Hands off (figuratively) my student worker! I pit co-workers that try to monopolize support staff.

[BubbaDog]

@kayaker

What if his name is Donald?

Donald is taller and looks a little like Bobby. Bobby actually has lighter hair has a peg leg that is a dead giveaway.

Glad to help,
Bubba

[kaylasdad99]

@ZPG_Zealot

I realize it sucks that the university doesn’t allocate enough budget money to offer the library a full range of support staff including numerous paraprofessionals, but the kid was hired specifically to work for me. That means I get first dibs on his 5 hours a day and I’ve got a stack of stuff that needs to be done. I am considering hanging a sign on his cube that says: Student X’s supervisor is ZPG Zealot. Do not give him work unless you clear it with her first. I think that’s polite enough, since it seems to be problem with a lot of people. Thoughts?

I think this could leave him vulnerable to hijacking in the event that someone corners him while he’s away from his cubicle.

Either put it on a sign you hang around his neck, or embroider it on a vest that you have him wear to work.

[Disgscen]

If you put a sign on the student’s desk he has to look at it constantly, and discuss it with the curious, and either justify it or pass on the blame. But you’ve said that he’s not the problem.

Skip the sign, confront the problem. Email the troublemakers directly.

[Dissonance]

@ZPG_Zealot

Thoughts?

You should call the cops. Why, figuratively putting their hands on him is close to shaking his hand, which is rape.

[Dendarii_Dame]

@kaylasdad99

I think this could leave him vulnerable to hijacking in the event that someone corners him while he’s away from his cubicle.

Either put it on a sign you hang around his neck, or embroider it on a vest that you have him wear to work.

But a sign or vest could get lost.

I suppose a tattoo is out of the question…

[elucidator]

@gigi

…So she started following us into the bathroom to see who it was.

Well, she better not have anything else in mind, because I’m not that kind of a boy! I know some of the guys here are no better than they should be, but I’m strictly a dinner and a show, minimum! OK, a hot dog and a beer. But that’s it!

[gigi]

@elucidator

Well, she better not have anything else in mind, because I’m not that kind of a boy! I know some of the guys here are no better than they should be, but I’m strictly a dinner and a show, minimum! OK, a hot dog and a beer. But that’s it!

Heh. Pretty sure she batted for the other team.

[orderfire]

@Anaamika

“I would be glad to do your assignment but please run it by ZPG Zealot first as she is my supervisor.”

Exactly what I did with my student worker in the same situation. I have one instructor who seems to think that my 12 hour/week freshman filing/receptionist kid is his personal TA. Another staff member brought it to my attention, apparently it was making the student worker very uncomfortable not knowing how to answer him. Now she has a convenient, agreeable, shutdown-the-bullshit reply ready whenever he comes trotting upstairs expecting her to grade 120 exams. I told her not to be afraid to make me “the bad guy”; I don’t mind arguing with these assholes, and she’s just a kid learning how to do something other than scoop ice cream and fold sweaters.

Tangent: what kind of idiot asks a 1st semester undergrad to grade papers??? :dubious:
I had to explain to the same guy that he couldn’t ask any undergrad employees to make his exam copies either. Trust is great, but why tempt them?
/tangent/

[moejoe]

@orderfire

Exactly what I did with my student worker in the same situation. I have one instructor who seems to think that my 12 hour/week freshman filing/receptionist kid is his personal TA. Another staff member brought it to my attention, apparently it was making the student worker very uncomfortable not knowing how to answer him. Now she has a convenient, agreeable, shutdown-the-bullshit reply ready whenever he comes trotting upstairs expecting her to grade 120 exams. I told her not to be afraid to make me “the bad guy”; I don’t mind arguing with these assholes, and she’s just a kid learning how to do something other than scoop ice cream and fold sweaters.

Tangent: what kind of idiot asks a 1st semester undergrad to grade papers??? :dubious:
I had to explain to the same guy that he couldn’t ask any undergrad employees to make his exam copies either. Trust is great, but why tempt them?
/tangent/

Hmm, I’m new in my department and just figured out today that a couple of undergrad student workers actually wrote the exams. Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? yes, yes I am.

[Loach]

Are you the actual boss as in the person who can hire and fire or the person the boss assigned the student to but has no actual power?

