PAs in the news

PAs around the world are tasked with a plethora of different duties, some of which can border on things people in other roles would never be asked to do. Sometimes admin professionals receive requests from their bosses that cross the line into the bizarre, as three management assistants told the New York Post.

An EA named Suzanne had been working for her CEO at a non-profit organisation for five years when he approached her one day and asked her to help him write a eulogy for his brother’s funeral. Despite having never met the man, she reluctantly agreed and researched him online to come up with something to write about. To her surprise, her boss ended up reading her speech word for word rather than adding any personal anecdotes. “We never spoke of it,” she comments.

In a more risky situation, Allison’s manager requested that she accompany him to the bank, where he proceeded to show her a withdrawal slip for $35,000 (roughly £23,000). The pair were ushered into a private room, where her boss explained that the cash was for a pair of diamond earrings for his fiancée and Allison’s task was to take the cash to the jeweller and purchase the gift tax free. When asked if she wanted an armoured car for transport, her exec declined and claimed “she’ll be fine”. When she returned to the office with the earrings she received a blasé “thanks” in return.

Most PAs end up getting to know their boss on a personal level, but Renée learned more than any work colleague should about her executive. She says her boss regularly asked her to pretend to be her over the phone when it came to personal matters such as renewing the lease on her apartment. Renée knew it wasn’t the ideal use of her skills, but she put up with it until the requests took a turn for the worse.

Believing she was suffering from a urinary tract infection, her boss asked Renée to call her gynaecologist and complain of horrible symptoms so she could get an immediate appointment. Because she was so new to the corporate world Renée didn’t think to say no and ended up nabbing the ideal slot.

Perhaps some PAs should be thankful next time their boss makes an off-colour request that they don’t work for any of the execs featured here.

Read the original article at tinyurl.com/lx3nscn