Filing dilemma

[debgephart]

I have a dilemma I need to resolve.   Everyone hates filing.  It's grunt work but it is also some of the most important work we do.  The problem is that no one here wants to take responsibility for the filing.  There are three of us in my department who are in administrative/support positions.  At the present there is no accountability for the filing when something becomes lost, and no one else seems to care if the filing gets done.  I keep mine caught up, but this causes another problem; the other two drop theirs on my desk or simply don't do it until it reaches a crisis point and then my boss tells me to help them out.  I have a meeting with my boss and one of my managers next week to work out a solution.  I thought of this - why not divide up the alphabet equally between the three of us?  This way each person has sole responsibility and is accountable for the letters they are assigned.  This way if something is lost or if the files they are accountable for are disorganized, the blame can't be shifted to someone else.  The problem doesn't get resolved if everyone is shifting blame and not addressing the problem.  I thought about creating a checklist to be followed while a new contract is being processed, so that there is accountability for each step and each document that needs to be in the file.  We don't have the budget to pay for a file clerk, that was my first suggestion.  I think accountability is the right way to go.  Thanks for your input.

[chevygirl55]

We have two AA's in the office who are each responsible for their own filing.  The accounting clerk and the recpetionist file for the accounting department but the AA files for herself and her Project Managers.  Our trouble doesn't come in filing the stuff, it comes when someone else removes it from the file, doesn't put it back, and doesn't remember they had it.  

chevygirl55

[debgephart]

That's another issue we will address down the road; what's causing the conflict now is that the two who have their hands on contracts the most are also the ones who don't want to do their filing.  I don't handle contracts, yet I'm being pulled into this so that we have common ground and no way for them to say that I'm at fault, because I'm included in it.  Thanks for your replies.  BTW - the last time we had others in the office catch their filing up, we had to hire in two temps, and it took them nearly three weeks to get the filing done.  

[mlm668]

I hate to shoot holes in your plan, but I think you are only asking for more problems by dividing up the alphabet.  Not everyone files by the same keyword and odds are they will find a way to continue to dump it on you.  Your boss needs to put his foot down and require that they keep their files up to date.  Are they so busy they can't get to it?  If so, then maybe hiring a part time file clerk is in order.

This is a topic I am going to be discussing with my boss on Friday.  I do the filing for paid invoices but I have nothing to do with AP/AR functions besides this.  I am also being asked to take on other duties that are AP/AR related.  I have no problem with this if it involves my learning something new, but if I am being asked to do it just because my co-worker won't or doesn't want to then we have a huge problem that needs to be resolved.

Discuss with your boss how much of your time is being taken up by doing their job for them and ask him to assign areas within your group that each is responsible for maintaining files.  ie: AP/AR, contracts, HR, etc.

Good luck.

Michelle