By CORRIE BENFIELD
The Tampa Tribune

What job requires you to have the skills of a psychologist, a plumber, a personal shopper, an animal control officer, a janitor and a chief operating officer? If you’re an office manager, you already know.

These skills might not be in the job description, but they popped up in a survey by Staples of more than 8,000 office managers.

More than half of the managers said they perform the jobs of at least 10 different workers in one week, reported the office supply company, which solicited responses on its Web site.

As part of the survey, Salary.com determined that some managers could be making $90,000 a year based on the variety of work they do. That compares with the industry average of $54,000.

Despite their hectic work lives, the managers kept their sense of humor. Here are some of the office supplies they compared themselves to and some of the oddest responsibilities they have taken on.

Stapler: I am always holding it all together.

Liquid paper: I am constantly covering up people’s mistakes.

Calendar: I keep track of everyone’s events.

Correction fluid: My job changes from minute to minute.

Staple remover: I undo problems.

Calculator: I am always crunching numbers.

Glue stick: I hold it all together.

Fire extinguisher: I constantly put out fires.

Mouse: I am always all over the place.

File folder: I am constantly organizing.

Copier: I have to record everything.

Packing tape: Everyone depends on me to hold this place together.

MOST UNUSUAL JOBS
Talk about multitasking. Here are some of the oddest tasks office managers noted on the Staples survey.
•Unclogging the toilet while being on hold on the phone and signing for a delivery

•Helping the owners plan a family vacation

•Buying the boss’s mother a birthday card

•Clearing snow from the parking lot

•Scooping the cat litter

•Giving the boss a haircut

•Babysitting the boss’s kids

•Cleaning pigeon poop off the sidewalks

•Breaking up an office romance

•Paying the rent one month because the business owner didn’t have the money

•Overseeing the remodeling and decorating of the office and restrooms

•Taking an employee shopping for proper attire

•Figuring out what to do about animals trapped inside the office walls

•Storing someone’s ashes

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