To speak up at work

The point is, when the company did the restructure, they will have known what salaries people are on and what salaries they would previously have paid for a receptionist etc. They will be aware that it costs more to have more expensive staff covering this role, but for whatever reason, they have decided that it is in the best interests of their business to organise things like this. And that is their prerogative.

They might have made some ridiculous decisions, but if they did, that's on them and they will need to deal with the consequences of those decisions. They might have communicated things badly too, and they will have to deal with the consequences of that poor communication. Which might include staff being pissed off and/or not fully understanding the rationale that sits behind the decision making.

The important point for you to focus on, though, is that they are not going to change things just because you don't like them. It is in your best interests now to either accept the changes and get on board with them (offering genuinely constructive and helpful feedback about how to make the new model more effective) or if you can't accept them, look to move on to another role in a different company. There is no point in bleating on about how things were better before... they're not going to go back to how things were.

If you are not happy then find another job. But for god's sake don't moan about having to cover reception or talk about goody goodys when asked why you are leaving. You sound like a child.

Whether someone is willing to muck in when needed tells you a lot about a person.
You aren't being asked to be the full time receptionist and it's being shared equally amongst the team.
It sounds like something you just need to get on with.

Hi OP it Could just then be the way you worded your OP that came across as it did re receptionist role - I totally understand if you just don’t like it, fair enough!

I think a constructive way to approach this (seeing as it’s clear this company doesn’t seem to “do” consulting or even communicating well and they’ve already issued what they want) is to focus any discussion with management on the impact of your regular role on the business. To be honest, I think it’s fair on your employer to communicate that, and can be presented perhaps as being a business concern, even if you didn’t mind covering, as some of your colleagues seem not to!

Definitely also feels like your colleagues might simply be worried about their jobs with the changes so keeping their heads down, for that reason I wouldn’t be too critical of them right now.

I just don't like it. It's not that it's beneath me but honestly it does not require any quals or experience like what I have and would

So you shouldn't find it too difficult then?

But you're still getting paid your much bigger salary and this is now part of the work that your employer wants you to do. So what's the issue?

You can think that they're wasting their money by paying you to do the reception work, but that's their problem. You can decide that you no longer enjoy your job and look for another one. You can make constructive suggestions to management about how to improve things.

What you can't do is stamp your feet and say that you're not doing what is now a part of your job because you think you're "worth more than a receptionist".

I know doctors that own practices and vets that own practices and have no problem sharing the phones without thinking they are better than everyone else earning less than them!

Suck it up! Maybe teach you a thing or two! Tho I'd hate to get you on the phone.

Your attitude is awful!
I'd hate to work with you!

I suggest you suck this up while you concentrate on updating your CV and looking for another job.

If you don’t know the answers on the reception then maybe you’ll learn something new as times goes on.
or get another job. They won’t change how they do things.

Receptionist's play a very important role in companies and you shouldn't feel or think you're better than them.
I am over qualified for that position but was happy to take my turn when required as I'm a team player and is a role that most companies need.
Plus I welcomed the charge for a week or two.

spanieleyes22, do the managers take a turn also? That is the fastest way for them to see the issue and help solve it. It's too easy for them to hide behind the 'get on with it' mantra if they don't understand the actual problems.

Do you have a line manager that you can suggest this to? It's their job to take that up the line.

Lemmings- not lemons but I digress. Your name calling of your colleagues because they don’t care as much as you do it rather nasty tbh. Probably best to look for another job

Well, seeing as you seem to think it's such a piss easy job that requires minimal qualifications and no experience, I'm sure that you'll have mastered what you need to know in no time. After all, a school leaver could do it.

The problem is that you don't want to do it. And that's tough, but it's part of your job now. So either you suck it up or you look for another job.

I am in a minority I think. I feel it is important to help out the team in an emergency. However, people should do the job they are paid to do.

For example I work in the NHS. We have been told that our admin person is going to be removed. This valuable individual answers all calls to the team, from patients, GPs and relatives etc. She then directs the call to the most appropriate place. She can also deal with many calls directly if they are purely admin-related like looking for a letter. Our nurses have been told that they will be put on a rota to staff this phone now. They are understandably upset and annoyed. They will not be able to see their patients then and will essentially be doing a largely admin job on top of their clinical role.

Would posters on here think that means the nurses are looking down on the admin role? Of course they are not. They should be doing the nursing job they are trained to do and should not just be put on a phone rota. This is very different to helping out in an emergency.

So you want other colleagues to put their heads above the parapet by agreeing with you via emojis, but you're not prepared to do the same yourself by actually raising the issue with your manager/the whole team, in a professional manner?

If everybody is taking part in the rota and it's not part of their usual role then surely everybody else won't know the answer to these questions either so it would make sense that a 'dummy list' be put together of the most likely/usual questions and left on reception for whoever is covering?

In the meantime, can you direct people to sit in the reception area whilst you find out the answer and come back to them? It's not ideal but it's better than leaving them standing there like lemons.

I would point out one more time that your proper work will suffer, you don't know the answers but you are happy to help. Then look for another job

I spoke out last year about two very serious things. Nothing got done but what they did do was manage move me into another team.

I will never speak up again.