[orderfire]

@moejoe

Hmm, I’m new in my department and just figured out today that a couple of undergrad student workers actually wrote the exams. Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? yes, yes I am.

What the hell??? :eek:

[ZPG_Zealot]

@Loach

Are you the actual boss as in the person who can hire and fire or the person the boss assigned the student to but has no actual power?

I am the hire and fire person.

[Loach]

@ZPG_Zealot

I am the hire and fire person.

Of just the student worker or everyone else?

[Drunky_Smurf]

@Dissonance

You should call the cops. Why, figuratively putting their hands on him is close to shaking his hand, which is rape.

She should just get a megaphone and walk up and down the halls yelling, “STOP RAPING MY ASSISTANT.”

[purplehorseshoe]

Joke answers aside, ZPG Zealot, I’d really skip the sign entirely and simply tell your minion what to say to the poachers, along the lines of the suggestions from Anaamika and even sven. Make it clear that you’re OK with being the “bad guy” to the people to whom minion must say “Nope, sorry - run it by ZPG.”

Consider it good training for all of you: you, your minion, and the poachers. All must learn the meaning of the word “NO.”

[ZPG_Zealot]

@Loach

Of just the student worker or everyone else?

Of the student worker yes, everyone else no. What it comes down to is I am pissed off that my co-workers can’t follow basic office protocol IMHO (don’t give the kid work without clearing it with his supervisor, especially if he’s obviously doing something for her), so now I have to go act like a territorial bitch because that seems to be only thing these morons understand.

[John_Mace]

@even_sven

This is an excellent opportunity to show some of the mentorship that a good manager does, and teach him how to manage non-priority requests. That’s a valuable skill that will serve him well through his career. Why would you put a sign on his desk as if he doesn’t have a mouth to speak with? Make him responsibilities clear, and empower her to make the appropriate decisions. Be reassuring, and help him see how his work fits in to the big picture.

I’d say something like “Bobby, I’ve noticed that you’ve been picking up a lot of tasks from the reserve desk. I really appreciate the enthusiasm and gumption you are showing, and it’s clear that you are a hard worker. Right now, I really want to concentrate on Project X, because I think your filing skills will be absolutely essential to our plan to mine Uranium from the moon. Just the other day Dr. Brain came in and commented on how helpful the files were. So for the moment, I’d like to to really focus on putting your best work into Project X, and hold off on other requests. I’ve talked to the reserve desk, and they know that Project X is your main task. If they do ask you take on additional tasks, I am going to ask you to have them speak with me first so that we can see where this fits in. And I know you have been really enjoying some of the work you’ve been doing for the reserve desk, so I’ve set aside two hours on Thursday where you can get trained with them on Mad Reserve Desk Skillz. Does that sound good?”

Exactly. If a particular individual is overly aggressive, trying to rob some of the intern’s time, then I’d talk to that person. Otherwise, let the intern learn how deflect poachers. And be sure to be supportive of his/her efforts in doing so.

[Loach]

@ZPG_Zealot

Of the student worker yes, everyone else no. What it comes down to is I am pissed off that my co-workers can’t follow basic office protocol IMHO (don’t give the kid work without clearing it with his supervisor, especially if he’s obviously doing something for her), so now I have to go act like a territorial bitch because that seems to be only thing these morons understand.

Your frustration is understandable. But not knowing the full situation I can guess you are on the same level as them and there is a boss over you all. This sounds like a job the boss is paid the big bucks to handle. The boss should lay out what the student worker’s responsibilities are and tell the others to back off if thats what he/she wants.

[purplehorseshoe]

@ZPG_Zealot

… now I have to go act like a territorial bitch because that seems to be only thing these morons understand.

As long as you phrase it in professional corporate-ese, you’re golden. I’d give the poacher(s) one more talking-to and then take it over their heads.

[Leaper]

Just to ask, the OP mentioned earlier that there were people who didn’t want the intern hired to begin with, thus a lot of his accepting of outside assignments. Is there any actual danger of his job being harmed if he refuses, even if he blames the OP for it? I assumed not, since the OP said she is the “hire and fire person,” but if that were the case, why did the intern feel “threatened” to begin with?