You Want Me to Do What?

April 16, 2013 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Nearly one-quarter of workers polled (23%) said their boss has asked them to help out with non-work related tasks.

According to a survey from CareerBuilder, workers reported that their bosses asked them to: 

  1. Prepare to delete all e-mails and computer files at a moment’s notice;
  2. Be a surrogate mother for her – more than once;
  3. Spy on senior management;
  4. Buy a rifle for him, and he would reimburse the employee;
  5. Let him know if she knew of anyone who could “hook him up” with illegal substances;
  6. Go online and post false good comments about him;
  7. Come up with a science fair project for her daughter;
  8. Fire his (the boss’s) brother;
  9. Lend him $400 for a down payment on a car;
  10. Remove her stitches;
  11. Be better friends with him;
  12. Scour an abandoned office building for furniture and supplies they could use;
  13. Bail another coworker out of jail;
  14. Clip her dog’s nails;
  15. Help plan her wedding.

Despite some bosses making unusual requests, the survey found that most workers like reporting to their current boss. When asked to grade their boss' performance, 26% gave them an “A,” 40% gave them a “B,” 20% gave them a “C,” 9% gave them a “D” and 6% gave them an “F.”

While many workers reported they respect their boss (64%), only 37% said they learn from him or her. Nearly one-third (32%) feel they are smarter than their boss.

The survey was conducted from February 11 to March 6, 2013 and included more than 3,600 U.S. workers across industries and company sizes. Additional results were drawn from a similar study conducted in November 2012 among more than 3,500 workers.

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