about

Hello All,
I am counsellor with over 12 years experience specializing in parenting, families, youth and mental health. I answer questions in a blunt and straightforward way so if you are looking for coddling or really touchy feely type advice thats not me I provide real solutions for your problems and concrete suggestions in other words I tell you the plain truth I don't sugarcoat.

I am really worried these days with the easy access to the internet and all the false information that is out there and the fact that people believe it!! So please ask first. I don't claim to have all the answers but I can claim that NOTHING will shock me you can try though :)

I look forward to hearing you thoughts and questions.

advice

I got into really big trouble at work last Thursday, because I've had a lot of time off ill (ongoing health problem, not skiving), people on the team have apparently reported to our Manager they think I'm not pulling my weight or working at 100% and someone (No idea who) reported they saw me out mucking around when I was signed off ill. Just to clear it up, the last one is rubbish. I'm not that sort of person at all.

In the last week, I've covered one team member's late shift, cleared my colleague's work diary for the week by doing the work, handled my own work at the same time as all the incoming calls for the work I and a colleague deal with. I didn't take my lunch break today so I could get the work done and have subsequently clocked up 4 hours of overtime.

The problem is, I need to find a way to make my Manager realise how hard I'm trying so he knows I'm working on being better at work. But if I mention the 4 extra hours, I can't think of a way that won't make it sound like I'm trying to claim overtime. After what happened last Thursday, I don't have the audasity to try to claim overtime!!

So how can I left my Manager know how hard I'm working? They don't record people's working hours or their productivity at all.

Hey there,
Well as crappy as this sounds you need to let your work speak for itself. Keep a log or journal of hours worked and work that you do, that way if the question ever arises as to what work you have done or what you contribute you have a record of it. As to your co-workers some people will do anything they can to get ahead including stepping on people.

If you go to your manager and point out the work you are doing it negates the potential "pat on the back", as a manager I always knew who was actually working and who was coasting. Reality is people get sick or need time away every manager expects it, keep working hard and he/she will notice that you actually are working.

Hope this helps.

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(Rating: 5) That's good advice, thanks. I will start keeping a record of what I'm doing and I hope you're right and that they will realise by themselves. At least that way I will have back up! Thanks again.
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