Need advice- assistant problem

So here is the background. I'm an attorney at a mid-sized law firm based out of Boston. Our Boston office is the big office with the HR staff and most everyone else. In NY we are a smaller, newer office with 5 attorneys and (until recently) 3 assistants.

So a few weeks ago they fired my assistant and I was assigned someone new. She is new to our office and has only been here about 2 months.

The second week she was assigned to me, we got into a heated discussion because she was ignorning my emails and work (including past deadlines) in lieu of some other office stuff going on. She actually told me to leave her alone. I called her into my office the next day to try to start things off fresh. I went over my work with her and prioritized the urgent matters. I told her if she couldn't get to my stuff to please tell me so I could get someone else to do it.

The third week, something that wasn't urgent became urgent and I moved it to the top of the pile with a note "Must go out today!" I may have even said please. She comes to me (two days later) and tells me that my exclamation points were "rude" and "unnecessary". I was just flabbergasted! I emailed HR (because the appropriate person was on vacation and I wanted to remember the details). HR says she'll talk to her about getting to my work. I told her to give her a few more days to see if she can catch up. She DID inherit a mess from my prior assistant.

Today we are looking for a document that my boss misplaced. She told me she puts everything in one file. I asked her to show it to me. She tells me to calm down and my tone is not necessary. I was certainly calm- i asked two other people who don't work under me including another lawyer that this assistant is assigned to. Apparantly this assistant does the same thing to her.

Then when we finally find it, I asked her to scan it for the partner. She says I should ask the other assistant because she is not assigned to the partner. But he asked ME to send it to him and she is assigned to ME!

I hate to report her again. But I am getting really frustrated. It seems like every week i have a conflict with this woman. They are small and minor- but its so damn frustrating and distracting. I just can't take it. I worked for 10 years and I've had more conflicts with this secretary than I have in the past 10 years combined.

The thing is - her work seems fine. its just her attitude towards me. And she has "passed the buck" on more than one occassion.

WWYD?

Message edited 8/23/2010 12:04:07 PM.

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

She doesn't understand that 50 people are lined up in back of her for her job.

Send her packing.

If she is not a team player and can't be flexible and get her work done then she is becoming a hinderance rather than a help.

Good assistants are hard to find but they can make you or break you.

She also sounds like an HR nightmare.

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

She is THE assistant nobody wants to work with.

She won't do what you want her to do to "assist" you.

You can't talk to her otherwise you are not talking to her the "proper" way.

Let her go NOW!!!! She is just a nightmare.

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

get rid of her.

hire me

you would never have to ask me twice!!

i agree with the PP. i'm sure there are many people lined up waiting for her job!

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

I agree with everyone else. Send her packing now before she becomes your next legal nightmare.

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

Wow, this assistant sounds like she does not need a job. Have HR talk to her about her attitude and then have them let her know that this is her last chance, if her work performance and attitude does not improve, then she will be let go.

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

I'm not an HR person, but isn't it early enough as well that you can send her walking without a major explaination so she can't try to get unemployment?

Re: Need advice- assistant problem

Re: Need advice- assistant problem