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by wizard-09

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1st sorry for any mistakes typing this on my iPhone here is my problem.

I am employed by my company as a LAN admin / Technial support engineer, we run a program called a roster that's builds time tables for staff and logs clock in times. This program was written by someone else and is every buggy, now and my manager have told the person making the complaint that we are taking to someone that is looking into the problem. It is not within are role or skills to fix the bugs. Now this is the 2nd complaint put forward by this person who says that I was employed to look at the problems not true, I was employed as a LAN admin / Technial engineer. My manager is both cases was not made aware of the complaints until I told him he was not happy. He attened the 1st meeting told them the same thing and that I'm doing a great job that I was employed to do. They come back after the 1st meeting and say I have 3 months to improve the system or I'm out the door, so I have a meeting again in 2 days how can I make them understand I can't do anything nor my boss we don't program. They also said that i'm on 6 months pro which again is not true my contract states 3 months what should I do.

33 replies

by seanferd

Perhaps you'll need to explain the differences between a programmer/developer and a net admin and tech support. Perhaps some definitions provided by a source they trust?

Maybe have the original requirements for which you were hired pulled up by HR.

by jdclyde

And even the original ad or job posting, showing what skills were requested/required.

by seanferd

Say, you haven't found out about your potential job description, have you?

Haven't checked your thread since this morning.

(Pardon my hijack.)

by jdclyde

Re-read your contract carefully. Make SURE of what it says.

Then, meet with your boss, to make sure the two of you are on the same page with this.

Write up a clean and simple report, that states what your job duties are, and what your understood skill set is.

Then, in your meeting, hand a copy to everyone (have extra, lots extra! and save one for yourself). Explain that you of course are willing to do everything in your ability to be an asset to the company, but programming is not your field.

Explain what it is you DO, and what training was required to get to where you are now.

[b]Make sure you say this is something you CAN'T do, not something you Won't do![/b] They WAY you say this is VERY important!

Do you know what language the program is writen in? You might call around and get a quote from a programmer, and take that in with you. Perfect time to refer an associate that you know is competent in programming.

Good luck.

jd

by wizard-09

jdclyde for the input I will get straight onto this tomorrow when I attend work so how that job interview go you get a 2nd one yet hope all works out for you to thanks everyone for the input so far

by jdclyde

still don't know what equipment they have, or what version of novell they are running.

Just that they have always had a local consultant do all their IT work, but he can't dedicate enough time to them, or respond quickly enough to their growing needs. I like that this is a NEW position instead of replacing someone that failed.

They are looking to grow, and support a fleet of curriers. (sp?) Should be fun, if I get it.

Got to get my "thank you" letter out tomorrow. was going to do it today, but felt like crap. :(

by the scummy one

that is exactly how unemployment feels

"was going to do it today, but felt like crap."

After a few weeks it starts creeping in for me, then it just keeps getting worse and I get lazier until I find something to keep me busy.

Last time it happened, my garden took a lot of focus, it got me outside, and didnt cost too much. Then lots of troubleshooting and -- well -- it just 'grew' on me

Alas, now (for me) gardening is expensive :(

by jdclyde

While I don't always feel real motivated, I rarely get a pounding headache like that.

Oh well, got a nap out of it. B-)

My idea of gardening is deciding what level to set the lawn mower at..... ;\

by ed woychowsky

There is an old practice that a large U.S. company used before they lost every single lawsuit associated with the practice. In the U.S. a company can get out of paying unemployment for an individual by showing that the individual was dismissed for cause, such as being unable to do their job.

The company reasoned that if someone was an electrical engineer they could be reclassified as a C language programmer and since people with both skills were few and far between, those individuals were unable to perform their new job and could be fired with cause.

The practice worked wonderfully for the company, at least, up to the point that someone questioned it. Let's just say that the folks involved got lots of money for wrongful dismissal and their jobs back, and the various state governments collected fines.

by shasca

You state below that you have managements backing. Is it their superior that is making the complaints?

"My manager is both cases was not made aware of the complaints until I told him he was not happy. He attened the 1st meeting told them the same thing and that I'm doing a great job that I was employed to do"

by wizard-09

I report to my I.T manager, we are a small team just him and I. The person making the complaint is a PA to the CEO who has no idea to how the roster system works, he is sticking his nose in were it's not needed and does not have the skills or knowledge to understand my point, my meeting is at 10 today its now 9.20 here so i will report back on what happens from it. Also i will be taking action if i am fired for something i was not employed to do.

by wizard-09

It's not put back to 12.30 this after noon so one & and half hours to go. I will let you no how it goes and to to be honest I am looking for another job because I will not be treated this way by any company.

I'm employed as a Tech not a Dev thanks for the support I will give you all a update as soon as.

Edited to remove remarks not for public viewing lol

by shasca

The situation still sucks right or wrong no one wants to feel to be the bad guy on the team. Especially when they aren't.

by wizard-09

Is me and my manager, who both know that this is a dev problem and not a tech problem. I don't no way they are not listen to my manager they same to think they no it all. I would love for me and my manager to walk then see how much they no about the network / telephone system and so on.

