Reply to How to address a manager who crosses work-life boundaries

Forum Index » Jobs and Careers

Reply to "How to address a manager who crosses work-life boundaries"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Federal manager here, and I agree with 14:46.  Especially because, OP, you say that you are in a role where your primary function is to lead and facilitate conference calls and meetings.  I feel for you, really, but I think some proactive communication when you're out -- I'm sick, this is what's on deck for me today and what you, manager, might need to know to cover in my absence -- might go a long way?  You shouldn't have to work when you're sick, and setting some boundaries on your end is just fine (e.g. not checking work e-mail).  But I also think it's fair to say that -- sick or not -- you're still responsible for the work assigned to you and need to make sure that whoever is at the office knows what they need to know to function in your absence.  [/quote]

This is what I do as well.   I've learned to manage my boss.   My DH is a Fed and he is actually the one who taught me how to effectively do this.  I send a very detailed email about anything I feel my boss might be concerned about.  I include information about tasks I have delegated and make sure she knows that I have everything covered.  I really like her, but she is a bit of a control freak (as am I).  I know her well enough to know the type of stuff that gets her spun up.  Unless I am really too sick to function, I answer calls, texts, and emails from her.  I think it makes her feel better just knowing she can reach me if she needs to.  I generally won't answer calls from other people, but I do respond to my boss.

It sucks.  But when you are in a leadership position, it's hard to be 100% unreachable.[/quote]

I do this too. I am a lawyer and it's reasonable for my boss to be concerned about deadlines -- court, internal, whatever. So any time I take leave, for whatever reason, I email him to say whether or not any deadlines will be impacted. Of course they never are because I wouldn't take the leave if it meant I'd blow a deadline (unless I was physically unable to rise from my bed or something). But he likes the reassurance.

And I try to check my work email every few hours unless I am actually asleep, just in case anything comes up. My boss would never call me though unless it were a true emergency.[/quote]

Checking email every few hours when "not working" is ridiculous and a horrible model to set for your directs. People need the ability to unplug from the job. Nothing-NOTHING- and no obe is so critical that you can't take a sick day or a scheduled vacation and not be bothered. Plan it, communicate, but then unplug.

It's also a good control feature. If I had someone who couldn't get away I would start to wonder if there was something they didn't want people to uncover. But maybe that's the nature of my work. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics