U.S. secretaries not getting the big chips

Press, 1 July 1986, Page 8

U.S. secretaries not getting the big chips

NZPA-Reuter Kansas City A survey of American secretaries has found that an ability to use a computer has increased their responsibilities in offices but not their pay packets. Professional Secretaries International, which publishes “The Secretary” magazine, surveyed more than 1250 secretaries throughout the United States. It said it found that 58 per cent had realized no salary increase from learning to use computers,

word processors and electronic typewriters. Seventy-two per cent said computer skills learned on the job had increased their office responsibilities, and 35 per cent said they were now doing work formerly done by managers or other departments in their companies. Nearly 80 per cent said working with computers required more analytical and problem-solving abilities than their routine in a non-computerised office.

The secretaries reported doing more bud-get-related work, preparing more reports, originating more letters, doing more research, and working more on special projects after acquiring computer skills. They said that the use of traditional secretarial skills had stayed the same or increased with the advent. of computers, with the exception of shorthand and machine transcription.