Season of Sharing at Fairygodboss!

55 Comments

1. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 5:57PM UTC

   At the beginning of my career I had to carry a stack of extremely heavy books from my office to my apartment one night so that I could meet my boss where her train got out the next morning to give them to her. The best part was, her stop was only a few blocks away from our office, but she didn't want to have to walk to the office in the morning to grab them & she didn't want to carry them the night before so she made me do it instead. Even though her commute was door-to-door and mine involved 20 minutes of walking! It was the most ridiculous thing.

2. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 6:24PM UTC

   Have you seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada? Sounds too familiar to your situation, wow!

3. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 6:17PM UTC

   Once I was asked to drop off my boss' dog at a doggy day care during my lunch break. I was an intern at the time and we worked out of her apartment, so boundaries were already a little too blurry. She even gave me her credit card to pay — I was still in college and felt way too trusted. It ended up fine but I was definitely uncomfortable and would push back had it happened today.

4. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 6:23PM UTC

   I feel like interns are even more susceptible to unreasonable requests! That's a bit more on the too personal side for me.

5. JasNovember 3,2021 at 6:37AM UTC

   Sounds like she was Miranda Priestly + Morticia Addams!

6. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 7:08PM UTC

   This is a blurry line, but at a previous job, I was told I would be traveling to Ohio that same week for work that we previously decided was unnecessary. And travel was not part of my job for the 3 years up until then. I obviously went and got the job done, but I felt a little unprepared in work and handling things at home without the heads up...

7. AnonymousNovember 1,2021 at 8:17PM UTC

   I was asked to take my boss' cat to the vet for an enema once a week. I handled it by taking the cat to the vet. LOL I was in my early twenties and did not know how to set boundaries. I also babysat this cat when the boss travelled.

8. C AllenNovember 2,2021 at 12:32PM UTC

   My female boss invited us (myself and 2 other office ladies on staff) to a Christmas get together for a women's group at her church. Upon arrival it was quickly realized we were to be "the help" and had to help setup and cater/serve the attendees. I was young, had I been more wise, I would've handled this VERY differently. The nerve of some people. . . .

9. Melissa NobileNovember 2,2021 at 12:38PM UTC

   Not me, but my husband. Once Covid hit, the admin worked from home. It was her job to let the cleaning and delivery people into the “SCIF” (super secure office) and watch them… please note: that cannot be done from home.
   They asked my husband who is very senior in his position, arrives at the office by 5:30am, and who commutes a long distance to do this. His reply: I would make a very expensive chaperone. I am too busy, and you don’t pay me to watch the cleaners.
   Their reply: Well, if you don’t stay, the cleaners can’t go in. Can you bring the trash out?
   His reply: No. Not my job. Get the Admin back to do the job.
   They found someone else. (Just as expensive, but far more tolerant of this type of request.)
   20 months later, the Admin is back - 2 days a week. Baby steps…

10. Madam anon663November 2,2021 at 12:49PM UTC

    I was an admin a long time ago to a Medical Director. She asked me to go buy her panty hose one day. I deliberately bought the wrong color.

11. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 1:54PM UTC

    hahahaha XD

12. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 1:30PM UTC

    Made funeral arrangements for my boss’s parent. Travel arrangements, meeting with the church and funeral director regarding logistics, created a photo slideshow of the deceased, probably other tasks I don’t remember. He was grieving so I just went with it but it was uncomfortable and not appropriate. That was the worst but not the only time I was assigned duties that were outside of normal work boundaries . The good news is that job helped me to learn the importance of staying within my scope and I’m much better now at doing so.

13. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:19PM UTC

    Oh my goodness I didn't think I would read this today, you would think that planning a funeral would be too personal of an ask!

14. AnonymousNovember 9,2021 at 3:58PM UTC

    Exactly. I've heard of doing personal tasks but this is WOW!

15. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 1:33PM UTC

    I have a few:
    Once I was asked to FedEx my boss's daughter's dirty bikini to her because she forgot to pack it.
    Another time I was asked to print out labels for his other daughter's science fair project.
    A third time I was asked to have his mistress's jewelry fixed by someone in the office and lie and say it was for his wife.
    I was NOT his personal assistant...

16. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:21PM UTC

    You would think your boss would leave out the fact he had a mistress from the office... wow the nerve of some people.

17. uberkuhlgirlNovember 2,2021 at 1:34PM UTC

    I worked customer service / graphic design at a small company. The women that worked in the office had to vacuum it once a week and we took turns cleaning the ladies room. When the owner started requiring us to also clean the men's room because "men just don't get it clean enough", I started looking for another job.

18. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 1:51PM UTC

    It's not exactly what I've been asked to do but I've had direct reports that repeatedly need reminding in order to just fulfill the basic requirements of their job. To be clear, this is after setting very clear requirements and giving training.

19. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:14PM UTC

    I worked in finance at a smaller company, and when someone on the legal team left, I was reassigned the majority of their duties. Like, what?? I had zero training (or interest) in taking on such a drastically different scope of work. Worst of all, I found out these new “duties” via email and then received a quick in person confirmation. No discussion whatsoever. I left within 6 months, as this was only one instance of a poor culture that I was not wanting to be part of.

20. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 2:49PM UTC

    Gee, I wonder why the person in the legal department left...

21. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:21PM UTC

    In retail in college at a big box home improvement store...

    I was once asked to pull cactus prickles out of a lady's backside after she backed into a display of cactus. I once was asked to climb a wall of toilet seats to get the one they wanted.

    In the corporate world, I had to do my job plus another colleague's job because he "had a very important task to do" (basically researching and implementing salesforce.com, which he never did. So I got to do both of our work while he basically goofed off for about 4 months before he left for another job. He made double what I made, too...)

22. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:50PM UTC

    I interviewed for an administrative assistant position in Atlanta many years ago & am glad I wasn't offered the job. It was with the CEO of a cleaning business, one that she had started from scratch. In addition to the regular office duties, her assistant was expected to walk & take care of her dogs (she brought them to the office), take care of her dry cleaning (literally, go to her house, pick up her clothes & drop them off at the cleaners, then pick them back up & deliver them back to her house), get to the office at least half an hour before her and have her breakfast ready and on her desk. Oh, and if she had evening plans, she expected her assistant to be on call should she need anything. All for the grand sum of $21,000 a year. I feel sorry for whomever wound up in that position.

23. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 2:57PM UTC

    I wasn’t necessarily asked as much as just presumed. I was working in aerospace and one of the senior engineers/managers brought her son into the office with her after a doctors appointment. She left him at my desk and went to her office and locked the door so her own son couldn’t get into her office to bother her.

24. Karen GongawareNovember 2,2021 at 3:29PM UTC

    And that is when you go down to her door, child in hand, bang on it and hand him over. Walk away.

25. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 9:48PM UTC

    Nah, instead I showed the child where my sugar stash was and let him have whatever he wanted. He was particularly fond of the chocolate covered espresso beans. Those kicked in just as I was leaving for the day and turned him over to his mother

26. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 5:31PM UTC

    In my previous role, there was a week where I had to call out every day because I had I injured my back and was struggling to stand, walk, and even sit. When I returned, my colleague was supposed to hold a training session for a new function for some of our staff. This had been the arrangement for some time. However, I walked in and was informed my colleague was leaving because she didn’t feel well and that I was to complete the training. I asked my manager if there was any way to postpone it at least a day as I was still struggling to walk and stand. He was adamant that it needed to be done that same day and that I should tough it out. At the same time, my colleague proceeds to slam the chair into the desk as she leaves. I turn to my manager and ask him if he was going to say anything to her. He said that it was okay because she didn’t feel good. I sat there in disbelief because I still had to facilitate the training despite not feeling well. I did so, sitting at my desk.

    No, I am no longer in that role or with that manager. I maintained a good relationship with the shift manager throughout the whole ordeal and she helped me find another role under her which saved me from the toxic situation.

27. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 5:33PM UTC

    I was asked to take over management of a struggling colleague, because my manager couldn't help her learn what she needed to do, or project-manage her tasks. I didn't get a change in title or pay (unofficially, they announced I'd be her 'interim Manager's without defining an end date), but I did help her get all of her work done in a couple of months, and then I gracefully stepped away from the situation by saying "Now that Sally has completed her projects, I'm going to hand the management responsibilities back to Mark." (Fake names, btw)
    And yes, I am still at this company....

28. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 5:36PM UTC

    A day after I gave birth I was asked to give notice to an employee in Europe that her position had been eliminated. I could barely sit up, but made the call from my hospital bed. Awful all around.

29. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 6:25PM UTC

    I just remembered this one... Our IT guy was completely clueless and since I had been interim IT - my degree is not even in IT and I had to fly by the seat of my pants to do it all - a lot of IT responsibilities would end up with me.

    I was 38 weeks, 5 days pregnant and had a check up. My doctor decided that the baby needed to be delivered that day. I called my boss and let her know what was up.

    The IT dude took it upon himself to FORWARD my office phone number to my cell phone number. My phone began going off like crazy right as they were getting ready to wheel me back for a section. My ex husband handed it to me and I answered. It was one of my Regional Vice Presidents. I told him where I was and he asked why I had answered my desk phone. Then it hit me.

    I called the IT guy, "Well, I figured you'd want your phone calls while you're out after having the baby."

    My ex called my boss and told her what had happened. She assured him that the forward WOULD be removed and that the IT guy would send a text message when he had completed it.

