Coworker A quit a year ago. Coworker B volunteered to take on one of the big reconciliations from that desk. The reconciliation takes 1/3 to 1/2 of the month to complete. I wanted it, but I let him take it because I thought that if he didn't get it, he would quit. He ended up hating it. I got it after he had done one month's worth of reconciling. A month or two into reconciling it, we noticed that there was an outstanding item on my company's side and the bank's side that should have cleared but didn't. Technically the reconciliation is not balanced. I started trying to resolve the issue, but coworker B quit. We were so swamped that I had absolutely no chance to work on it. We have been barely keeping our heads above water since A and B quit. Coworkers C and D just haven't quite caught on enough to be able to pull their weight.
I put in for a week off in May for a trip. My manager verbally approved the time off, so I booked the flights and hotel. My manager signed off on the approval and then verbally told me that my vacation is contingent on me fixing the reconciliation. So in January, I spent 4 days trying to redo the month that we think the issue is in (the one month that coworker B did). This reconciliation takes 10-15 days to do. Then I had other deadlines that I had to meet so I had to quit working on it. So after the month is over, my manager pulls me into her office and tells me that I am not allowed to work on redoing the reconciliation in place of our shared department duties. Coworker A who originally had this task was allowed to work on the recon instead of doing the shared department duties. The lady that had it before her even was able to. Apparently I am supposed to stay late and take the reconciliation home and somehow do at least 80 hours of work per month that I end up having to redo in my spare time. We really don't know for sure which month this error popped up. The same thing has happened years ago and the person ended up having to redo a whole year's worth of reconciliations. We had some major performance issues with coworker A before she left, so who knows if she was just trying to cover her mistakes by changing numbers and descriptions. I honestly think that it will end up being one of the months that coworker A did.
I don't know what to do. It seems ridiculous that I am supposed to spend all of my spare time fixing a mistake that I didn't even make. I'm already working 50+ hours a week trying to pick up all the slack. On top of this, I'm still studying for the CPA exam. I have no spare time. What am I supposed to do if vacation comes around and I haven't found the issue? Can she really make me spend my nights and weekend working on fixing a mistake that I inherited? I'm so freaking stressed out.
I'd have a conversation with my boss about how best to tackle this task. I would lay out what other projects you have on your plate, their estimated completion time, and a plan to finish the reconciliation. If I were in your shoes I'd probably include some OT, but certainly not 80 hours a week, but that all depends on the culture in your company.
Unless there's backstory here I'm missing, it seems reasonable to go to your boss and ask for help prioritizing your assigned tasks
She did prioritize my tasks. I have my monthly deadlines. Then the shared department tasks. Then fixing this reconciliation. My two other coworkers can't keep up so I'm stuck picking up their slack. Because I'm the person with so many time consuming deadlines that require 100% dedication, I should only be doing 15-25% of the shared work. I'm doing close to 50% of them on top of my monthly work that I am responsible for. I am the only one able to do my monthly work. My manager told me that fixing this mistake is an extra duty that I need to do outside of working hours.
I just feel like it is unreasonable to tell me that I need to fix someone else's mistake on my personal time. I'm the only one having to take work home besides the executive positions. My own manager doesn't even take work home.
Post by delawarejen on Feb 13, 2015 9:17:23 GMT -5
I hear you. (Always anxious accountant raising hand).
My very first month in my last position, I couldn't get something to reconcile. Eventually my boss figured it out when it got worse the 2nd month - the bank's records were wrong. Is there any chance your bank's records are wrong? Just throwing that out there.
I'm wondering if your old coworker plugged something along the line to make the numbers look pretty.
I guess it depends on your relationship with your boss at this point. If you have a boss you can be blunt with, I'd talk to them. It's possible that they're not really getting how much anxiety this is causing you, and they'd be willing to dial back a bit or give you more help.
Post by UnderProtest on Feb 13, 2015 9:36:11 GMT -5
I have no advice but just sympathy. When I was in accounting, I was told that all my work tasks where number one priority and just to get everything done NOW. I was also made to do reconciliations for YEARS prior for a company that was purchased by our company. There were no work papers and a manager in the group had already attempted it and failed (I was staff). The other managers were also told not to help me. It's giving me anxiety just thinking about it. Anyway, just commiseration that accounting people are unreasonable.
It doesn't matter who made the mistake. I get that if *you* made the mistake it would seem a little reasonable to spend nights and weekends finding and correcting the error. But no, even if employees from last year and beyond made the mistake it is now, in every aspect YOURS.
That being said, it makes no sense that your boss is treating you so unprofessionally. "A" quit a YEAR ago - but their replacements haven't replaced the work s/he was doing ?? You seem very wiling to gloss over that you have been swamped for a year and still haven't recovered from two relatively old job replacements. This sounds like a complete failure of management.
