Survey Finds Most Trusted Person in Office Isn’t Boss

 A survey conducted by Staples revealed that 66 percent of non-administrative employees believe that office administrators are the biggest team players in the office and are key players in morale boosting efforts. Less than 50 percent of respondents voted the boss as the most trusted office member. Over half of all respondents also feel that office administrators are underpaid.

The Staples poll also found that:

• Most non-administrative respondents said the most trusted office employee is the administrative assistant, followed by the boss (32.3 percent), and HR (11.1 percent). Over one-third of administrative assistants reported to covering up for their boss with 20 percent of these reporting such actions take place at least on a weekly basis.

• Nearly 60 percent of non-admins voted admins as having “super-human powers,” while most admins agreed that they have manager issues ranging from HR to office supplies, all revolving around difficult schedules.

• Administrative assistance reported experiencing an ever increasing workload with 70 percent of admins reporting an increase in the number of employees they support over last year. Just 30 percent reported this scenario in 2012.

• Nearly 70 percent of admin respondents chose Ellen DeGeneres as the celebrity boss they would most like to work with for a day.

“The majority of respondents described office administrators as the superhero who can ‘save the day,’” said Mike Edwards, Staples executive vice president of merchandising. “Staples is proud to help recognize administrative professionals who ‘come to the rescue’ and the key role they play in supporting companies of all sizes.”