30. JasNovember 3,2021 at 6:21AM UTC

    Sounds like the IT guy was Mr. Bean.

31. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 12:48PM UTC

    HAHA!!

32. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 7:53PM UTC

    Jas, it was a comedy of errors working with him on the best of days...

33. Sabrina GlozerisNovember 2,2021 at 5:57PM UTC

    I was an administrative assistant at a dialysis clinic and was asked to pour urine from patient's overnight jugs into containers to be shipped to the lab. Without training on handling biological materials let alone a funnel. I've never once said something was not my job, but I noped out of that and refused to do it.

34. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 6:02PM UTC

    During my days as an executive assistant, I was once asked to hand-deliver mail to my boss's soon-to-be-Ex-Wife. I drove up to the house, with her watching me in the window, and placed the mail in her mailbox. I later found out that she said horrible things about me to my boss and to other coworkers of ours. I was young and didn't know how to say "I'm not comfortable doing that", and I also really looked up to my boss and didn't want to disappoint him. I now know my boundaries and would never accept that type of assignment.

35. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 6:54PM UTC

    My boss wanted to be cc'd on ALL my emails. Every. Single. One. Maybe that is not unreasonable to some, but for me it was overstepping and too much of her trying to control me.

36. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 3:52AM UTC

    I had this happen! It was such a weird violation of privacy, and created a really weird power dynamic.

37. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 8:43PM UTC

    That's why I am looking for another job. I recently found out everyone on my team is required to send their emails to her or her boss for approval. Many of these people have been there 10+ years.

    There is no way I am doing this for the remainder of the year, let alone 10 years!

38. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 2:42PM UTC

    I worked in a place where this was considered normal. I made this request of one employee because we had overlapping hours, and the people he sent emails to often asked me about emails I hadn't seen. Otherwise, this kind of micromanagement is 90% unnecessary.

39. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 7:15PM UTC

    I have a few examples, all from the same employer:

    1. I was invited to an event as a quest speaker. My boss did not like the idea that I would have non-productive time while waiting to speak so she told me to ask the event organizer to rearrange the event schedule to accommodate me.

    2. Same supervisor as above. I had three surgeries on my feet last year and had graduated from using a wheelchair to a walker and then a cane. In January we got a huge snow storm so I called my supervisor to let her know I would likely be late. She asked me to call my landlord to find out when he was coming to move the snow....at 6am.

    3. Again, same supervisor. She sent me to do a dangerous job for which I had been given no training or orientation of any kind. I told her I was not comfortable doing the task, but she yelled at me and told me I didn't have a choice because she was my boss and I had to do what I was told.

    4. You guessed it...same boss. She made me drive an additional 30 miles to return the office credit card because she didn't trust me to keep it overnight. She said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but you never know when something could happen." Yeah, so in other words, she didn't trust me.

    Is this 5? Last one, I promise....she (yes, same boss) asked for a doctor's note because I wanted to take the last hour of the day off so I could go home and elevate my broken foot for which I had been using crutches all week. In other words, it was pretty obvious that I wasn't faking.

    I'm sure if I thought harder I could remember more, but a promise is a promise!

40. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 12:47PM UTC

    WOW! Considering all that you endured, how did this all work out? What were the main lessons learned from a tried and tested unreasonable boss?

41. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 7:53PM UTC

    I was a legal secretary and this was 1999 - female attorney I was working for asked me to call her gynecologist and describe her itchy privates in detail. Because I’m kinda an a-hole, instead of getting up and asking her questions that the drs office was asking me, I was shouting them from my desk. All of the male attorneys in earshot closed their doors or walked away.

    Same attorney- spills a salad on herself and screams at my: clean me up now! My response- What are you f—-ing 5 years old ? I then decided it was a good time to go to lunch.
    This was my very last secretarial job before I went to law school. Don’t get me wrong, she was a very talented SEC lawyer, but otherwise a hot ass mess of a person.

42. Catherine GoveNovember 2,2021 at 10:41PM UTC

    I was asked to watch my boss' dogs so she could go get a bikini wax.

43. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 2:26PM UTC

    I worked in the veterinary community in a flood prone area of the south. One year during hurricane season, a mandatory evacuation for our area was announced and we needed to clear the kennel of the animals that were boarding whose owners were not able to retrieve them. The owner wanted me to take 3 dogs with me as I evacuated to a safe place until it was safe to return home. I had 2 dogs and 2 cats of my own to bring with me and physically could not fit any more animals in my car.
    The owner said they understood but made it quit obvious that they were rather annoyed that I wasn't being a "team player."

