Being given extra work after a promotion

[MoonlightMojitos]

So I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable here or have a right to be annoyed, feel free to be honest!

At the beginning of the year I was given a promotion. This came with a large pay increase and was sold to me as a 'recognition for all my hard work and loyalty over last few years'. It was literally a 2 minute meeting during the annual reviews where everyone is called in to directors office for 2 mins and told if they are getting any payrise or bonus that year or not. Nothing was mentioned about anything actually changing about my job (maybe I was being naive looking back now).

Since then I've been given all this extra work because "it's my job now" although I never asked for or agreed to this and wasn't told anything would change, it's just expected of me. The job role they gave me was a new one they created so there's nothing to go on by the way. I'm now training new employees (and we've had quite a few the last few months) which I've had no training or support for myself. It's expected that because I'm good at my job I'll be good at training other people. I'm shy and hate meeting new people as it is so this really isn't me or something I wanted. I'm expected to do client meetings although again, I hate things like that and get anxious for days thinking about it before I have one. My work load has not been reduced at all despite all the extra things I'm expected to do on top so now I'm just stressed and unhappy.

I'm not sure what kind of right I have to say no, I'm not happy doing these things? Surely they can't change your job role like this without your consent? There is no HR department before anyone suggests is. It's a smallish (but rapidly growing) company of around 25 staff - 3 teams with all staff at same level within the teams, a manager for each of the teams, 1 office manager (who manages the managers) and 2 directors. Plus me who is now assistant manager to the team managers/new starter trainer/general dogsbody for the crappy tasks the managers dont want to do themselves but are too much to be expected of general team members.

Sorry for rant but I just needed to get it all down and find out where I stand. I don't want to seem ungrateful and I appreciate the payrise but I never wanted this.

[UnsuccessfullyAdulting]

A pay rise could be construed as recognition for past performance, but a promotion is exactly that: a step up to a more senior / technical role. With the extra cash and new title, will usually come more work and accountability!

[alltouchedout]

I genuinely- and I am being sincere and not mean, here- do not understand how anyone could expect a promotion not to mean a change in responsibilities.

[Meadows76]

You do realise a promotion IS a change of role? Of course you will be expected to do other things.

[sparechange]

Um, you realise that when you accepted the promotion was the point that you gave your consent for your job to change?

What did you think a promotion would be..?
More money and a fancy job title to carry on doing the exact same thing?

[sparechange]

You can tell them that you need extra training and support to get up to speed though. But it's with a view to you getting up to speed. Not dropping the extra responsibilities or palming it off onto someone else.

Or if it's really stressing you out, you can ask them about being demoted back to your old salary, job and responsibilities?

[YoullNeverWeeAlone]

Ok, so no mention of new job description to go with new salary & title?

Why not ask for one, in writing, then if you feel it is too big / not for you try to negotiate something you are happy with. Training people is an acquired skill and you can learn to deal with clients etc - I am naturally very shy but managed to get used to this.

Maybe once you know what is expected of you, you'll find it easier to plan and manage?

[holidaysaregreat]

I think you have 2 choices - 1) accept that a significant pay rise requires more responsibility and try to work on ways to make your work load more manageable 2) ask to go back to your old job but with the old salary. I think you were a bit naive to think that a large pay increase would be given for the same level/amount of work.

[catkind]

Sounds like you urgently need a talk with your manager.

In the first place, I think you need to ask for a job description for the new role. They can't expect you to do a good job if you don't even know what your job is. Do you have objectives, anything like that?

The other things you are asking for also sound eminently reasonable. You need some of your time allocated to your new responsibilities, and some training and support on how to do them.

As a fellow shy person, I'd really encourage you to give it a go. You can learn this stuff, the more you do it the less scary it is. Being involved with new starters is actually rather good if you're shy, it's easier to get to know people if you're doing a specific task with them than just generally round the office.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Well yes looking back now I see I was being naive but yes, I expected things to go on as they were as I was already doing above and beyond what others in my team with exactly the same title were/are doing. So I genuinely thought it was recognition for the extra work I was already doing, not that I'd be given more and more. As I say nothing was said about the changes or what would be expected of me. I was given a 3 grand payrise the year before and nothing changed then.... although obviously my title didn't change then.

Reading your comments I am obviously being ridiculous and it was obvious what would happen. I'm just fed up and never wanted it. I'd happily take on extra responsibility with it just not training and meetings which I hate. I have anxiety and am very shy and it just isn't me. I'm much more suited to a more technical role, doing what I was doing before but more complex work. I enjoyed my job before and now I don't at all, I'm just upset and stressed.

I'm currently pregnant so it would be stupid to be asked to be demoted again now when I've only got a few months to go before maternity leave but if I go back I will ask to go back to the general role, or look for something else I'm actually suited to. Thanks :)

[MoonlightMojitos]

spare change just to confirm, I didn't accept the change. I was told.... it was a 2 minute meeting where they said "congratulations, we're giving you a new title and more money"! And kicked me back out the door for the next person.

