few specific things with you.’
‘All right. Five minutes. I have a letter to finish.’ She dreaded another encounter and wanted a few moments to compose herself. The letter had been a fiction as she had already finished it. She was pondering over the dilemma she felt surrounding her. Mixing business and pleasure was the mistake everyone supposed. Though they had mostly kept work and personal life totally separate, she felt certain that his obsession with her targets was as a result of his mother’s influence on him. The woman wanted her out of Alex’s life and the situation was making it difficult for her to work with him. She made up her mind to seek another position but it would not be easy in this part of the world. Maybe she should transfer to another branch or maybe she should leave Cornwall altogether and make a new start. She drew in her breath to compose herself. Dammit, why should she? She loved living here. There was nowhere else she wanted to live. She walked along the corridor to Alex’s office, her head held high.
‘Come in’ Alex called in response to her knock. She saw her last time sheet spread on his desk and felt her heart sink. Horrible thing. ‘I was looking through your various accounts and the clients you’ve seen. I have to say, you are spending much longer per client than I would have expected. And you charging rates don’t always match the time you’re spending with them. It needs tightening up. For instance, this Mr Knowles you’ve been working with. I see you have spent something over two hours with him during the past months but I can’t find a billing for two hours. Just one for one hour.’ Sarah froze, partly in anger, partly in total shock.
‘You’re seriously telling me you have the time to go through each client, for each member of staff and marry together hours and billing?’
‘Of course not. I have an internal audit clerk who does it.’
‘Oh really. And what sort of salary does he or she get?’
‘Enough to justify the appointment.’
‘And you’re doing this for everyone? Not just me?’
‘Eventually, yes. I picked on your account because you were so very far away from your target. I needed to see why.’
‘But I thought I’d explained that my work load does not merit the target you set. It isn’t a matter of pushing pieces of paper around like conveyancing or probate matters. These are real people with massive problems. Traumas, even. I have to spend a bit of extra time with them simply to allow them space and time to speak openly. I have to form a relationship with them before they can truly open up. As for Mr Knowles, I’m trying to sort out the mess another solicitor made of his divorce settlement. Poor man was totally taken to the cleaners by his ex wife’s solicitor and badly advised by his own. He’s now eligible for legal funding so I shall get that sorted immediately.’
‘I sympathise with all of that. But you know, we also have to minimise the number of clients with legal support. They are of course, less profitable. But the fact remains, we can’t afford to carry any member of staff who isn’t performing properly.’
‘I see. So you’d like me to resign? Or perhaps I can transfer to one of the other branches?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. All I need is for you to become more realistic about what you are doing. Please Sarah,’ his voice softened, ‘try to understand the position I’m in.’ She rose from her seat and walked to the door. She did not want to hand in her resignation but was very close to it. How on earth could she have considered even liking this man, let alone thinking of the possibility of anything more? She paused and drew in her breath, desperately trying to control what she said.
‘This isn’t about work, is it? It’s nothing to do with my wretched targets or time sheets or anything else. It’s your precious mother. Mummy , dear . She doesn’t approve of me and the fact we’ve spent so much time together.
‘All right. Five minutes. I have a letter to finish.’ She dreaded another encounter and wanted a few moments to compose herself. The letter had been a fiction as she had already finished it. She was pondering over the dilemma she felt surrounding her. Mixing business and pleasure was the mistake everyone supposed. Though they had mostly kept work and personal life totally separate, she felt certain that his obsession with her targets was as a result of his mother’s influence on him. The woman wanted her out of Alex’s life and the situation was making it difficult for her to work with him. She made up her mind to seek another position but it would not be easy in this part of the world. Maybe she should transfer to another branch or maybe she should leave Cornwall altogether and make a new start. She drew in her breath to compose herself. Dammit, why should she? She loved living here. There was nowhere else she wanted to live. She walked along the corridor to Alex’s office, her head held high.
‘Come in’ Alex called in response to her knock. She saw her last time sheet spread on his desk and felt her heart sink. Horrible thing. ‘I was looking through your various accounts and the clients you’ve seen. I have to say, you are spending much longer per client than I would have expected. And you charging rates don’t always match the time you’re spending with them. It needs tightening up. For instance, this Mr Knowles you’ve been working with. I see you have spent something over two hours with him during the past months but I can’t find a billing for two hours. Just one for one hour.’ Sarah froze, partly in anger, partly in total shock.
‘You’re seriously telling me you have the time to go through each client, for each member of staff and marry together hours and billing?’
‘Of course not. I have an internal audit clerk who does it.’
‘Oh really. And what sort of salary does he or she get?’
‘Enough to justify the appointment.’
‘And you’re doing this for everyone? Not just me?’
‘Eventually, yes. I picked on your account because you were so very far away from your target. I needed to see why.’
‘But I thought I’d explained that my work load does not merit the target you set. It isn’t a matter of pushing pieces of paper around like conveyancing or probate matters. These are real people with massive problems. Traumas, even. I have to spend a bit of extra time with them simply to allow them space and time to speak openly. I have to form a relationship with them before they can truly open up. As for Mr Knowles, I’m trying to sort out the mess another solicitor made of his divorce settlement. Poor man was totally taken to the cleaners by his ex wife’s solicitor and badly advised by his own. He’s now eligible for legal funding so I shall get that sorted immediately.’
‘I sympathise with all of that. But you know, we also have to minimise the number of clients with legal support. They are of course, less profitable. But the fact remains, we can’t afford to carry any member of staff who isn’t performing properly.’
‘I see. So you’d like me to resign? Or perhaps I can transfer to one of the other branches?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. All I need is for you to become more realistic about what you are doing. Please Sarah,’ his voice softened, ‘try to understand the position I’m in.’ She rose from her seat and walked to the door. She did not want to hand in her resignation but was very close to it. How on earth could she have considered even liking this man, let alone thinking of the possibility of anything more? She paused and drew in her breath, desperately trying to control what she said.
‘This isn’t about work, is it? It’s nothing to do with my wretched targets or time sheets or anything else. It’s your precious mother. Mummy , dear . She doesn’t approve of me and the fact we’ve spent so much time together.
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