I think we would receive a call within 1 hour.

by dixon

People assume that if you know ANYTHING about technology, then you must know EVERYTHING about technology. If you can configure a router and fix a nonbooting server, then you ought to be able to design an OS from scratch and rebuild a dead TV.

Your boss ought to point out to those complainers that being a good network administrator requires a vast amount of skill and knowledge and is plenty for one person to know how to do.

Unless you claimed to be a programmer when you were hired, tell them they need to pay one in addition to paying for your services.

Dentists don't do heart surgery.

by wizard-09

My point in the meeting, I have just returned from it and will be told in a few days what the out come of the meeting will be.

Edited to remove my remark :D

by shellbot

yer having a rough time of things..

I think this type of things happen a lot..I get it occasionally.. thankfully I have a decent relationship with my superiors and they seem to know when they are crossing the line. I've had to say a few times recently "hold up..I am not skilled in that area. I'm not refusing to do it, but if you want me to, your going to have to give me time to learn or send me on a course" They usually back down.

Its sad when non-techs get involved, because they think IT is IT.. if the BOSS had any brains at all, he'd ask someone who knows about IT.. I mean really, expecting admin to know how to debug an app???? WTF?? You want to be relatively experienced in coding that language to debug and fix it.
i do a bit of debugging, I'm not a programmer as such, but I know enough to be able to have a poke around and can usually find the dodgy code.

Now giving what the market is, don't quit till ya find another job..but i would definatly look for another, cause thats no way to treat your people.

Curious, did the guy you replace have a bit of coding?? I find a lot of places hire someone to replace the "guy" who left, who, because he was there 8 years picked up all sorts of skills..

by wizard-09

Hal 9000 once i get feed back from the meeting I will peer you for support on the issue, this is my 2nd meeting regarding this and if they never listened the 1st time I don't think that they will for the 2nd.

by the 'g-man.'

your card will be marked and more than likely the same issue will crop up elsewhere.

Best bet is to try to find another gig and move on.

by wizard-09

The person never had any programming skills at all, my manager is 100 % on my side and has told them the same thing, that we cannot fix coding problems that we are sys admins and techincal support.

I have been looking for another job and as soon as i get one I will be leaving the company in question.

Thanks for all the support everyone has given.

by wizard-09

Can't see my card being marked, I was not employed to be a Software Dev, I was employed as a sysadmin / technical support engineer. I am doing my job and a great job as per what my manager said, but yes i am looking to move on as i will not take the shi* they are given me at the min with something that in't my problem :)

Edit - It's been a week now from the meeting and still have not heard back from it, so once I do I will let everyone know.

by the 'g-man.'

As they then try to send you on some courses to deal with the issue. Depends if you want to get in to Dev work. I do some light Dev work myself but leave the main programming parts to the field experts.

by wizard-09

Really want to be a programmer, I do some bat file scripts that would be about it. I can't see them sending me on a crouse they wont pay the money plus I wont take the crouse as it's not what I am employed to do, now if they wanted to send me to do say CCNP, CCNA then that would be ok as thats in my field but i don't plan to be here that long as I will not be treated this way by the company :)

by the 'g-man.'

let's just hope your job description did not contain the dreaded 'and any other duties as required by the business' phrasing.

by wizard-09

It has been around 4 weeks from my meeting and still no reply no letter nothing, I go to HR and ask whats going on they say they need to talk to someone else, no way i should have to wait this long for a reply whats my options because i'm getting sick of it lol.

by the scummy one

they may just be holding out, this may get put off because it is not as important to deal with as other things
or
they are trying to keep you there long enough to find a replacement
or
they have no idea what to do from here and are trying to figure it out

by hal 9000

Because you are employed to do a job to maintain their computers that covers everything that plugs into a Mains Socket. Be it a Printer that goes on a desktop or a Photocopier that can be used as a Network Printer. You are just expected to know how to fix it all regardless of just how unreasonable that is.

I had one place that wanted me to fix a Canon Image Runner for them [b]Now[/b] didn't matter that I didn't have any parts for it or that they had a [b]Service Contract[/b] on it and only had to wait for the guy from Canon to turn up to repair it for free. I was there and they wanted it fixed [b]NOW![/b] When I looked at it all that was required was some Black Toner which they didn't have because no one bothered to order it. :D

When I told them that there was nothing I could do which is exactly what I'm assuming the people from Canon told them I just got a blank look and a question of [b]What do you mean we have to order Toner for it?[/b] I don't think that they thought it needed paper either and that it would just magically continue to work away forever more. The really idiot thing there was that because of the service contract everything but Paper and Staples where free to order and they paid per page copied.

But my bet of what is happening here is that this is a Valid Request for a fix from the person who made it but HR has no idea of who to send it to as they have already worked out that it's not your responsibility or part of your Job Description so they have no idea of what to do.

Sometimes it's best to leave [b]Sleeping Dogs Lie[/b] as it will be forgotten till next time when someone is put out by this not working right. ;)

Col

by cmhatte

I randomly came across this today and after reading all posts, desperately want to hear the rest of the story. haha. I know I'm like 8 months late.

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