Increased workload and responsibilities - Advice?

C

cushtie

Guest
I'm not sure if I'm asking a question here or what but a situation has arisen at work that I could do with a bit of advice on.

I work for a fin srv company where there is just me and one other person in our dept. due to some upheaval in the company last year it has been very quiet in the last few months. (it is normally quiet this time of year anyway what with people on leave for exams and holidays etc).

Anyway they have decided to let go the other person in my dept. I was consulted about this a few months ago and I gave a recommendation that this person should be kept on. they agreed that there was too much work for one person but not enough for two so it has been decided to make this person redundant.

this leaves me more or less on my own to do the work of two people, albeit not as much as before but still enough.

My boss made some veiled references that with the other person gone there would be "more to go around" as he put it.

I was speaking to him and said that I would like to have a chat with him about salary, conditions etc and he seemed a little taken aback.

Anyway I am wondering should I look to speak to him straight away and strike while the iron is hot so to speak or wait until the annual review which is in November by which time we will all have a better idea how the new situation is working out

any advice greatly appreciated

Cushtie
 
A couple of thoughts,

One of the arguements the civil servants are using against decentralisation is the potential loss of 'intellectual capital.' Maybe you could use the same arguement? How will your dept be run if you get overworked & leave?

Secondly, if they won't give you a pay rise, could they hire a temp to work 2/3 days a week. You could work this for a while & then leave with 'supervisory experience' on your CV!

What happens when you take your annual leave? Are you overworked, maybe under stress? Would your doctor give you a sick note for a month?

I wouldn't wait until Nov. If you 'prove' you can handle the workload now, they'll argue you can handle the workload later in the year when things pick up.

Sluice
 
Definitely bring it up sooner rather than later, but in a constructive manner.
 
If your boss has decided that the work can be done by one person and that you are the person for the job, then he/she has made a positive decision about you and your abilities.

If you start bitchin' and moanin' and using this situation as an excuse to get extra money, your boss will NOT appreciate that and may change his/her mind about you.

Be bloody glad you have a job and get on with doing the best job you can possibly do. That way, you will probably advance in the organisation. Complaining about some imaginary problem will only set you back.

If you have a genuine grief about your workload, by all means bring it to your boss's attention and try to work something out. If you do not get a satisfactory solution, then you have to leave and go work somewhere else.
 
Hi Cushtie

I don't think that salary is the most important issue here and, as such, it can wait until your annual review.

If a situation arises that you are expected to do the work of two people, you might not do the work an acceptable standard. If this is an issue, you should point it out now, probably in writing, along the following lines:

...I appreciate that things have gone quiet and I understand the need to cut costs. However, I am concerned that, having to do the work of two people, I may miss deadlines or I may not be able to give the same level of attention to detail...

Another problem is what happens in your absence, and you should ask about this in the letter

...what provision have you made to cover for me during my absences due to vacations or illness...

The trick is to make these points without appearing to moan. You have an absolute right to state your point. The fact that they consulted you about the move suggests that your employer is fairly reasonable.

Brendan
 
Secondly, if they won't give you a pay rise, could they hire a temp to work 2/3 days a week. You could work this for a while & then leave with 'supervisory experience' on your CV!
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they have already said that they don't want to go down this road but will obviously review the situation if needs be

Definitely bring it up sooner rather than later, but in a constructive manner.
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the other person is leaving at the end of this month so do yo think I should wait till they have gone or before they go?

Be bloody glad you have a job and get on with doing the best job you can possibly do. That way, you will probably advance in the organisation. Complaining about some imaginary problem will only set you back.
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I dont think it is an imaginary problem, I know how much work I do now and I know how much work this other person does (I give this person the work) so I know for a fact that there will be an awful lot for one person to handle. I've done it before on my own covering holidays etc as has this other person

I don't think that salary is the most important issue here and, as such, it can wait until your annual review.
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But If my workload increases greatly then should I be compensated for this with a salary increase? My boss's exact word were "there is not enough work for two and too much for one, more like 1.5"

Do you think that this is an office manager post?
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You are not too far off it there Joan judging by what our Office manager does.

Once again thanks for all the feedback and suggestions.

Cushtie
 
..

Hi Cushtie

I think I'd be inclined to de-personalise things and merely ask your manager how he intends to complete the residual tasks following your workmate's departure.

If he can reasonably show how you can accomodate these additional duties into your existing hours (e.g. by re-allocating or discontinuing some of your existing tasks), then there's really nothing you can do.

However, if you can demonstrate that the completion of the additional tasks would be impossible within existing hours or that they could only be performed to a lesser standard, it is perfectly reasonable to ask him for his vision of how he sees them been done.

Regardless of any additional money he may offer you, there are only so many hours in a day. It may come down to whether you would want to work some more of these in return for more money. Or it may be more appropriate to take on a temp.

Either way, it's reasonable that you should have an input to the plan if you're going to be otherwise leaned upon.
 
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