Getting screwed over by bosses ... how to deal?

So folks, I've got a question for you on how my friend (ha, me, I know, insert laugh track :here should handle something that came up at work.

She was hired about a year ago at a smaller (upper 20k) paper, primarily to be a sports writer/desk person. During that time, through three rounds of layoffs, she's had her duties reshuffled (once for each layoff group) so that she is now a news copy editor/designer with a small amount of other non-sports duties. No connection to the sports department anymore, other than working in the same office. The News Editor is her boss now, too.

A couple weeks ago, the SE (I've heard stories from her, none good) mentions that, because he doesn't expect their coverage to drop despite losing two sports people in said time period, she might be coming back to sports once per week (Football Fridays) to take calls and do desk stuff while he goes about his merry way covering games. (With the non-sports jobs, her days off were moved to Wednesday and Friday.) Apparently, the EE approved it Friday and she found out today when she got into work. This now leaves the news desk short another body on her new "weekend" day, moves her days off again (Monday and Wednesday now) and, in general, is just frustrating as hell (or that's what she told me in not so few words).

The SE's not her boss anymore, and the news editor apparently has no balls to defend his people, but - from what I can see - she has to just suck it up and deal with it. She'd prefer to give her notice tomorrow, but realizes its not smart in this market. Any other opinions, other than increasing the flow of outgoing resumes?

(I'm not sure if this should have gone in journalism topics or anything goes. Sorry if I guessed incorrectly.)

 

I'm sure she's frustrated by the changes. But she's survived three layoffs because of her versatility. Going back and forth between departments can be disconcerting, but look at it this way. She is gaining experience that can help her advance in news or sports. That's good the way the job market is going. I did the same thing, and it paid off when I was able to move into the job I wanted.

Sorry, I can't see where she's being screwed over, unless she has to give up days off and not get paid for them.

 

She should take up drinking.

Seriously, there's not much that she can do. She should express to her immediate boss that she's disappointed her current duties do not reflect what she was hired on to do. But it's not her job to worry about who's covering games or how the news desk will manage without her on nights she's working sports.

Even if she quits or finds another job, she'll be dealing with bosses who "screw her over" in one form or another all her life. I'm not saying she should settle when things are bad or wrong, but she should accept the fact that bosses really do have control. And things change.

 

Kill them all and let the publisher sort them out.

 

Increasing the flow of resumes is a big start. It sounds like a place that's cannibalizing itself at every level. Coping is never an option and dealing with it aggressively may solve things short-term, but the same issues will arise again medium and long-term, judging from the tone of your post.

Granted, I'm hearing the scenario second-hand. But it sounds like it's time to get out, even if it's for the dreaded PR job. There are better places out there.

 

You're supposed to sit on your ass and nod at stupid things
Man, that's hard to do
And if you don't, they'll screw you
And if you do, they'll screw you, too

-- Warren Zevon

 

She shouldn't just "take it." She should expect something out of her willingness to take one for the team, either a raise or an extra week of vacation. And tell her to be straight up with her boss, and vice versa. Sometimes theses shuffles are used to either run someone off or the bosses just keeping sticking it to the person who is least likely to raise a fuss.

 

This situation doesn't seem too awful. If you're putting in your 40 hours a week and getting regular days off, well, let's just say there are worse things out there.

If she don't like it, send out resumes, otherwise just adapt.

 

Didn't make it to church this morning, Frank. But this'll do, sermon-wise, till next week. Thanks!

 

The old-school chip in me wants to say that, if she's in her 20s, then this is what's known as dues-paying. It motivates you to kick ass and get a better job.

But she's getting jerked around on a rather grand scale, and what Dan says about dumping on the meekest mouse in the house is pretty common. If she doesn't meet this treatment head on, she'll go through her professional life wondering why she can't gather family and friends for those fun Monday or Wednesday afternoon outings. At which point her professional life will be about the only life -- forget personal, family or social -- she has.

She'll be better off when she's working for bosses who don't keep sticking whatever available fingers or toes are left into the leaks, while praying that they don't number more than 20. That 21st hole is always a bitch to plug.

 

Unfortunately in this climate -- where they are looking to get rid of us all and have a few robots put out the papers -- just to save the profit margin -- we're all forced to turn around and take it with no K-Y so to speak.......

In other words, either deal with the BS or go sell cars or life insurance

 

Upper-deck the women's restroom. Men's, too.