Work Rant - Random - you can skip
Sooo there's been a lot going on at work lately.
I manage the finances & general administration for a small marketing company (although it's spread over 3 countries) and we have payroll in 5 countries. I've always done the executionary part of HR (operational HR & payroll execution), but since a couple of months I had to take over the actual HR part too because the operational director has been in burnout since November.
It was fine to push through for a while, but things get more and more intensive and there are a lot of mandatory changes in Belgium when it comes to payroll all the time. Honestly I think Belgium must be one of the top countries with most changes on short time periods legal-wise for payroll processing.
I also had to deal with a colleague moving from our BE to our UK office arranging a sponsored visum, making sure all legal mattes are arranged, all fiscal matters for both employer and employee too. She had a lot of stress with the move and lay that all on me too. She burst out crying a couple of times and then I needed to be her strong support. I'm fine doing that, but it takes a toll on me as well.
I also have to arrange a travel permit for a colleague from UK to BE and a split contract for a colleague that works both in NL and in BE. Which will be up next to occupy myself with. It's always together with government or lawyers unless I can do stuff myself, but it takes a lot of time to secure all the correct info and have the conversations and proposals with the colleagues involved.
Because 2 of my colleagues from NL are in burnout, there are conversations and re-integration trajectories I also have to arrange that are mandatory from the government there. So every week I've had to have re-integration plans and conversations, liaise with the owner and the employee, and that in-between party from the government. It's been very mentally draining because basically it's like moderating fighting kids that don't see eye to eye, while trying to remain within the legal set-up. My boss wants to fire both employees but can't because they are on sick leave. He's been calling lawyers etc and constantly asks for my assistance.
4 people left & I had to onboard 3 new ones & arrange the offboarding for the ones leaving, which has also been consuming a lot of energy.
One of the new people who joined in Romania, worked for us for 3 days and then gave his resignation. I can't blame him, the company & workload is TOTAL CHAOS but I'm trying to survive and keep my head above water myself 😂 but now I have to do interviews again for that position.
All would be okay if this was my main occupation, but my main focus should be on managing finances and the other administration which has also been very demanding because we had a fiscal check in Belgium with fines etc 😂 (Not because of me, but because my boss is shady af in monetary matters haha). But anyway that took a lot from me too to provide all proof pieces & info & to negotiate with book keepers and the government.
Whenever I talk to the owner (my boss) about this, he recognizes it's a lot but he tells me his hands are tight because of budgets & legal stuff we have going on. It's true because I can see it, but it doesn't help much.
Now one of the other managers has left on maternity leave for 3 months. The week before they asked me if I could take over her 1:1's with the people she manages from an HR-point of view to make sure their wellbeing is being protected.
I told them I don't have the time currently unless they can make my colleague more available who's been occupied with office management and supporting me with admin & finance bookings we still do in Belgium ourselves.
Before it was discussed further, they already sent out the mail internally that I would be doing that to support the team -.- And now they expect me to have regular calls with about 20 staff members, which basically means I should be having a conversation every day. I don't like HR chitter chatter to be honest even though I'm good at it. But it takes a toll and drains me to be doing them. Especially because I know it's just to give them the impression the owner cares. In the background he usually doesn't want to change anything no matter what feedback they give.
I'm just going crazy, trying to navigate everything.
I don't want to quit my job because I like doing the work itself & my colleagues are really great, but it's too much lately and I feel like I won't be able to keep it up.
I already don't work on Friday but the mental load is ridiculous too. I feel like I'm co-managing the business instead of just being an employee.
I manage the finances & general administration for a small marketing company (although it's spread over 3 countries) and we have payroll in 5 countries. I've always done the executionary part of HR (operational HR & payroll execution), but since a couple of months I had to take over the actual HR part too because the operational director has been in burnout since November.
It was fine to push through for a while, but things get more and more intensive and there are a lot of mandatory changes in Belgium when it comes to payroll all the time. Honestly I think Belgium must be one of the top countries with most changes on short time periods legal-wise for payroll processing.
I also had to deal with a colleague moving from our BE to our UK office arranging a sponsored visum, making sure all legal mattes are arranged, all fiscal matters for both employer and employee too. She had a lot of stress with the move and lay that all on me too. She burst out crying a couple of times and then I needed to be her strong support. I'm fine doing that, but it takes a toll on me as well.
I also have to arrange a travel permit for a colleague from UK to BE and a split contract for a colleague that works both in NL and in BE. Which will be up next to occupy myself with. It's always together with government or lawyers unless I can do stuff myself, but it takes a lot of time to secure all the correct info and have the conversations and proposals with the colleagues involved.
Because 2 of my colleagues from NL are in burnout, there are conversations and re-integration trajectories I also have to arrange that are mandatory from the government there. So every week I've had to have re-integration plans and conversations, liaise with the owner and the employee, and that in-between party from the government. It's been very mentally draining because basically it's like moderating fighting kids that don't see eye to eye, while trying to remain within the legal set-up. My boss wants to fire both employees but can't because they are on sick leave. He's been calling lawyers etc and constantly asks for my assistance.
4 people left & I had to onboard 3 new ones & arrange the offboarding for the ones leaving, which has also been consuming a lot of energy.
One of the new people who joined in Romania, worked for us for 3 days and then gave his resignation. I can't blame him, the company & workload is TOTAL CHAOS but I'm trying to survive and keep my head above water myself 😂 but now I have to do interviews again for that position.
All would be okay if this was my main occupation, but my main focus should be on managing finances and the other administration which has also been very demanding because we had a fiscal check in Belgium with fines etc 😂 (Not because of me, but because my boss is shady af in monetary matters haha). But anyway that took a lot from me too to provide all proof pieces & info & to negotiate with book keepers and the government.
Whenever I talk to the owner (my boss) about this, he recognizes it's a lot but he tells me his hands are tight because of budgets & legal stuff we have going on. It's true because I can see it, but it doesn't help much.
Now one of the other managers has left on maternity leave for 3 months. The week before they asked me if I could take over her 1:1's with the people she manages from an HR-point of view to make sure their wellbeing is being protected.
I told them I don't have the time currently unless they can make my colleague more available who's been occupied with office management and supporting me with admin & finance bookings we still do in Belgium ourselves.
Before it was discussed further, they already sent out the mail internally that I would be doing that to support the team -.- And now they expect me to have regular calls with about 20 staff members, which basically means I should be having a conversation every day. I don't like HR chitter chatter to be honest even though I'm good at it. But it takes a toll and drains me to be doing them. Especially because I know it's just to give them the impression the owner cares. In the background he usually doesn't want to change anything no matter what feedback they give.
I'm just going crazy, trying to navigate everything.
I don't want to quit my job because I like doing the work itself & my colleagues are really great, but it's too much lately and I feel like I won't be able to keep it up.
I already don't work on Friday but the mental load is ridiculous too. I feel like I'm co-managing the business instead of just being an employee.
