Unorganized office and employer does not want to pay

A few weeks ago, I started working as a Medical Records Coordinator. I was initially excited because it's in my field and thought it would be a good start for my career. After my interview, they got back to me very quickly and told me they needed someone badly because it's been a while since they had someone.

I thought the place was organized with some kind of structure, but realized quickly it was the complete opposite. I was assigned to an office by myself and as soon as I walked in, the place was small, cramped, and disorganized. Piles of unorganized foldersand papers (from the beginning of this year and possibly before) were stacked behind me in boxes on a cart. I was so nervous and confused, I didn't know what to do.

I spoke to the administrator and told him about getting open shelves, new folders, color coded tabs for system numbers instead of using patients' names,but he told me not to worry about that and to startscanning other folders that are recent.

The administrator and the nursing director immediately understood my sentiment and said I can try to organize the room, but the focus should be on something else, which is scanning recent folders of paper from patients who aredischarged in this month and last month. The administrator adamantly talks about going paperless, so I asked them for atime frame. Then the nursing director said not to worry about that because its not going to be any time soon. So I felt completely shut down and just did what I was told.

I also have another responsibility which is responding to insurance companies, attorneys, and patients request to send out medical records. I would like to purchase a paper tray organizer for these stacks of letters and binder dividers when I am done, but it seems like they are on a budget and prioritize on what they purchase. If I don't get these items, work will eventually goout of control. In the room, you can see the different styles of organization from people who worked before me, because some parts of the room looked like something started and then stopped halfway.

The job isn't terrible and they assigned the receptionist to help me temporarily to help me with the scanning, but they also have to buy things as well to create structure in order for my job to function properly. They consistently tell me they want to help and support me, but it just seems like they will help only if it doesn't cost them.

My goal was to stay at a job for a year, because I never did and need to show stability and commitment. My resume is starting tolooklike I am a job hopper, but I honestly don't know how long I am going to stay here. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? What would you do if you were in this position?

Maybe I am not explaining the situation properly. I don't know how long I should stay at a job where it is so unorganized to the point I can't do my work properly. If I ask the manager to buy materials, which will help with organization, they give me the run around and tell me to not focus too much on it. Sorry I am not writing well, I have a problem communicating my thoughts.

You do not run this office. I would do only what you're told to do and not anything more for now. Do what you are told to do to the best of your ability. Bring in a cardboard box from home and use it as a "tray" -do not ask for supplies, do not try to organize the office because they do not want you to do that. When you run the office you can do that. If you don't like or want to do the tasks they are asking you to do that's another thing. If you are limited in what you can do without the supplies you asked for think outside of the box (pun intended) and if you're questioned about the quality of your work do not get defensive -simply state the facts which is that you are doing your best with what has been provided. You are the employee and their main job is to assign you work not help or "support" you - show them that you are self sufficient and productive as best as you can be if you want to keep this job.

What would I do? I'd get another job. If I had a poor employment history, I'd still get another job. This doesnt sound like it will work out well for you even in the short term.

You do not run this office. I would do only what you're told to do and not anything more for now. Do what you are told to do to the best of your ability. Bring in a cardboard box from home and use it as a "tray" -do not ask for supplies, do not try to organize the office because they do not want you to do that. When you run the office you can do that. If you don't like or want to do the tasks they are asking you to do that's another thing. If you are limited in what you can do without the supplies you asked for think outside of the box (pun intended) and if you're questioned about the quality of your work do not get defensive -simply state the facts which is that you are doing your best with what has been provided. You are the employee and their main job is to assign you work not help or "support" you - show them that you are self sufficient and productive as best as you can be if you want to keep this job.

Technically, I do run the office because I am the only person working there and in charge of the tasks and records. Hence, the name Medical Records Coordinator. My job is to coordinate the work and to make sure the tasks are running smoothly. It's a small office in the facility and there is one person in charge of everything in that office, which is me. There are two people above me, the Administrator and the Nursing Director. They are my managers and I report to them when I am having issues. They also said the office definitely needs organization, they know the state that it is in is not right and should be changed but don't want to spend money on it. They always tell me they will support me and if I need any help to go to them, so they do imply that they are there to support and help me. However, their words do not match up, because it seems like they are on a tight budget. They should just tell me flat out, they do not plan on spending money in my area because it does not concern them.