[MoonlightMojitos]

youll no, I wasn't given a new job description. I still have my admin one from when I started years ago.

[Lorelei76]

You were promoted and you didn't ask for a new job description? My gast is flabbered!

I once got given a big pay rise because most of a team had left, it was pitched more flatteringly but even then... I told them the pay confirmation letter had to specify no change to role with a note saying job description of xx date remained unchanged.

I sometimes think MN is an alternate universe.

[Lorelei76]

We cross posted
And your title changed? And you just let them "tell" you things? The mind boggles.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Yeah thanks, I'm obviously stupid. This is my first proper job so I will know in future.... it was a nice small team of 10 when I started and now everything has got very different lately. I've never been in a position like this before or had a promotion or anything before, I was just really chuffed that they were pleased with how well I had been doing, so forgive me for not thinking about it and realising I needed to be aware of all these things.

[FadedRed]

IMO you are not 'being ridiculous'.
I have no qualifications in employment law/rights, but I am a bit nonplussed about what has actually happened here.
Previously you were given a pay rise with no change in your job, so your assumption this was the same situation is not unreasonable.
You were not told it was a different role, just a different job title.
You have no job description for a new role.
You did not apply for the new role.
You were given no training for the elements of this new role that you are unfamiliar with, just expected to get on with it.
If this a new role/job that did not previously exist, aren't your employers obliged to advertise it? Then applicants are interviewed and the appropriate candidate employed.
Not sure what you can do, but I'd start by asking for a meeting with your line manager to clarify your situation, get a job description and some training and support organised.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Thanks faded. No they didn't advertise it, there has been a bit of faff recently as they promoted someone else too (but to an actual manager when they split 2 teams in to 3) without advertising or interviewing or anyone knowing it was happening and a few people grumbled that they would like to have been considered for it but were not given the choice. It's a small company (or was) and to be honest I think they do a lot of things that they are probably not meant to do but no one really knows what we can do about it. (I'm dreading the whole maternity leave thing too as no one has ever gone on maternity leave before and I doubt they will have a clue about my rights). One of the directors is a sexist pig too who often makes inappropriate comments "jokes" that offend people but what can we do? That's another thread entirely! As I said this is my first proper job and almost everyone in the office is under 30 and recent graduates etc or been there for years so none of us really know what they can and can't do, it's all a bit make it up as we go along.

I will speak with my manager and see what she suggests and ask for the new job description and go from there.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Pretty much what happens by the way is the people that have been there longest are given a promotion, that's what has happened as it grew from 1 team of 10 to 2 teams and now to 3 and then with me.

[FadedRed]

Cross post with your reply of 23.22 Moonlight
Some posters are being unnecessarily unpleasant on here.
You are NOT stupid.
This sort of casual approach is not unusual in small business, and how are you supposed to be an expect in employment issues if you've never worked anywhere else?
Ask for a meeting with your manager, write a bullet point list of what you need to do this job properly, and discuss it calmly. Hopefully you will get some support, as they obviously value for our and will want you to stay.
Best of luck.

[FadedRed]

FFS autocorrect is determined to make me look a fool.
*expect should be expert
*value you

[NapQueen]

I would call a meeting with your line manager and say that you had been under the impression that the pay rise was a reflection of the added tasks you were all ready undertaking, and an acknowledgement from them that you were performing at a level above the pay grade.

That you are now wondering whether you could maybe have a trial period on this rate and new responsibilities and a job description as the role is significantly more that what you had envisaged.

[OllyBJolly]

The OP knew it was a promotion so there should have been an expectation of a different role. It is naive to think there would be no change. It would be silly to go to management and admit that.

However, the lack of clarity needs resolved. OP has to have a conversation with her manager where they agree what the parameters of the role are, and a development plan or work around for the areas she is struggling with. If the company is fast growing then I imagine it will be a changing environment so there will be pressure. There will likely also be tremendous opportunity so it's in the OP's interests to address this quickly.

The other issue with lack of clarity of role is everyone will have different expectations so those around the OP may well be dumping other tasks on her. Define the role more clearly, communicate it to everyone and ask for support where required - but accept that a fair amount of initiative and drive is required from you.

[mugginsalert]

Put together a list of what you currently do, maybe splitting them into three groups: the task that everyone else does too, the stuff you did above and beyond before your promotion, and the stuff you've been asked to do following your promotion. Meet with your manager and ask them to identify how they see the balance of these activities in your day to day work, and if there are any other responsibilities they see as being part of your new role. Importantly, ask them which they see as most important, and make them aware if you need any of the lower level stuff to move to other people in order for you to have enough time to do the new stuff properly. Request a formal job description that defines the new role partly so that you can manage the expectations of other colleagues.

At that point, you will have enough input to make a decision about whether the new role is right for you or not (and whether the new role is a fair expectation for the salary etc). I would suggest not sharing any doubts about the role until you've had that information and time to think.

Bear in mind that if you chose to step back down, they might appoint another of your colleagues to your current role, and that person might do the work in a way that impacted on you. Would you be happy to watch someone else do the job, particularly if you felt that you could, after all, have done it better?