2009 has been an interesting year in assistantland. Here are some facts and figures:
The most popular post of 2009 was actually a post from 2008 - the post where I announced that Kathy Griffin’s first assistant, Jessica Zacijek, was leaving her job. The #2 and #3 posts were from this year, and they were also about the Jessica/Kathy situation.
The most popular category of 2009 was, as it has been every other year since the site launched, “Horror Stories.” Refresh your memory with the story of the office Halloween grinch and a boss who earned the nickname Miranda Priestly 2.0.
The most controversial post of 2009, by a landslide, was a post about Susan Boyle getting her very own assistant. Some really militant Susan Boyle fans - some of whom had the same IP address - thought it was impertinent of me to suggest that Susan should be nice to her assistant.
On Administrative Professionals’ Day (formerly Secretarys Day) all of the support staff got taken out to lunch by their bosses. My boss told me to make sure to save my lunch hour for her because she needed my help with something. I thought maybe just maybe she was going to surprise me by taking me to lunch to celebrate the occasion and thank me for all of my hard work. Even when we pulled up in front of her house I thought she may have fixed a nice lunch at her place. Nope, she just needed me to help her put flea collars on all six of her cats. - Submitted by Nancy
My worst boss owned a printing company. He was trying to attract a new client. The client was a catholic seminary. The day before the client visit, my boss hung up crosses all over the company from the front door to the bathrooms. - Submitted by Karen C
The worst Boss we have installed microphones (bugs) in our cubicles so he could listen in, when we figure out the hidden microphones we started talking in codes or tune in a small radio and tune it to all talk station this drove him nut’s, he took the radio away but we still talk in codes till he got fired for being drunk on the job. (Yeah) - Submitted by Jimi
Looking for a new job in 2010? Well, here’s some good news - one of the ten best professions for job prospects next year is Executive Assistant. In other words - you!
Here’s what Careerbuilder (via Robert Half International) has to say:
Companies with leaner teams are looking for employees to take on a wider range of duties. Executive assistants who can wear many hats, support multiple managers and adapt readily to change are in particular demand. These individuals are likely to see starting salaries of $35,000 to $47,000.
In case you didn’t catch that, it’s a fancy description for “Combo Job.” But hey, at least it’s a job. If you’re thinking of switching careers, this list seems to indicate that you should probably check out IT or financial services.
I have heard of some pretty damn stupid reasons for getting fired, but this one is up there on the top ten list.
A German secretary, 59-year-old Magdalene, was charged with putting together a buffet of food for her boss and some of his guests. After setting up, she ate a frikadelle (a kind of German meatball, apparently) and two halves of a roll that she had made into an ersatz sandwich. After another employee reported her, she was fired.
Let’s see both sides of the story, shall we? First up, Magdalene’s lawyer:
“She was of the opinion that her behavior was acceptable,” said her lawyer Wolfgang Pinkepank. “Bread rolls and burgers left over after conferences are always given to employees to eat.” Magdalene had taken the sandwich beforehand, succumbing to a hunger pang.
And now, the company’s official response:
“Outwardly this of course seems like a trifling matter,” the company’s managing director, Hermann Schulte-Hiltrop, told Bild [a German newspaper]. “This is a highly sensitive case. When you lose your trust in someone you are left with a bad feeling.”
In case there was any confusion on this matter, I’m Team Magdalene.
The CEO of France Telecom, whose company has been rocked by the seemingly unrelated string of employee suicides over the last few months, has quit. Louis-Pierre Wenes was one of the executives who was criticized for creating unfriendly work environments that led to depression among workers. From the AP:
The latest suicide came last week, when a 51-year-old man jumped off a bridge onto a highway in the Haute-Savoie region. In a note found in his car, the father of two blamed his act on the “atmosphere” at his workplace.
France Telecom, which has 100,000 employees, has announced a raft of measures in response to the suicides, including suspending around 500 employee transfers that are part of an ongoing reorganization.
Management has asked employees to watch out for signs of depression and suicidal tendencies among colleagues. French Labor Minister Xavier Darcos has ordered an official to monitor France Telecom’s health and safety meetings following the suicides.
Ever worked for a company that let people bring their pets to work? I did, and when my cubemate brought in his cocker spaniel it made my whole day more interesting. Well, one office in Corpus Christi, TX, has the right idea. When an employee of the J.C. Elliot Landfill found a cute kitten among the garbage, he brought the kitty (named, appropriately, Elliot) back to work. Elliot is now the “office cat.” If you click this link about the story, you will find both an adorable picture of Elliot at work on his computer and a good Office Space joke. In the meantime, I’ve decided this is an excellent excuse to post one of my favorite kitty videos. This is really going to improve the quality of my Monday.
There are many awesome parts about this story in which a woman in Arkansas slipped tranquilizers into her boss’ cup of coffee. First, there is the fact that she put tranquilizers in her boss’ coffee. Then, there is the part where, when she got busted and was asked why she did it, she said, “he needed to chill out.” However, I think my absolute favorite thing about this story is that it was sent to me by my mom. I love my mom, but she usually just sends me cute pictures of cats. But it turns out she also has a good eye for potential Save the Assistants posts. Thanks, Mom! And remember kids, I’m not telling you to drug your boss.
I have heard of some pretty damn stupid reasons for getting fired, but this one is up there on the top ten list.