Do I think it'd ultimately be in their best interests to make some pretty mild investments to help you coordinate better? Sure. At the same time, I don't know a single tradesman who doesn't buy their own tools or a single teacher who doesn't-- at least to some extent-- purchase her own supplies. Not saying it's a good standard for employees to buy items to help their jobs go smoother, but the standard does often exist.

Your office is basically telling you, "This is the job we want done and here's the extent to which we're willing to provide to help you do it." Again, I can't say that I believe they're doing themselves any favors being frugal, but it is what it is. Now it's on you to look at the pay they provide you and gauge whether it's enough for you to stay with them, knowing you'll be dipping into your check for new folders and trays. If it is, bite the bullet and go to Staples, keep your receipts, and reserve the right to take what's worth it to take with you whenever you do leave. If you feel it's not worth it, put in your notice. I can near guarantee they can find someone who wouldn't mind paying for some folders out of pocket.

Technically, I do run the office because I am the only person working there and in charge of the tasks and records. Hence, the name Medical Records Coordinator. My job is to coordinate the work and to make sure the tasks are running smoothly. It's a small office in the facility and there is one person in charge of everything in that office, which is me. There are two people above me, the Administrator and the Nursing Director. They are my managers and I report to them when I am having issues. They also said the office definitely needs organization, they know the state that it is in is not right and should be changed but don't want to spend money on it. They always tell me they will support me and if I need any help to go to them, so they do imply that they are there to support and help me. However, their words do not match up, because it seems like they are on a tight budget. They should just tell me flat out, they do not plan on spending money in my area because it does not concern them.

Oh ok I'll revise what I meant. You do not own this business, and you are not the top executive in the office. Your job duties include administrative ones in "running the office" but you are not the owner/the head person. That is why I wrote what I wrote. I understand you don't like how unorganized it is. I did buy my own supplies many years ago when I was a teacher so I can relate to what J-man wrote. I would not buy anything for this job because you're brand new and you don't own any equity in the business. THeir understanding of "supporting" you is different from yours. So decide whether you can work in this kind of environment the way it is right now.

I would prove yourself through your job performance and they might later be willing to invest in such things. Do what they want you to do - handle the recent records and insurance inquiries and when you have time - block off a couple of hours a week to work on the backlog. Instead of an in and out box, you can make stacks on different sides of the desk. Also, if you absolutely have to have it -- sometimes you can find file trays at thrift stores or put on your local swap group that you are in need of one and you might be able to get one cheap or for free from someone getting rid of one.

Instead of trying to make far range decisions about how long I'm willing to stay at this point, I'd consider instead what kind of organization methods I'd be willing to purchase for my own home, and whether I'll want to use those temporarily to help me organize my work on the job. As a consultant for years, I had my go-to methods such as expandable alpha-numeric sorting books that are as easy to carry as a notebook. I'd speak to my supervisor about using those and keep my receipts so I won't have trouble removing them from the office when appropriate.

From there, I'd do whatever it takes to set up my own systems and bring order to my job, even if that means investing some extra time on it. This would launch me into high performance, where I'd have more credibility and clout over time. THEN I'd take my temperature on how long I intend to stay.

Having a year-long job on a resume is great when it's the right job, but meanwhile, I'd consider the kind of resume format that lists skills and accomplishments separately from calendar dates with employers. I'd group the calendar list under a heading such as 'Internships, Projects and Employment' right above my list of schools and degrees with the date column aligning for both groups. This implies that your primary 'job' has has been to get an education, and it doesn't distinguish the employers that were internships or temp projects from short term employers who are buried inside that list.

There are workarounds for just about everything on a job and on a resume. Don't conflate the two as a need to document every lousy experience as a tarnish on your record. Plenty of people work as temps and don't list their duties redundantly with every employer. They use company names as a selling point, even when their duration wasn't that long, while grouping their skills and accomplishments in a different section. this allows them to keep adding new companies to their calendar list without accounting for every function performed for each employer.

Head high, and see if you can enjoy this challenge.