angrymissy
02-05-2003, 09:55 AM
I'm having a lot of trouble with my manager (basically he's an asshole). I sent this letter off to my HR person today, any constructive critism and advice would be appreciated - ill probably be meeting with them next week to discuss the situation.
I'm having a few concerns with my position. I would appreciate this email will be kept confidential and not discussed with my manager without my prior approval.
I have been facing some health issues in the past year, along with family issues, that have caused me to miss work more often than usual. I have tried to explain my issues with my manager *******, but he is almost never available, and seems to not understand why I am out so often.
In the past year, I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. I have been seeing a doctor and improving slightly, but some days it can be a challenge just to get into work. I have been trying my best to overcome the depression, but it's rather hard, and I face additional anxiety every time I fall ill and have to call into work, as I am criticized almost every time I take a sick day. On top of the depression and anxiety, I have chronic stomach ulcers and kidney infections, and had Lyme's disease a few years ago, and ever since, my immune system has been weakened. I find myself falling ill more times during the year than I used to. The problem is, from what I can gleam from discussing my time out with *******, is that he thinks I am taking unnecessary time off. In the past, I've been told that "the sick days are getting out of hand", even though I've told them I can provide doctor's notes. I just wanted to make it clear, that when I take a sick day, it is because I am literally too sick to get out of bed. I actually come to work on a regular basis while I am sick. He seems to think that I have control over when I am too sick to come into work, but unfortunately I don't.
My Grandfather was also recently diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. I am the family member who has been designated to help him make all medical and financial decisions, so occasionally when he falls ill, I have to take time off to see him upstate (a 3 hour drive). This does not happen regularly, but maybe once every 2 months.
I just wanted to put all of these issues out there; as I'm sure they are affecting the way my manager views me.
I am uncomfortable with some of the methods that are used to manage me. When I first started at MYWORK, I had a different manager (******* *******), whom I worked incredibly well with. My manager was switched to ******* over 6 months ago, and that is when my job performance issues started. When I am out of the office, ******* will regularly go though everything on top of and in my desk. This makes me feel uncomfortable, as I keep medication and other personal effects in my desk, and it also makes me feel like he doesn't trust me to do my work. He will look for anything on my desk that could possibly be unfinished, and then leave me voicemails accusing me of not completing work on time. There is always a legitimate reason why uncompleted work is on my desk (waiting for receipts to complete expense reports, waiting for additional information to submit check requests, etc.). I feel like I always have to be defensive because ******* regularly asks for me to account for my work in an accusatory fashion, even though there has been no evidence of me doing anything legitimately wrong. One integral part of being an Administrative Assistant is being able to work independently. I pride myself on this, and find it disheartening that my work is constantly being gone through without my knowledge whenever I am away from my desk.
On a few occasions, he has also come over to my cube and berated me for poor job performance in front of everyone else in my area. This is very difficult for me to face, due to my anxiety condition. It can literally make me want to run out of the building. When my past manager had a question regarding anything involving my job, he would always call me into his office and clo
I'm having a few concerns with my position. I would appreciate this email will be kept confidential and not discussed with my manager without my prior approval.
I have been facing some health issues in the past year, along with family issues, that have caused me to miss work more often than usual. I have tried to explain my issues with my manager *******, but he is almost never available, and seems to not understand why I am out so often.
In the past year, I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. I have been seeing a doctor and improving slightly, but some days it can be a challenge just to get into work. I have been trying my best to overcome the depression, but it's rather hard, and I face additional anxiety every time I fall ill and have to call into work, as I am criticized almost every time I take a sick day. On top of the depression and anxiety, I have chronic stomach ulcers and kidney infections, and had Lyme's disease a few years ago, and ever since, my immune system has been weakened. I find myself falling ill more times during the year than I used to. The problem is, from what I can gleam from discussing my time out with *******, is that he thinks I am taking unnecessary time off. In the past, I've been told that "the sick days are getting out of hand", even though I've told them I can provide doctor's notes. I just wanted to make it clear, that when I take a sick day, it is because I am literally too sick to get out of bed. I actually come to work on a regular basis while I am sick. He seems to think that I have control over when I am too sick to come into work, but unfortunately I don't.
My Grandfather was also recently diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. I am the family member who has been designated to help him make all medical and financial decisions, so occasionally when he falls ill, I have to take time off to see him upstate (a 3 hour drive). This does not happen regularly, but maybe once every 2 months.
I just wanted to put all of these issues out there; as I'm sure they are affecting the way my manager views me.
I am uncomfortable with some of the methods that are used to manage me. When I first started at MYWORK, I had a different manager (******* *******), whom I worked incredibly well with. My manager was switched to ******* over 6 months ago, and that is when my job performance issues started. When I am out of the office, ******* will regularly go though everything on top of and in my desk. This makes me feel uncomfortable, as I keep medication and other personal effects in my desk, and it also makes me feel like he doesn't trust me to do my work. He will look for anything on my desk that could possibly be unfinished, and then leave me voicemails accusing me of not completing work on time. There is always a legitimate reason why uncompleted work is on my desk (waiting for receipts to complete expense reports, waiting for additional information to submit check requests, etc.). I feel like I always have to be defensive because ******* regularly asks for me to account for my work in an accusatory fashion, even though there has been no evidence of me doing anything legitimately wrong. One integral part of being an Administrative Assistant is being able to work independently. I pride myself on this, and find it disheartening that my work is constantly being gone through without my knowledge whenever I am away from my desk.
On a few occasions, he has also come over to my cube and berated me for poor job performance in front of everyone else in my area. This is very difficult for me to face, due to my anxiety condition. It can literally make me want to run out of the building. When my past manager had a question regarding anything involving my job, he would always call me into his office and clo