I get that the manager wants ALL the work done - but simply shifting it all to you, is really POOR management.
Do you have anyone to complain to? You have a pretty solid complaint if the job you are replacing "A" had relief form shared tasks for the month, and you do not. Especially in light of a severe and complicated error. I would focus heavily on SOLVING the issue and what you need to solve it (time, staff support, etc) and completely drop the whole "I inherited this" and really drop "I want to take my approved vacation in May". Those don't help you at all. Your company needs to reconcile this, full stop. Period. If you are the best person to do it - then do it. But push back that you have 4 people in the department and you are doing your old job and your new job! Push back on your manager directly or over her head. You have a really solid case.
ETA: "My manager told me that fixing this mistake is an extra duty that I need to do outside of working hours."
Did your manager put this in writing? Did you? If this remains your responsibility I would ask for comp time off or over time pay. Make a direct request to your manager and HR. I know you really want the time to do it during the day, but if you are being told "No" to that - then make the case that you need to be PAID or receive comp time for your extra hours. That makes it a HR/Labor issue. And it will force your boss to manager her team the way she is supposed to manage her team - not push all of the work onto you.
I hear you. (Always anxious accountant raising hand).
My very first month in my last position, I couldn't get something to reconcile. Eventually my boss figured it out when it got worse the 2nd month - the bank's records were wrong. Is there any chance your bank's records are wrong? Just throwing that out there.
I'm wondering if your old coworker plugged something along the line to make the numbers look pretty.
I guess it depends on your relationship with your boss at this point. If you have a boss you can be blunt with, I'd talk to them. It's possible that they're not really getting how much anxiety this is causing you, and they'd be willing to dial back a bit or give you more help.
At this point, we have no clue what it could possibly be. It's a huge account and there are a lot of ways this could have happened. My relationship with my boss is not so great. We have had a few disagreements and she just will not let the grudges go. I told her that I'm taking the CPA exams to try to get her to be more understanding of how I can't spend all of my nights and weekends taking work home. She pretended to be more understanding but then started hounding me more about why I'm leaving at decent hours and not taking a banker's box full of work home. I think she has unrealistic expectations of how much work I should be doing after hours.
It doesn't matter who made the mistake. I get that if *you* made the mistake it would seem a little reasonable to spend nights and weekends finding and correcting the error. But no, even if employees from last year and beyond made the mistake it is now, in every aspect YOURS.
That being said, it makes no sense that your boss is treating you so unprofessionally. "A" quit a YEAR ago - but their replacements haven't replaced the work s/he was doing ?? You seem very wiling to gloss over that you have been swamped for a year and still haven't recovered from two relatively old job replacements. This sounds like a complete failure of management.
I get that the manager wants ALL the work done - but simply shifting it all to you, is really POOR management.
Do you have anyone to complain to? You have a pretty solid complaint if the job you are replacing "A" had relief form shared tasks for the month, and you do not. Especially in light of a severe and complicated error. I would focus heavily on SOLVING the issue and what you need to solve it (time, staff support, etc) and completely drop the whole "I inherited this" and really drop "I want to take my approved vacation in May". Those don't help you at all. Your company needs to reconcile this, full stop. Period. If you are the best person to do it - then do it. But push back that you have 4 people in the department and you are doing your old job and your new job! Push back on your manager directly or over her head. You have a really solid case.
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ETA: "My manager told me that fixing this mistake is an extra duty that I need to do outside of working hours."
Did your manager put this in writing? Did you? If this remains your responsibility I would ask for comp time off or over time pay. Make a direct request to your manager and HR. I know you really want the time to do it during the day, but if you are being told "No" to that - then make the case that you need to be PAID or receive comp time for your extra hours. That makes it a HR/Labor issue. And it will force your boss to manager her team the way she is supposed to manage her team - not push all of the work onto you.
The reconciliation isn't tied to a desk. The lady who had t before A was in my position and we actually have the exact same duties. The duties wouldn't be so overwhelming if the other staff members were able to keep up with the shared work. I seem to be the only one that can breeze through it. Like in the time I do 50, C does 20 and D does 5.
I don't have it in writing that I'm not allowed to work on it during working hours. I know for a fact that they won't approve overtime or comp pay for all my extra time. I am a state funded job, so there is no way to swing that. Should I try to get my manager to put it in writing that I can't work on it during business hours?
This was my thought too which lends to what a poor manager this woman is. She's lost 2 people, their replacements aren't up to speed, and she's putting it ALL on one employee and threatening to not let the employee take vacation. Does she really think people will want to STAY in this working environment??
You have had repeated issues with job--ai would look for a new opportunity.
In the interim, you can ask your manager who many hours you should be working a week. Let her know your teammates aren't completing an appropriate portion of shared work.
