1. The dance lesson
For Administrative Professionals’ Day (a “holiday” that must die), my company used to order snacks and cheap wine and give us a little token like a mug with the company name on it. One year they decided to jazz it up by hiring ballroom dancing instructors and making us learn the mambo and cha cha. But they were all couple dances, so our 95% female admin staff got to deal with shouted instructions like, “Decide which one of you is the guy!”
2. The gifts
At my org, for Administrative Professionals’ Day, all the regular admin support staff (all women) were always gifted fancy bouquets. I like flowers, but I could only ever enjoy them at work, because they always had lilies and I have cats. It turned out that the shipper/receiver, who was the line man in our bargaining unit, always received a Visa gift card equivalent to the cost of the flowers, but no one noticed because his job was so separate from ours. It didn’t come out until another man was hired for a regular admin support position, and then a fuss was rightly made, we were given the choice between flowers or gift card, and everyone chose gift card. Since then, they don’t even bother asking, just give the gift card.
3. The mulch
For Administrative Professionals’ Day, which my male boss called “Secretaries’ Day,” the three male CEOS in our department made a big deal about “getting their girls flowers” (this was in 2016, by the way). All four of us admins had more education and professional credentialing than those particular executives did so there was a lot about that place that irked me. Finally, Administrative Professional’s Day comes around and they bring two giant wheelbarrows full of mulch and manure into our white-carpeted lobby along with three giant bags of tulip bulbs, saying we were given the day off to go plant the tulips around the existing landscaping since we all “loved gardening.” The company dress code at that point was still stockings, heels, skirts, and suits and I was in a linen pantsuit that day. None of us ever mentioned gardening. Ever. At all. In any way. They just thought women loved gardening. When buildings and grounds came by to get the gardening materials out of the lobby, they let it slip that our bosses eagerly asked if they could use the mulch and wheelbarrows for a “prank.” The joke was on them because the CEO and VP were fuming about the stains on the carpet from the wheelbarrows. I quit shortly after that anyway.
4. The cake
For Administrative Professionals’ Day, I had reminded my boss (head of office, I was his personal admin) that the day was coming. I offered to prepare for it (he declined), I made a list of plans he could follow through on, HR offered to coordinate it. The morning of he told me he’d done nothing and I needed to make it happen but then I could take the afternoon off.
I went into planner mode, ordered food on my credit card for him to reimburse, got a cake, got decorations and lunch went perfectly. Except he made me sit back in the closed office and sit next to his phone in case he got a call, while he told everyone in the lunch event how great he was for planning this. Then he sent all the other admins home. Oh, except me. He instead decided to go continue his affair with the individual in the office downstairs (AND TOOK THE LEFTOVER CAKE) and made me sit next to his phone for the rest of the afternoon. I never even got a slice of cake.
30 days later I had an offer in hand and gave my notice. I didn’t exactly care about the day but I sure cared about the disrespect on that day. His affair didn’t work out; he got divorced, new affair partner eventually took out a restraining order on him and it blew up publicly as these were all public officials.
5. The roses
On Administrative Professionals’ Day, all the women would arrive to work to find a lovely single red rose (in a vase, of course, tied with a pretty pink or red ribbon) on her desk. And, I do mean ALL the women. From the controller all the way to the actual admin assistant, regardless of what the woman’s actual role was. At the time, it never really crossed my mind that that might be inappropriate (plus, I confess, I was thrilled to receive the rose – it really was very lovely) , but looking back I’m just like, wow. LOL
The roses were purchased by the sales manager – he kind of fancied himself a ladies man and maybe he thought he was just being gentlemanly. Who knows.
6. The tool
At the time I was a subject matter expert for a particular tool and someone proudly gave me flowers (why) and a card (huh). “Thanks for all you do for us!” He seemed to think that my constant discussions with him about improving work processes in relation to this tool was me taking NOTES for him. No, dumbass, this is my job and I’m gently trying to make you better at yours.
7. The casino night
HR organized an employee appreciation event at a local casino. They rented a large meeting space and had cocktails and appetizers … and the admins needed to provide the bartending and waitressing services!
8. The engineers
On one Administrative Professionals’ Day, one of my friends came home from work in a fury. She’s a female engineer. The company decided to celebrate Administrative Professionals’ Day by giving all the admins flowers. And, for some reason, the three female engineers on staff.
Management was completely befuddled by the fact that the female engineers were not delighted with their flowers.
#horror #stories #Administrative #Professionals #Day #Manager
