Me, in the Children’s Department: Hello!
Head of Children’s Department: Hey
Me: My name’s Matt! I’m the new supervisor who’s been assigned down here!
Head of Department: Matt… Matt? There’s no- Wait, are you James? With the name thing?
Me: Yep, that’s me!
Head of Department: Oh wonderful! How nice to meet you! But… you know you’re not a supervisor, right?
Me: Sorry?
Head of Department: You’re not a supervisor. You’re a Library Assistant 2 (LA2).
Me: Yeah…?
Head of Department: An LA2 isn’t a supervisor position.
Me: …
Me: So, for the last 4 years I’ve been referring to LA2s as supervisors…
Head of Department: Incorrectly.
Me: Awesome.
Me: So what is an LA2 then?
Head of Department: Lead Worker!
Me: Is… that a meaningful distinction?
Head of Department: A Lead Worker, well… leads the workers! You’ll be in charge of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the other Library Assistants, but not, like, in a supervisory way. You won’t be making hiring decisions, handling discipline, or writing personnel schedules, for example.
Me: So who does those things?
Head of Department: I’ll be taking on all those responsibilities from the current LA3.
Me: Who is a supervisor.
Head of Department: Yes. And they got transferred into another department. We’re really short-handed around here, and with you we’re not actually gaining anyone, just swapping out one person for another.
Me: So, I’m not a supervisor, you’re taking the supervisor parts of the job from the old supervisor… so what will I be doing that’s different from my current duties as an LA1?
Head of Department: You’ll be writing the daily desk schedules for the personnel. And you’ll be helping me write the personnel schedules every week. And you’ll sit with me on job interviews if we’re adding any new staff. And if there are any potential discipline issues, you would bring those to me and I can sign off on it if we agree.
Me: It sounds like I have to do all the work of a supervisor, without the authority or pay of a supervisor.
Head of Department: Listen, I didn’t make the job classes. I’m not crazy about taking on the extra work, either.
Me: What a great assignment.