Working beyond your contracted hours

[Roy1983]

I'm contracted to 37.5 hours per week which is the contracted hours for a manager within my company. However, I average 42-45 hours and gain time in liu opposed to paid overtime. As a manager in my field I accept that I have to but unless you are I'd suggest telling them your not gonna do it for a while.

 

[Sheikh Ma Nuggets]

I fudging hate people who can't get things done because they don't have time. Anyone who uses that excuse is dead to me.

I hate people who can't plan properly, therein screaming that everything is 'urgent'. They get ignored.

 

[BAE]

BAE - You in External or Internal? I am in internal, I did a stint in External Audit and fudgein hated it and the January to April time is 60 -70 hour weeks.

Its funny you bring this topic up. I was chatting to a work colleague yesterday who was saying how a client treated her like 'brick' and how she wasnt getting the information she needed. I simply told her when the Client dont give us the information and evidence we simply write up the report as is, smack a limited assurance/red opinion and see how quickly the Client change their tune and start sucking your **** and start supplying you with mountains of information to change that opinion.

Since becoming an Assistant Manager Client have treated me with FAR more respect and provide me with the information at my first request, I make it a point to give my Business Card so they are aware of my position and basically a hint not to mess with me. I have learnt that the only way to deal with Clients is to be a bit of a **** but in an underhanded way and start using Auditor speak to 'scare' them into submitting information.

I dont know how big your clients are, what your role is in the audit etc but be a **** but cover your back. Ask for the evidence a couple of weeks in advance, via email, then send a reminder the following week, if they havent supplied it to you THEN, then you start becoming a **** and start writing up report and test based on what you have. Debrief the fudgers, the chances are they will be scared into submission.

I dont get treated like brick now at all. Chief Execs, Directors, Non Execs all treat me with a bit of respect now - admittedly I have known most of them for three or four years.

Working as an external auditor is a frustrating job - on the one hand, you've got a manager in your ear, asking why brick isn't done, and on the other, you've got a client who you're tinkling off with your constant requests for "support for this... a breakdown for that... a copy of this..." and who are often unwilling to give you that information.

You're philosophy of being a Danchev to them sounds like the best philosophy, but maintaining that sort of persona, day in, day out will turn you into a Danchev in real life, especially if that's not in your nature.

I always make sure I cover my ass though, keeping records of all my requests etc. If the client won't respond to my original request, a good trick is to forward them the email sent to them earlier, and cc-ing yours and their superiors...


So next time you lot on here are tinkled off with your external auditors, and unwilling to provide them with info, spare a thought for me and DHSF on here, and the fact that we don't like annoying you either!

 

[DHSF]

Working as an external auditor is a frustrating job - on the one hand, you've got a manager in your ear, asking why brick isn't done, and on the other, you've got a client who you're tinkling off with your constant requests for "support for this... a breakdown for that... a copy of this..." and who are often unwilling to give you that information.

You're philosophy of being a Danchev to them sounds like the best philosophy, but maintaining that sort of persona, day in, day out will turn you into a Danchev in real life, especially if that's not in your nature.

I always make sure I cover my ass though, keeping records of all my requests etc. If the client won't respond to my original request, a good trick is to forward them the email sent to them earlier, and cc-ing yours and their superiors...


So next time you lot on here are tinkled off with your external auditors, and unwilling to provide them with info, spare a thought for me and DHSF on here, and the fact that we don't like annoying you either!

Yeah as Auditors you got pressure not only from your company i.e. Managers and Directors who expect you to meet time and cost budgets but also from the clients mere mortals i.e. the Manager but also from the non Execs. Your basically stuck in the middle with so man stakeholders interested in your findings etc. Not a nice place to be in.

Ill be honest I dont get annoyed anymore cos clients know how i operate i.e. two chances if not cooperating then expect to hear from your Director of Finance and CEO who are held accountable at the end of the day.

As for being a **** - its not really in my nature but if the client are acting like ****s, dont care if theyre paying my wages, you act like a **** - fight fire with fire I guess.