Yes, you need a paper trail. And you can begin with an email that states - "Please confirm that during supervision on 2/10/15, you stated that my work duties include reconciliation of XYZ discovered by the former employee B after employee A left her position. And these work duties need to be completed after hours and on the weekend. Specifically, that I cannot expect that my co-workers to complete shared tasks so I can complete this reconciliation during work hours. Again, please confirm so I am clear on your directive and my responsibilities."
This may be a little heavy handed, but you get my point. Yes, you should have it in writing. I have a feeling that your boss will flip her shit if she sees this email and deny everything. So, you should have ANOTHER conversation, today, where she says it again - and then run back to your desk and email it back to her - to confirm.
I figured that HR was going to say no to overt time or comp time. That's why I recommend you ask for it. Because it's completely ridiculous that's she pushing you to do this much work after hours - for free. Your best point of leverage to get her to be reasonable is to ask for OT or Comp time from HR - because that makes it a labor law issue. Your boss can't defend this horrible management crap she's trying to pull with you. Especially as a state worker!!
I think we work in similar places. You're non-exempt, correct? If that's the case she cannot require you to take it home, but not pay you OT. I'm not sure your boss can require OT, even if she is going to pay you, but check your handbook. Sadly, while I have sympathy, the fact that you're studying for the CPA is not your boss's problem. It would be great if she understood that you need to balance work and personal life, but the details don't matter.
I hate trying to fix someone else's reconciliation, especially from so long ago, it makes me crazy. Then for it to me added on top of your already full plate is just crazy.
My suggestions are limited, you simply don't have many options. I would go back to your boss and tell her that you will not be able to take the work home and she needs to re-prioritize your daily tasks, but I don't expect that to work. Go to HR with documentation outlining how your boss expects you to take work home, but will not pay you OT. Cut back on helping out on shared tasks, expect C and D to pick up on the slack, and use that time to reconcile the report.
I think we work in similar places. You're non-exempt, correct? If that's the case she cannot require you to take it home, but not pay you OT. I'm not sure your boss can require OT, even if she is going to pay you, but check your handbook. Sadly, while I have sympathy, the fact that you're studying for the CPA is not your boss's problem. It would be great if she understood that you need to balance work and personal life, but the details don't matter.
I hate trying to fix someone else's reconciliation, especially from so long ago, it makes me crazy. Then for it to me added on top of your already full plate is just crazy.
My suggestions are limited, you simply don't have many options. I would go back to your boss and tell her that you will not be able to take the work home and she needs to re-prioritize your daily tasks, but I don't expect that to work. Go to HR with documentation outlining how your boss expects you to take work home, but will not pay you OT. Cut back on helping out on shared tasks, expect C and D to pick up on the slack, and use that time to reconcile the report.
We do work in similar places. Unfortunately I am an exempt employee so I'm not sure if much can be done about the overtime situation.
I'm glad you you mentioned that me taking the cpa exam is not my bosses problem. I do feel kinda silly expecting her to understand and come up with a different solution. It's just frustrating how she pushes me to take it and then makes it near impossible for me to study or take it. It's like she is trying to pretend to be supportive and encouraging but she is really just wanting to watch me fail (in general, not just the test).
Post by miniroller on Feb 13, 2015 11:47:12 GMT -5
Boo! Just wanted to send you sympathy vibes for this sucky situation, Steph! I don't have much advice at all, except to re-emphasize digging your heels in & not letting this suckass mgr take advantage of you, as she has been. It'd be really hard for me to bite my tongue when she commented on not taking work home- 'Well, if I was properly compensated; otherwise, it wouldn't be LEGAL...' Really hard, mean glare. So yes- you can see why I'm not the best for advice, sorry! But it's Friday!! Wohoo!!
Your manager sounds like an awful, miserable person, and based on your past posts about her, it doesn't sound like things are going to get much better. How close are you to being vested? I would just hold on until one day past your vesting date and then quit. Then finish your CPA exam as quickly as possible and look for a new job. Life is too short to put up with this kind of treatment.
ETA: There may be options between full-time employment and none. Maybe you can find something part time to keep a little income coming in. Or maybe there will be some short-term contract jobs you can take on here and there between tests.
Your manager sounds like an awful, miserable person, and based on your past posts about her, it doesn't sound like things are going to get much better. How close are you to being vested? I would just hold on until one day past your vesting date and then quit. Then finish your CPA exam as quickly as possible and look for a new job. Life is too short to put up with this kind of treatment.
ETA: There may be options between full-time employment and none. Maybe you can find something part time to keep a little income coming in. Or maybe there will be some short-term contract jobs you can take on here and there between tests.
She is a terrible person and its only getting worse. I will be vested here in a few months. If everything goes as planned, I could actually be finding out that I passed all of my tests right around when I vest.
I will be vested here in a few months. If everything goes as planned, I could actually be finding out that I passed all of my tests right around when I vest.
