I feel good that I now have some breathing space and can exhale since we are done with first quarter reports. Technically, the reports should not be my responsibility but I offered to help our new recruit Lucy prepare her first set of results.
To make matters worse, Lucy did not seem to understand the importance of paying attention to preparing the reports and submitting them on time.
At the start of March I gave her a checklist of people she needed to talk to, the numbers she needed to prepare and deadlines to meet.
She seemed to have understood everything saying, “No worries, I will chat with these people.”
Imagine my shock when two weeks later I asked her whether she had started on the reports and she gave me a nervous chuckle and retorted, “Imagine, I forgot!”
I realised that I had to intervene and sat with her to draft emails and follow up with colleagues.
Though I was upset with the extra workload, I figured that the only way forward was to work with Lucy and not apportion blame.
Lucy is a very pleasant co-worker but sometimes her attitude and behaviour drive me up the wall.
We agreed to arrive at the office by 7am to have a head-start on the reports. However, she would saunter in at about 8.30am and proceed to tell me some long stories about traffic jams, her children or politics.
To be honest, some of her stories sounded credible — but after three days of lateness and long tales I was getting tired and weary.
That is when it hit me that Lucy was being sly and getting me to do her work.
The question was how to work on the reports without antagonising her. Somehow events conspired to make this happen. I was in the office early one day waiting for Lucy when the CEO walked in.
“Josphat, what are you doing here this early? I thought I told you about work-life balance?” he queried. “I am working with Lucy on the quarter one reports,” I retorted.
He seemed shocked and said: “We hired her to do the reports. Of course you can give her directions but that does not mean doing all he work.”
I tried to laugh it off and said; “Well, it is about teamwork.” The CEO said; “Josphat, you need to manage your time better and ensure you do not end up being the office door mat.” He then proceeded to give me a lecture on “ownership and taking personal responsibility.”
He concluded by asking me to tell Lucy to see him as soon as she came in.
Lucy walked into the office at 9am and once again told me long tales. She then looked at the reports and said, “woiyee Josphat; you are the best, you have done so much already!”
Her comments reminded me of my conversation with the CEO and so I said: “By the way, the boss said you go see him when you come in.” She asked me, “do you know what he wants?”
I said was not sure “ but I think he wants an update on these reports.” Lucy appeared shaken as she made her way to the CEO’s office.
She showed up 20 minutes later looking a depressed. “The boss has given me a long lecture on the reports. He says I have to give him a report daily at 7am. I told him that you and I can do it together, but he insisted that I work on them alone,” she said.
I felt relieved that my work burden had eased. However, Lucy became a pain in my neck checking with me on every little detail of the reports.
So when she handed them in last week I felt like a heavy load had been pulled off me.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