Ultimately they will brick themselves if you gotta qualify their accounts or give a limited assurance opinion on their sorry excuses for a process.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

The only thing that used to annoy me with our external Auditors was that they would always send a numpty who had no clue to come and audit me.

At the time I was a Reinsurance accountant, something of a niche area, so every time they would send some junior to me to learn the ins and outs. And then try and tell me Im doing it wrong, after I taught them how it works.

Of course they had made errors in their calculations and so I would spend even more time (like the time taken to show someone the work who hasnt a clue wasnt long enough) explaining to them how I was right and they were wrong...

Always nice chaps, and on the occasion you got one who knew what was what it was a pleasure.

 

[DHSF]

The only thing that used to annoy me with our external Auditors was that they would always send a numpty who had no clue to come and audit me.

At the time I was a Reinsurance accountant, something of a niche area, so every time they would send some junior to me to learn the ins and outs. And then try and tell me Im doing it wrong, after I taught them how it works.

Of course they had made errors in their calculations and so I would spend even more time (like the time taken to show someone the work who hasnt a clue wasnt long enough) explaining to them how I was right and they were wrong...

Always nice chaps, and on the occasion you got one who knew what was what it was a pleasure.

haha yeah we do send the numpties - cheaper hourly charge out rate which means more recovery thus more profit per audit. Also they do have to start off somewhere huh?

We will always get something wrong, I still do even now. Inaccuracies in the report etc but hence why we clear all crap up before a final report issued.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I understand that everyone starts somewhere, it just became incredibly frustrating that I was being used as a tutor instead of a client EVERY SINGLE TIME (Grrr!)

I got really fed up with the whole cycle.

Numpty comes along for some time to go through workings "Will only take an hour"

Half a day later it is abundantly clear numpty still hasnt the foggiest what is going on, despite my using short words and diagrams to explain the concepts to him.

Numpty eventually says he understands (he doesnt) and wants me to send him files (which I do) for him to follow (which he cant)

All through the rest of the week numpty comes to my desk asking random questions (usually so basic they betray his lack of knowledge)

The following week numpty arranges meeting to go through his findings. Fine.

Numpty TELLS ME my workings are wrong and I have miscalculated with millions in error (Seriously? Has he no shame?)

I look at his workings, explain the several factors he hasnt considered and show him how to do it properly.

Usually at this point me and the numptys (hidden away) boss play Numpty tennis with him going back and forth back and forth back and forth between us. At this point numpty is now no more than a messenger, the boss is conducting the review but of course he doesnt have half a clue either...

Eventually the boss shows himself, sits with me for half a day going over all the same things Numpty did last week before realising my work is just fine and there are no issues.

In no way patronising at all I get the "ok!" from these experts.

"Will only take an hour" my ass!

 

[DHSF]

Yeah the one hour bit is my fave. but dont forget im pretty sure written in your Job Description is something about Audit - I would be flabbergasted if it wasnt - so fudgein adhere to it NAYIM.

The thing is sometimes we are numpties because the clients are clowns who dont know too uch either. Simple. I do internal audit so im less about the numbers more about the process, whilst the external auditors are the opposite. The way they describe the process and the way the process is practices is two totally different things.

I do sometimes feel sorry for you jokers because you do have your day jobs to complete also but we come in for a week or two a year - not much to ask for. If an Auditor uses up ten of your yearly work hours its hardly a massive percentage.

There are times we can be more efficient and I think that comes with familiarity with the client hence the importance of Client Managers.

Nayim - id audit you id happily do it - I think d end up having you put away haha

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Mate Im generally fine with Auditors. Very helpful too - I find that if you make a little time and give them what they want it all gets done nice and quickly. Of course I have nothing to hide either and so expect nothing to come back.

It was just this one job, being a niche, I felt I was basically being used and abused (and not in a good way) by the auditors. Which became very frustrating.

Which of course was then compounded by someone who hasnt a clue telling me Im doing something wrong (which I wasnt!)

I would have welcomed you auditing me DHSF, good luck finding issues with my work O