Another work thread

[Anglewannabe]

Ok, the way my work is organized is in a 2 week cycle. Every second Monday, I can start a new cycle. So let’s call it a 2 day cycle.

Day 1 and 2 I am quite busy and have deadlines to meet. Then I have day 3 to 10 to do other adhoc reports. There is a girl in another department who is ridiculously busy and I am suppose to help her when I have time. After my big rush is over on day 2, I divide my days between half the time helping her and half the time doing my reports.

The thing is, I have my work streamlined so well, that usually come day 6, it is all done. And come day 6, the other girl has only enough work to keep me busy for 4 hours maximum. That means for the other 4 hours I am bored out of my tree.

I could bring business relevant information and study up on things, but even after 1 or 2 hours a day, that gets to me more than I can handle. I have previously told my boss that since I managed to streamline most of my duties, my work load is not quite full time and if he has more for me to take on, I would be able to. The was almost 3 weeks ago and nothing.

So my questions is: Should I simply just sit quietly at my desk for 4 hours from day 6 to 10? Or should I just mention to him again that I have nothing to do. I plan on doing it in a friendly manner. Saying something like ‘All my work is caught up and I don’t think Nancy will keep me busy all day. Unless I receive an email from the field with a request, I would be able to help out if there is something you need done’

Advice ? I don’t want them to cut my hours if they find out I don’t have enough work. However, I also feel a moral obligation to let them know I am available to help

Angie

 

[Anglewannabe]

I don’t see it as a moral obligation to keep reminding him you have time on your hands, it might come across as insulting. .

So in other words, it doesn’t matter how well I word it, it just will not be well received by him.

If he is a person of some intelligence then he already knows that you are available so no need to remind him. .

Actually, he just strikes me as the type of guy who just doesn’t care to deal with anything. Also, I find him kind of unprofessional in ways. If he has to leave early for some reason or another, he doesn’t even say ‘good bye’. I can count how many times we have wondered where he went. But that is another thread.

Do what you can to keep busy as best as you can.

I am taking a professional development course. I was thinking of studying at my desk. So if a manager walks by and asks me what I am doing should I just be honest and say ‘All my work is done, I was studying but if you need help with something, I would be happy to oblige’ ?

Angie

 

[Allegra]

Is there any task you can offer to do at that time? Filing? Shredding? Cold calling? Dusting?
“I have some time now. Would you like me to take an inventory of the paper closet?” sounds a whole lot better to a busy manager than, “I’m done with my work. Could you find something for me to do?”

 

[Catholic1954]

Ask your co-workers if you can help them or show you how to do some work related task. When companies start letting employees go, because of economic problems, they tend to hold on to the ones who can do more than job.

 

[Anglewannabe]

Ask your co-workers if you can help them or show you how to do some work related task. When companies start letting employees go, because of economic problems, they tend to hold on to the ones who can do more than job.

I have asked my co-workers and they said no. That is another issue because there is one lady (let’s call her A), everytime she needs help she asks B and never me. I told her I would love to help but she still asks B, so I don’t think continuing to offer to help her would be a good idea

Another lady probably won’t give me any work but she will give me an earful on how over busy she is

Anyone else is in another department and it would NOT go over well if I started to do their work

 

[Isca]

Doing your work-related studying seems perfectly reasonable to me. I wouldn’t raise the issue again with your boss, you’ve alerted him and that’s sufficient.

You may find that other staff who aren’t perhaps as efficient/effective as you seem to be may feel rather unsettled, if you keep mentioning that you have no work to do. Not everyone is a top performer at work, some are plodders.

 

[ejlo1]

I’ve got a similar work scenario that cycles monthly and I usually have very little work to do in the middle of each month. Part of my job is to help answer the phones and greet people at the front desk so I know they need me at my desk, but depending on the day that may or may not take much time.

One of the things I’ve found to fill my time is to verify the old contact information in our database. It’s not likely to ever make much of a difference to the client or the company, but at least it gives me something to do and no one will be upset with me doing it. It’s incredibly boring though so I usually listen to a podcast or some music while doing it.

I’ve also occasionally been able to come up with a new report to put together for my boss, but that doesn’t happen very often.

I guess my advice is to take a long hard look at your department and see if there are any tasks you could do that might make things run a little tiny bit smoother, even if they don’t seem important enough to bother with. Of course, you want to make sure you are not stepping on anyone’s toes either.

 

[ejlo1]

I forgot to mention, check with your HR department and see if there are any employee programs or training you can do such as Six Sigma/5S, maybe first aid/CPR etc and you can work on those in your spare time.

 

[mommy_k]

Are there others you can help as well? I would approach them informally, not through your boss. It can just be a one time thing, or different things as needed. It shows initiative, and is conducive to a team enviornment.

Never mind…I just read the posts upthread.