Managing Director of a company orders his HR Manager to work as receptionist in her absence

Dear Seniors,

Please advise: one of my friends has been working as a Manager - HR in a small-scale industry for the past two years. Now, her Managing Director is asking her to sit at the reception and work for both departments. What should she do? Should she leave a place where there is no self-respect, or should she follow her boss's instructions?

Thank you.

Dear member,

Ordering the HR Manager to become a temporary receptionist shows the psyche of the MD of that company. Probably, he considers that persons working in non-technical or non-operational departments have interchangeable roles. Should the HR Manager accept this order, or should she quit? The reply depends on the necessity of the job that the HR Manager has. If your friend is not in critical need of the job, then she can quit the employment. Otherwise, let her swallow her pride and accept whatever comes in her path. If she quits the employment, then what is the guarantee that she will get another job immediately? However, if she works as a receptionist, then she will earn the trust of her MD, and it could sow seeds of her growth in the organization.

In many organizations, MDs have their "man Fridays." They are close to the MD, and many times they are called miniature MDs as well. However, they did not become "man Friday" overnight; it took several years to be so. During those years, they did all sorts of menial jobs that the MD told them to do. They also merged their personal needs with the needs of the MD. Over a period of time, MDs reward these people because they did what they were told to do without grumbling.

The decision your friend should take cannot be ascertained by us, the members of this forum.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Generally, this kind of situation arises in Pvt Co's. Mr. Devekar has offered sound and sane advice. Col. Suresh Rathi.

Dear,

It may be "funda" of management to ask an employee to leave a job without using harsh words. I suggest searching for another job on a priority basis. If there is no respect for an HR Manager-level person, then such an organization cannot sustain for the long term.

Regards,
Asif Mulla

Dear Madam,

In an organization, where an MD-level person's thinking stoops so low that the HR manager can temporarily replace the Receptionist, it is not fit to work. If your friend is worth her salt, she should walk out without any hesitation. Let the idiotic MD know that the HR profession has a dignity of its own and they are not riffraffs available roadside.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

This order conveys many things:

- Thought process of MD
- Amount of respect for the job of HR
- Knowledge level of MD
- Opinion about the HR manager also.
- Best is to leave with dignity.

When you say it's a small-scale company, there may be a time when such a situation can arise for the time being. There is always a thin line between ego and dignity. Self-assessment of the individual is necessary to understand why the MD has assigned this low-profile task to the HR Manager and not anyone else. Also, one should understand the gravity of his/her need before deciding to quit. It's easy to quit but difficult to get a job these days. On a positive note, I suggest staying and waiting for a few days to understand the whole situation while searching for a job on the other hand before making a direct decision.

Hi,

Maybe the organization is a small one, and the Managing Director (MD) is trying to cut costs. There may not be much work for the receptionist, but a person still needs to be available to take calls, especially those related to customers and/or for the MD. However, as rightly suggested by our learned members, the call is for you to take. If you feel that your pride is being hurt, and you are concerned about your potential career growth within the company or elsewhere by performing this role, you may consider resigning.

But what should be your next step? How would you explain why you left your previous company? Instead of immediately quitting, why not speak to the MD to understand what opportunities lie ahead in the long run? If it is a short-term or stop-gap arrangement, there should not be an issue. However, if the response is vague and unsatisfactory, it might be better to start looking for a new job and resign. Remember not to quit and dwell on the problem.

Thanks and Regards

Dear Madam,

Even granting that there were exigencies to replace somebody to do the job of a Receptionist, the MD should have asked HR to recruit a temporary Receptionist, and as an interim arrangement, request her to handle the reception. Any work has its own dignity at the workplace, and in emergencies, people do understand and cooperate. But what is regrettable is the absence of this thinking demonstrated by the MD.

By the same logic, I ask the MD, would he do the janitor's job if the person is on long leave?

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

There is a very thin line between ego and dignity. Positions and profiles in a profession bring a great deal of change in attitude and behavior. Yesterday there was news in the local newspaper that one of the collectors in his office building washed and wiped stains of pan spits in the corners of the building. It sets an example for people that at times it is required by the leaders to do even the most low-profile work. We cannot assess anybody merely by reading a post. There can be numerous reasons. As I said earlier, it requires the HR manager to question why the MD has asked him to do reception work. I believe a manager in his capacity can always assess and analyze this situation. If ego has struck, please quit. One cannot be comfortable by compromising his ego or dignity.