lovely and entertaining messages.

love

Loopy xxxxx

gelato_cat

Blimey. That's like saying "if they don't want you to use the phone to make long personal phone calls, they should either not give you a phone or block all your mates' numbers"! Just because it's there, doesn't mean you have the divine right to make use of it for non-business purposes...

Suze

tinkerbell212 wrote:

My feeling is that if they do not want you to use the net, they shouldn't give you internet access or only access to sites that you need to do your job!

CFC

Hear hear Suzey.... you pipped me to the post!

gelato_cat

<relief>

I thought everyone was going to be yelling at me! :eek:

Suze

CFC wrote:

Hear hear Suzey.... you pipped me to the post!