Skilled secretaries still getting menial tasks, Kingston University concludes

Sewing a trouser seam, buying a toilet brush and booking a back wax are all tasks secretaries have been asked to perform which are beyond the call of duty.

Mop bucket a study conducted by Kingston University’s Professor Katie Truss and Rosemary Parr, found that although modern secretaries were better educated and performed more high-level tasks than their predecessors, many were undervalued, bullied and asked to perform inappropriate tasks.

The pair urged managers and human resources professionals to ensure that secretaries were valued, with proper job descriptions and career development plans that recognised their huge contribution to the country’s economy.

They hope their research will lead to the creation of a “mini MBA” or national personal assistant qualification to improve the status and career prospects of senior secretaries.