Rude Admins at Federal Agencies

[Anonymous]

If you are her supervisor, you give her a direct order to make the order and write her up if she doesn't follow it. If you are not her supervisor, you go to her supervisor and have him/her tell her to place the order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal.

Just to keep this straight: People "don't know any better" because they're from "lower incomes and no college" and hang out "with the other admins who came from the same"?

You actually believe this to be true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal.

Just to keep this straight: People "don't know any better" because they're from "lower incomes and no college" and hang out "with the other admins who came from the same"?

You actually believe this to be true?

NP but yes I've found this to be true what the pp is saying. We've had a lot of issues with our security guards for those exact same reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal. [/quote



Just to keep this straight: People "don't know any better" because they're from "lower incomes and no college" and hang out "with the other admins who came from the same"?

You actually believe this to be true?

Ap. Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

Is it too difficult to get rid of her? She sounds awful

You haven't been able to figure out in a year how to get ink for your printer without going through the terrible admin?

I laughed at this.....the OP probably could have ordered it and got reimbursed for it, or bit the bullet if the ink was cheap enough.

NP but we aren't allowed to order our own products and get reimbursed for it. We have to go through small minority owned businesses that upcharge. The cost of ink is often 2-3x what Amazon is.

Sure...but I don't have an admin and somehow manage to open the catalog and buy ink myself.

OP here - she controls the only purchase card. I've opened the catalog and provided here all info and the serial number to order. Without the credit card number it can't be done. There is no way around it.

I don't work in the fed gov't, but I have done enough admin work including office supply orders to know that usually, you log into a site, order your items, charge them in some way, and it shows up.

If this is a physical card, then request the card from the admin and order it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.



I don't work in the fed gov't, but I have done enough admin work including office supply orders to know that usually, you log into a site, order your items, charge them in some way, and it shows up.

If this is a physical card, then request the card from the admin and order it yourself.

Key part of this sentence is you don't work in the federal government. You can only order if you are authorized to use the purchase card. I seriously doubt OP is.

OP- FWIW I have found the admins at agencies in the suburbs are far superior to the ones in downtown agencies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In nearly 30 years in Govt, I've seen 2 people getting let go. And it took years - a lot of stuff to pull together... [b]Most managers don't want to bother with it.

They shouldn't be managers. They are paid to manage, and they are refusing to do part of their job. Pot calling the kettle black.

[Anonymous]

I supervise the Admin team and HR team at my agency.

I think OP is just another government supervisor who doesn't want to deal with confrontation. The admin person didn't do what you needed so you went without ink for a year? Sounds like you are the employee with the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.



I don't work in the fed gov't, but I have done enough admin work including office supply orders to know that usually, you log into a site, order your items, charge them in some way, and it shows up.

If this is a physical card, then request the card from the admin and order it yourself.

Key part of this sentence is you don't work in the federal government. You can only order if you are authorized to use the purchase card. I seriously doubt OP is.

OP- FWIW I have found the admins at agencies in the suburbs are far superior to the ones in downtown agencies.

I mean...you can make all the excuses for OP that you want, but have a lazy admin wouldn't keep most people from getting what they need to do their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal.

Just to keep this straight: People "don't know any better" because they're from "lower incomes and no college" and hang out "with the other admins who came from the same"?

You actually believe this to be true?

Yes, I do. why don't you believe it's true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I supervise the Admin team and HR team at my agency.

I think OP is just another government supervisor who doesn't want to deal with confrontation. The admin person didn't do what you needed so you went without ink for a year? Sounds like you are the employee with the problem.

I was thinking the same thing. BTW, I'm a fed and I've seen at least 5 people let go from my 30-ish person office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I supervise the Admin team and HR team at my agency.

I think OP is just another government supervisor who doesn't want to deal with confrontation. The admin person didn't do what you needed so you went without ink for a year? Sounds like you are the employee with the problem.

I was thinking the same thing. BTW, I'm a fed and I've seen at least 5 people let go from my 30-ish person office.

The only person I've ever seen let go was due to an actual sexual harassment lawsuit where he tried to rape a coworker at work with witnesses. And even that took 6+ months to fire him. Our admin used to routinely get put on PIP, to no avail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some are good, some are bad. Like employees everywhere.

If every single admin is rude to you, you need to ask yourself what YOU are doing.

OP here. It's just one admin - I've never had an issue with any others. It's refusing to respond to emails, being rude whenever you ask her for anything, spending most of her day chatting, etc. I'm a supervisor and haven't had ink for the printer in my office for close to a year because she is "too busy" to order supplies. It means I have had to print performance appraisals and other confidential documents on a shared printer and then run down the hall to get them before someone sees them. We have another admin who is very helpful, but she's a contractor, and has to get approval from most things from the federal admin. It's just frustrating to see how much negativity an employee who contributes so little can bring to an environment.

But you have to realize that she likely does not really know any better. Really. The standard for hiring was pretty low for a while - just a high school diploma and ability to type. it was a good job for those from lower incomes and no college. they basically hung out with the other admins who came from the same. It was really hard for them to see how their behavior was wrong because they watched their peers doing the same thing. So when you are acting like everyone else, you think your behavior is normal.

Just to keep this straight: People "don't know any better" because they're from "lower incomes and no college" and hang out "with the other admins who came from the same"?

You actually believe this to be true?

Yes, I do. why don't you believe it's true?

I agree with this. If, for example, you come from a culture that is more relaxed about punctuality then you might not realize 15 min late everyday could get you fired or a bad reputation.

[Anonymous]

"A culture that is more relaxed about punctuality"? Whatever do you mean...?