I don't feel particularly respected at work. Half the time you could just eliminate "particularly" from that last sentence and it would be accurate. Hell, at least a quarter of the time beyond that you could actually say I feel rather disrespected at work! What I do, because it doesn't actively bring money through the door, isn't valued by most at our company. I and the other admin folk have actually been termed "pie eaters" (as opposed to the professional staff who were called "pie makers").
I work for a planning and engineering consulting firm. I review contracts - which means I read them from a legal perspective, basically an inhouse paralegal kind of thing. (I was a legal assistant for over a decade.) I negotiate language with our clients to try to protect our interests.
We're a small firm and are usually subcontractors to larger firms that contract with state agencies, etc.. We bill our client, our client bills the state, the state pays our client, then our client pays us. Unfortunately, our clients sometimes sit on our bills rather than sending them upstream promptly; sometimes they don't even look at them for months. So, I crafted a bit of language that I try to negotiate into all our contracts that requires them to review our bills promptly and then submit them to the state promptly.
Most of our clients fight including the language. It can be an uphill battle for sure. But, tonight, I I was reviewing a contract between one of our clients and the state tonight. The client had negotiated my language into their contract with the state. You know you've written some good stuff when someone steals it for their own use.
A little respect is nice... even if it comes from a client and you wouldn't even know it unless you stumbled on it. I did stumble on it and - hey - I know it's a small thing but I'm flattered!
3 comments:
Huh. How interesting. I think I'd be flattered too. Is it OK (meaning, I guess, legal but also OK with you personally) that they use language you crafted? And another thing. I think that if your language regarding prompt billing/payment arrangements between your clients and the state result in quicker payments to your firm, then that would make you.. a pie-maker. Correct? :) Just my opinion. I always have one, ha.
Suck pie, employers! ;-)
You know, you should've copyrighted the legalese you came up with. Then you could *really* tell those underappreciative twits to stick their pies where the sun don't shine...
chendri - a high-end pie bakery catering to people with too much money; think "Ace of Cakes" for the pie crowd.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
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