Am I My Boss's Personal Servant?

Knight Kiplinger weighs in on employers who use employees to run their errands and photocopying copyrighted material.

The woman who heads my division has started asking me to run personal errands for her, although I am not her executive assistant. Is this okay?

No, she shouldn't ask this of you. It is okay for executives to ask their assistants for occasional help with personal matters because it enables them to focus more intently on their managerial duties. But it shouldn't be a heavy, everyday demand, and it shouldn't extend to others in the office, like you. I suggest that you share your concerns with a senior person in the HR department, who should speak to the division head without revealing your identity.

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-200-80.png

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Sign up

To continue reading this article
please register for free

This is different from signing in to your print subscription


Why am I seeing this? Find out more here

Knight Kiplinger
Editor Emeritus, Kiplinger

Knight came to Kiplinger in 1983, after 13 years in daily newspaper journalism, the last six as Washington bureau chief of the Ottaway Newspapers division of Dow Jones. A frequent speaker before business audiences, he has appeared on NPR, CNN, Fox and CNBC, among other networks. Knight contributes to the weekly Kiplinger Letter.