My manager is forcing me to clean, vacuum, wash, and take out the garbage during trade shows

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I am a marketing project manager working in an American company based in France. This role includes planning and managing logistics for industry events. I am responsible of managing end-to-end all trade shows strategy, logistics, staffing, hotels, and planning and coordinating the routing of exhibit shipments.

During the trade shows that last at least 4 days, my direct manager forced me to clean the booth every morning. At noon, go buy sandwiches and cut them (20 or more), wash cups when the sales people finish drinking, vacuum, take out the garbage... when I told her that’s not my job, she yelled at me, told me that I’m completely responsible for that, and that no one among the sales guys must help me because it’s not their job. I felt deeply humiliated because I’m the only girl among them and I’m the only foreigner.

I need your help; I’m completely lost, is this normal? Is it legal that she’s forcing a manager to do the work of a hostess?

manpreet 2 years ago

The two tasks, keeping the booth clean and attending to lunch, seem to need doing, and to be part of the show logistics.

For any problem, but most strongly for something that is arguably in your area, you will get much further by proposing a solution than by presenting the problem to your manager to solve. Your boss yelling at you may be partly desperation at being presented with a problem without a proposed solution.

Depending on how your company and industry operates, the sales people at a trade show can be working extremely long hours. During show floor hours, they need to be continuously available to talk to customers. Having them do the chores may not be feasible.

I suggest, for future trade shows, checking whether the show organizers or venue offer booth janitorial services. If so, propose using them. Similarly, work with wherever the sandwiches are coming from on making sure they are cut however your boss wants them cut, and ready to eat.