Can feel micromanaged and inflexible at times. There are an incredible amount of little rules such as not being allowed to hang your sweater on your chair and where your computer monitor must be placed. Work hours are touted as 'flexible' but this is not accurate. The only flexibility I've experienced was initially getting to pick my start time from one of three options - 7:30, 8 or 8:30 am. After this choice, your hours are the same each and every day. Additionally, there are no options to make up hours by staying late or coning in early or on a Saturday, if by chance you needed to leave early to get the the dentist, for example. You cannot take a half day vacation, so if you need to leave at noon, you have to use an entire's day vacation. Contrarily, we are expected to be flexible for the corporation and move our desks with little notice. This has happened to my team twice in less than a year and other teams also.
Often workload hours exceeds allowed working hours. I've seen many assistants in tears over not getting something done within the strict hours. I don't mind extra hours this at all and at the corporate level I expect to have to put in overtime. But, being classified as an hourly employee means it is unacceptable to stay late as it creates an overtime pay situation. I would prefer to be salaried and be trusted to manage my hours professionally. Sometimes you want to finish a project when you're 'in the zone' or to get a jump on something coming up. Or, sometimes you just feel like working!
There is no opportunity to advance within the company. You are forever and assistant in any department with rare exception. Thus it follows suit that there is no leadership training or professional development training for any level below director. You are a grinder. This leads to discouragement, burnout and high turnover.
