Byline: David James
MORE THAN 20% of company bosses type their own letters, a new survey has found.
And it's all to do with the changing nature of the work of a personal assistant, once referred to as a secretary.
Only brave people these days refer to managers' personal assistants as secretaries.
And in the survey 89% of personal assistants say their role had changed significantly since their work began.
Research on women's website handbag.com found 56% answer the phone and 40% organise their own meetings.
More and more PAs have degrees, the poll for awards body City & Guilds found.
car accessoriesA quarter (27%) of 18-to-24-year-old PAs have the qualification as compared to only 5% of those over 55.
Some 29% make decisions on behalf of the company, 45% manage budgets and 51% have an in-depth knowledge of their organisation.
But some of the work they are asked to do is above and beyond the call of duty, found another survey.
In a survey for Fish4Jobs it was found that a significant number of PAs might be expected to do grocery shopping for their bosses, while others buy and wrap gifts for the boss's partner - and sometimes their lover as well.
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, believes technology and flexible working practices are in part responsible for the kinds of work PAs are expected to do.
led light tubes "PAs increasingly own mobile phones and laptops and are
embroidered patches available far more than they used to be. As a result, managers can, and do, contact their support staff at home, in the theatre or restaurant, in bed, or even abroad on holiday.
'This blurs the distinction between professional and private in both the PA's and the boss's job.'
But City & Guilds IT product manager Paul McCloskey said that PAs are more valuable, better trained and better educated than ever and this is largely a positive thing.
'The demands of today's workplace have resulted in a new breed of super assistant who are adaptable, flexible workers who stay on top by constantly learning new skills. We've known for years that PAs are often the power behind the boss - it's good to see the old-fashioned image of the secretary finally laid to rest.'
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