44. JaneNovember 3,2021 at 3:14PM UTC

    I was asked to take a disabled adult male client in my car alone to parks for enrichment with no training. After he tried to attack me it came out that he had a history of sexual assault. My boss had purposely withheld this from his file and then gaslighted me by saying it was my fault for wearing jeans. It was a small company and we had no HR - my boss was also the owner, CEO etc. Later, she (yes, SHE) made several sarcastic comments about me being “too sensitive” about the job.

45. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 3:42AM UTC

    The job description was for an administrative assistant and only included the usual administrative duties -- copying, filing, preparing invoices, answering the phone. All of which she also mentioned during the interview. The additional duties that I posted earlier about were nowhere to be seen in that job ad.

46. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 11:06AM UTC

    I was the office manager for a small company— just me and my boss. My boss was lazy and late a lot of the time. The office building was a separate building on his home property. Him and his wife got real comfortable with this setup so I have a few stories. I was young, mind you.
    On a few occasions he didn’t come into the office in the morning when he was supposed to. His wife asked me to make sure he got up. I’d call his house with no answer so I had to go into his house to wake him up. I walk in and he’s sleeping on the couch with his bathrobe open (underwear thankfully)! I backed out of the room and made a bunch of noise in their kitchen to wake him up.

    Another time his wife asked if I could help her take the house trash to the curb because he was still sleeping. I said sure but then she asked the next week and the week after that. I put my foot down at point and told her no.

    They had two little kids and my boss was to be home/ office at five because his wife had to leave. He was nowhere to be found and she comes into the office and says “ I need you to watch the kids. I don’t know where X is”. I told her I couldn’t, that I had an appointment to get to. My boss walked in 5 minutes later.

    The last straw was, over the weekend, him and his daughter made one of those small wooden derby toy car. He had tons of sawdust in his equipment studio that was all over the place. He asked me on Monday to clean it up. I did but put all the sawdust in his filing cabinet- LOL
    I left soon after that. I always wonder what went thru his mind or the next employee’s mind when they saw the cabinet full of sawdust.

47. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 1:40PM UTC

    I was appointed to a new position managing a grant-funded program that I did not know anything about. I was told to "manage it the best that I could". Within 4 days, my supervisor informed me that our director (who made the appointment) had finally read the grant requirements and I now needed to pass a few certification exams to be qualified for my new position. They were giving me 2 weeks to accomplish this task! I asked what would happen if I did not pass the exams and was told "we aren't sure what will happen". Since I knew I wouldn't be able to pass these exams with such short notice, I immediately called our HR director to inform her of the situation. I was worried that my call to HR would probably end my tenure at the organization, however, I also knew I wasn't going to be able pass the exams! Thankfully "calls were made" and it was decided that I wasn't required to take the exams. I'm still at the same organization managing the same program....

48. AnonymousNovember 4,2021 at 2:35PM UTC

    I was told to force a non-exempt employee that I supervised to work on Saturdays as needed without prior authorization for overtime. I questioned this, and then my boss backtracked and told me the procedure for emergency overtime authorization. A little while later I learned that a peer who has similar job duties complied with this.... and got into trouble for it. The person who was forced to work without OT pay was given a big raised and recategorized as exempt. My boss should have learned a lesson from this -- if it had been accidental. But apparently she knew darn well that she was asking me to break the law.

49. Joycelyn M. SiameNovember 4,2021 at 7:10PM UTC

    To work more than my share, but not being paid over time if I worked over time.

    To do work for my manager so they can take credit for it because they are "so swamped".

    To skip lunch breaks because something dire is needed.

    Being denied vacation request I put in months in advance because my manager decides last minute that they too want to go on vacation the same time I do.

    Honey, the list goes on and on... employers steadily take advantage of their employees, especially the hardworking ones because they try to squeeze you for all you have for their gain. This is why there is a mass job exodus going on now...

50. LouiseNovember 4,2021 at 7:40PM UTC

    Clean up messes every day before starting patient care ( cake, coffee, papers) from colleagues using my office after hours because they’re not held accountable and have master key to office

51. AnonymousNovember 5,2021 at 1:38AM UTC

    Go buy groceries with my boss's EBT card.
    She's on Food Stamps while earning an FT Salary of 70 grand per year. That's FRAUD! You are not gonna catch me on camera at the checkout counter with a card that's not mine! Ummm... NO!

52. AnonymousNovember 5,2021 at 2:37PM UTC

    Very Smart Lady!

53. AnonymousNovember 5,2021 at 7:35PM UTC

    I don't blame you. Please tell me you no longer work for her thieving a$$

54. AnonymousNovember 9,2021 at 3:49PM UTC

    I quit like 10 yrs ago.

55. AnonymousNovember 14,2021 at 11:59PM UTC

    To go and buy additional food for an event (because the HR Manager did not provide an accurate count in the first place) while I am preparing to go in for my yearly performance review with her in 5 minutes.