Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Office egos and weird vibes.

I've worked at my firm since '06 and was one of the first of three paralegals on the case I'm on. The other two and I are sort of the "resident veterans" and each take charge of different things. My thing was traveling and dealing with the client. That has since changed since I have DS. I'm sort of "floundering" around right now since mid-pregnancy and haven't found a new thing here. When I came back from maternity leave I worked with the attys on stuff the attys usually do and they gave me a pro bono case....so they threw me a bone.

That said, the atty work project is over. I have been put back on paralegal stuff again. There are some paralegals, two specifically that were hired last yr that I was asked to help them with that another paralegal (aside from said two paralegals) is responsible for.

Since I've been on this project with them, they communicate with me in a manner that is giving me a growing sense that they think they're in charge of me. I've run projects and never left notes on people's desk that are vague making them "check in with me." I called out sick yesterday and came in to find a note on my desk "Laura, Don't start on your project until you've checked in with us." I treat people equally and give them ALL of the information of projects as I receive them so we're all equal parties in finishing things together.

If I learn something new about a project - I e-mail everyone and state what the new information and why it came about so they know all. Holding onto information to keep people less informed to make myself more important is just obnoxious and petty.

This note is obnoxious as I'm here at 7:30am and they don't get here until 9am. That's not the first instance they've communicated to me like this. It's been like this since the start of the project and the sad thing is this is the sort of work I was hired doing in my first week so it's no new thing to behave ilke this about.

Re: Office egos and weird vibes.

  • Wow. I'm sorry. Sounds like a taste of mico-management is occuring. If they want you to 'check-in' with them like you are a new person, then they need to have everyone do the same. They can't just attack you like that. Honestly, I would say something. I would request a meeting with the head of the division/dept and let them know this is unacceptable.
    GL!
  • So here's what I would do.  

    I would tell them that I would appreciate being included on things as you are all professional equals and that they are wasting your time by asking you to wait on things since they get in later.

    I would save all notes, and should their behavior continue after you've asked them to include you, take the notes to your boss and sit down to discuss your issues.  Mention that you've tried to speak w/ them, and that their hampering your ability to do your job.

  • Loading the player...
  • **micro-management** not mico.?
    :::newlywed runs off for coffee:::
  • She finally came in and told me what it was. FFS.

    She's upset that no one told her I had taken on half of the work last week and she thought she was in charge of the whole thing (distributing) - she didn't want me to go on until we re-coordinated it all.

    They're on a power trip. All I can do is roll my eyes. The way it's done here is one person sign out work for themself is solely responsible for the work and one person runs the sign out sheet so we know who did what.

  • I would take a different stance.  If you don't report to them, then there is no reason to respond to their notes.  I think you are spot on that they are trying to act like they are managing you. 

    I would mention to your boss that they are trying to do that, and not make a big deal of it.  Tell your boss that you just wanted to make them aware, but as of now, you have it under control.  That way if these coworkers try to say that you are not communicating or responding to their notes, your boss can talk to them directly and explain that you start work when you get in (not when they show up) and you don't report to them.  Maybe your boss can also welcome them to the 21st century - email has a lot of advantages over post it notes :) 

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