That would be great! Then you can quit immediately and look for a job with your new credentials. But I would really try to hang in there until then. Do the reconciliations, don't do them, pretend to do them, tell your manager what she needs to hear just to get you through until you're vested, and then split. Is your vesting date before or after your vacation? If it's after, I would push the vacation back if at all possible, so you can go after you quit, and enjoy being free of that heinous bitch forever.
So if I refused to do the recon 100% in my spare personal time, there is nothing wrong with that? That's what any normal person would do?
i wouldn't out and out refuse, but id put it at the bottom of my list. Do a little to say you're doing something, but I wouldn't stress over it. If your boss wants it done, tell her that you need to have time in your work day allotted to it.
So if I refused to do the recon 100% in my spare personal time, there is nothing wrong with that? That's what any normal person would do?
Well, yes, but I think there also needs to be some bigger-picture duty shifting. You mentioned that C and D can't do their share of the shared duties - is your boss demanding that they work overtime to get them done? If not, it's not fair that she asks you to do your work, some of their work, and this whole other thing with no help.
Normally, I would advise someone in this situation to talk to your boss and tell her that doing your work, which is the largest share, plus picking up your coworkers' slack, plus doing these reconciliations is just too much for one person, and that working 80 hour weeks wouldn't be sustainable even if you weren't studying for the CPA exams. But your boss obviously knows this and doesn't seem to care. I want you to stand up for yourself, but I don't want you to get fired 3 months before your vesting date. So you have to tread carefully, and unfortunately not knowing how your boss will react, I wouldn't feel comfortable saying how firm I think you should be.
That's why I recommended basically placating her until you can quit. "Working on it!" "Doing my best!" Take home a box and bring it back untouched if you don't have time. If you don't think you can get away with that, then talk to her again about the burden every time she hounds you.
ETA: Try not to keep talking about your CPA exam and how this isn't your mistake to begin with, because it detracts from the actual problems. Like I mentioned above, 80 hour weeks aren't sustainable even without CPA exams, so the exam is irrelevant here. And fixing someone else's mistake is part of everyone's professional life at one point or another. The problem here isn't that your boss is asking you to fix this problem, it's that she's is making it really, really hard for you to do so.
So if I refused to do the recon 100% in my spare personal time, there is nothing wrong with that? That's what any normal person would do?
Well, yes, but I think there also needs to be some bigger-picture duty shifting. You mentioned that C and D can't do their share of the shared duties - is your boss demanding that they work overtime to get them done? If not, it's not fair that she asks you to do your work, some of their work, and this whole other thing with no help.
Normally, I would advise someone in this situation to talk to your boss and tell her that doing your work, which is the largest share, plus picking up your coworkers' slack, plus doing these reconciliations is just too much for one person, and that working 80 hour weeks wouldn't be sustainable even if you weren't studying for the CPA exams. But your boss obviously knows this and doesn't seem to care. I want you to stand up for yourself, but I don't want you to get fired 3 months before your vesting date. So you have to tread carefully, and unfortunately not knowing how your boss will react, I wouldn't feel comfortable saying how firm I think you should be.
That's why I recommended basically placating her until you can quit. "Working on it!" "Doing my best!" Take home a box and bring it back untouched if you don't have time. If you don't think you can get away with that, then talk to her again about the burden every time she hounds you.
ETA: Try not to keep talking about your CPA exam and how this isn't your mistake to begin with, because it detracts from the actual problems. Like I mentioned above, 80 hour weeks aren't sustainable even without CPA exams, so the exam is irrelevant here. And fixing someone else's mistake is part of everyone's professional life at one point or another. The problem here isn't that your boss is asking you to fix this problem, it's that she's is making it really, really hard for you to do so.
Wow! Thank your for the long response! You always are offering me great advice! I really think this is the best option.
And to answer your question, I am the only one working overtime. C is non exempt and they aren't willing to pay overtime no matter what. D has a second job that she has to head to immediately after work so she can't stay late and she doesn't have any work that she can actually do at home (all of hers requires access to the intranet whereas my recon consists of paperwork and excel files). So yeah. I'm the only one doing extra work.
I vest a week and a half after I return from vacation. Vacation can't be pushed back without incurring flight/resort penalties. I have one week a month that I don't have deadlines and am able to take off. I'm not allowed to take vacatikn in June or July. My husbands vacation expires at the end of july and he won't have enough PTO to take a week off until December or January. I hope to be at a new job by then and likely won't be able to take a week off. Plus if I don't take my vacation it will be rolled over into long term disability which they don't pay out when I quit. So that's $1,500.00 that essentially vanishes.
If the vacation approval is in writing but the condition to cancel it is verbal - where do you stand?
ETA: It seems like a lot of your trouble is with off the record stuff she says. Does anyone else know she says this? Anyone official? Anyone in your corner? You should be documenting all of this. You should NOT be canceling vacations based on her off the record threats.