April 24 is "Administrative Professionals Day," a name and day supplanting "National Secretaries Day." Much as we should assist the florists and candy manufacturers, there are definite psychological and legal hazards in this politically correct change in name. Of course, national secretaries day always had pitfalls, but not half as much as this new not-so-accurate synonym. More of that later.
Right now, and before you take out your dictionary, I want to know what an "administrative professional" is. We've been using the title, "administrative assistant," for at least 60 years. Has you ever looked up the definition? If so, have you first gone to the definition for secretary?
Secretary: 1. a person employed to handle correspondence, keep files, and do clerical work for an individual or company. 2. An officer who keeps records of the meetings, stock transfers, and legal transactions of a company or other organizations. 3. An official presiding over an administrative department or state. [Comes from Middle English for confidant, or Latin, secret.]
An Administrative Secretary's job description starts, "Keeps official corporation records and executes administrative policies determined by or in conjunction with other officials by performing the following duties" and an Administrative Assistant, "Schedules appointments, gives information to callers, takes dictation, and otherwise relieves officials of clerical work and minor administrative and business detail by performing the following duties."
The fact is that most of us have a pretty good idea what a secretary does. But unless we think of an administrative assistant as a secretary, we haven't the foggiest idea who the administrative assistant assists. I think that the PC folk out there are just a bit schizophrenic, but have done nothing more than to come up with a new name for an old job. That is no better or worse than calling employees, "associates." (It is certainly not as bad as calling them "partners" which has legal ramifications...")
Okay, just what is an "administrator" or an "administrative professional." I think it's a secretary, but let's take a look. The dictionary defines an administrator as "One who administers; an executive."
Anyone see a problem? I certainly do. If you use that definition, there's an implication that the position is exempt. It's only implied, and it's doubtful that it would meet the other five criteria under the FLSA, but still... What if this "administrative professional" has been classified as exempt, and three years later s/he finds out that the job is nonexempt. Do you know what your liabilities are? (This is discussed in detail elsewhere on this site and in the book, "Labor Pains.")
Okay, what does "administer" mean? "1. To have charge of; manage" which implies an exemption again.
Would somebody tell me what is so wrong with being a secretary? Yes, the majority of secretaries are and have been women. So what? Maybe women are better organized than men. Maybe they can type better than men. Maybe men can't correspond or write a letter. Maybe men don't know good grammar or punctuation. And maybe if all of those things are true, we all need trained secretaries, male or female. Lord knows, I could use one. Spell check doesn't meet a tenth of my clerical needs.
Other than Rebecca X who wrote last month, "Your anti-feminist agenda doesn't interest me. Please take me off your email list," for those of you who actually think, I ask again, what is wrong with being a secretary? Secretaries are often the clerical glue that keeps executives efficient. Secretaries bring order to a department. As far as I know, they no longer have to bring coffee to their boss' and, if they do, and do so willingly, then you do owe him/her a gift or a thank you or a lunch on National Secretaries Day. There's nothing demeaning about it.