Woes of a personal assistant
Feb 06, 2011
PATRICIA Nanteza, a personal assistant to a top CEO in town, is a shadow of her former self. She works at a top company, but that is just part of the story.
By John Odyek
PATRICIA Nanteza, a personal assistant to a top CEO in town, is a shadow of her former self. She works at a top company, but that is just part of the story.
Today, she does not know whether she is a house help of the CEO or his personal assistant. Besides doing her normal office work, Nanteza carries out a host of other personal roles for the CEO.
It is not uncommon for the boss to call her over the weekend to do errands for him.
Dr. Sam Lyomoki, the workers MP, says officially, personal assistants are not supposed to do work outside their duty schedules, but can do so out of courtesy.
“There are lots of violations of rights of workers. There are a maximum number of hours one can work in a day or week. There is a five-day work week. The maximum is six days a week and one day of rest,†Lyomoki remarks.
He cites cases of bosses who ask drivers and personal assistants to take them to bars at night as clear violations of their rights.
“The boss should give them an incentive from his pocket if the company doesn’t pay for the overtime. Workers should demand for their rights,†he asserts. He notes that personal assistants and drivers fall in the unions where their bosses belong.
They should raise issues with their unions who should fight for their rights, he advises.
Personal assistants and drivers play a critical role in organisations, but if their rights are violated, their productivity is affected negatively.
Wilson Owere, the chairman of the National Organisation of Trade Unions, says bosses must know that personal assistants support them.
“Sometimes you find the boss is eating, while the personal assistant and driver are yawning in the car. This is an abuse of their rights,†Owere remarks.
Owere explains that if a personal assistant or driver works on Saturday and Sunday, or a driver takes the boss upcountry for non-official duties, the boss should pay for it.
He explains that if a personal assistant goes out of the work station, they are entitled to lunch and night allowances.
“Many personal assistants and company drivers are abused. After doing extra work, they are not paid,†he observes.
Owere notes that some bosses pay peanuts. “Some have three drivers, but you find them using one and paying him peanuts. All work should be accounted for.
“Benefits, such as medical care, should be spelt out in the terms and conditions of service for temporary, casual, freelance and permanent workers,†he asserts.
Rose Ssenabulya, the executive director of the Federation of Uganda Employers, says workers rights can be violated if they are denied sick, maternity/paternity or annual leave.
“Duties, pay and leave are specified in the appointment letter and job description. Anything done outside this, is forced labour. It is a violation of one’s rights,†Ssenabulya says, adding that it is wrong for CEOs to, for example, send assistants to pay their electricity bills.
The roles of personal assistants vary from company to company and from CEO to CEO, she observes, saying some do research, while others write speeches.
Ssenabulya advises personal assistants or drivers facing problems in their duties to take up the matter with the human resource department and see how adjustments can be made.
“There should be clear-cut arrangements when somebody should start and stop work,†she advises.
She also calls for understanding between the bosses and their personal assistants.
PATRICIA Nanteza, a personal assistant to a top CEO in town, is a shadow of her former self. She works at a top company, but that is just part of the story.
Today, she does not know whether she is a house help of the CEO or his personal assistant. Besides doing her normal office work, Nanteza carries out a host of other personal roles for the CEO.
It is not uncommon for the boss to call her over the weekend to do errands for him.
Dr. Sam Lyomoki, the workers MP, says officially, personal assistants are not supposed to do work outside their duty schedules, but can do so out of courtesy.
“There are lots of violations of rights of workers. There are a maximum number of hours one can work in a day or week. There is a five-day work week. The maximum is six days a week and one day of rest,†Lyomoki remarks.
He cites cases of bosses who ask drivers and personal assistants to take them to bars at night as clear violations of their rights.
“The boss should give them an incentive from his pocket if the company doesn’t pay for the overtime. Workers should demand for their rights,†he asserts. He notes that personal assistants and drivers fall in the unions where their bosses belong.
They should raise issues with their unions who should fight for their rights, he advises.
Personal assistants and drivers play a critical role in organisations, but if their rights are violated, their productivity is affected negatively.
Wilson Owere, the chairman of the National Organisation of Trade Unions, says bosses must know that personal assistants support them.
“Sometimes you find the boss is eating, while the personal assistant and driver are yawning in the car. This is an abuse of their rights,†Owere remarks.
Owere explains that if a personal assistant or driver works on Saturday and Sunday, or a driver takes the boss upcountry for non-official duties, the boss should pay for it.
He explains that if a personal assistant goes out of the work station, they are entitled to lunch and night allowances.
“Many personal assistants and company drivers are abused. After doing extra work, they are not paid,†he observes.
Owere notes that some bosses pay peanuts. “Some have three drivers, but you find them using one and paying him peanuts. All work should be accounted for.
“Benefits, such as medical care, should be spelt out in the terms and conditions of service for temporary, casual, freelance and permanent workers,†he asserts.
Rose Ssenabulya, the executive director of the Federation of Uganda Employers, says workers rights can be violated if they are denied sick, maternity/paternity or annual leave.
“Duties, pay and leave are specified in the appointment letter and job description. Anything done outside this, is forced labour. It is a violation of one’s rights,†Ssenabulya says, adding that it is wrong for CEOs to, for example, send assistants to pay their electricity bills.
The roles of personal assistants vary from company to company and from CEO to CEO, she observes, saying some do research, while others write speeches.
Ssenabulya advises personal assistants or drivers facing problems in their duties to take up the matter with the human resource department and see how adjustments can be made.
“There should be clear-cut arrangements when somebody should start and stop work,†she advises.
She also calls for understanding between the bosses and their personal assistants.