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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed with my boss?

21 replies

whysorude · 29/10/2013 22:55

I have namechanged so that I don't out myself to colleagues.

I work for an local authority in a menial position on a part-time capacity; meet and greet visitors and cleaning duties. I am quite happy in this role as it is a break from being at home with the kids.

My boss wants me to undertake a project for our department. Problem is that is it specialist work and if he contracted the work from an outside source then he would be paying through the nose. I am capable of doing this work as I have trained in it professionally. Also, I do occasionally undertake similar work to this as a freelance consultant but am paid professional rates.

However, my boss wants to pay me the same rate for this work as he does when I am cleaning the toilets.

AIBU unreasonable in telling him to either pay me professional rates or take a hike. He has in the past got me to do other work that should have been paid as a professional. Sometimes I just can't say no as I am too eager to please. Daft I know.

OP posts:

MamaMumra · 29/10/2013 23:00

YANBU. He is taking the piss.

Doingakatereddy · 29/10/2013 23:04

Say no, he's taking the piss and you're letting him

Be polite & give him a quote for work

ilovesooty · 29/10/2013 23:06

Agree with other posters. He's taking advantage of you and trying to get your expertise on the cheap.

mistlethrush · 29/10/2013 23:17

'Dear Boss

Thank you very much for inviting me to do this job for you. As you are aware, this is work for which I have specialised training and which I do, at various times, as a consultant. My rates for the job are x. I look forward to your confirmation that this is acceptable.

Yours sincerely

whyso'

mirren3 · 29/10/2013 23:23

Exactly what mistlethrush said, her letter is spot on.

Original poster

whysorude · 29/10/2013 23:40

Phew. Was afraid I was being AIBU. While I could do with the extra work, I don't need the extra hassle of taking on another project and working long hours for peanuts.

Thank you all for your comments. mistlethrus I have just saved to drafts an email with similar sentiments, but was too chicken to send it. I will now.

And I will await my boss' PA comments of "but you should be grateful of the work", "we don't have the budget for it", etc..

OP posts:

mlamle · 29/10/2013 23:52

He can reply like that if he likes, but if you stick to your guns he'll have the choice of either going with your expertise, and knowing you'll do a good job for a fair rate, or hiring some one unknown and untested at a similar cost!

If he has any business nous, he'll go with you...and you won't have set a bad precedent for yourself for any future projects. Fingers crossed!

breatheslowly · 29/10/2013 23:58

YANBU - unless this work is part of a bigger picture career plan and you can see the benefit of doing this highly skilled work for a very low rate.

Send the email and please don't back down or you will kick yourself.

fanjofarrow · 30/10/2013 00:00

YANBU. Mistlethrush's letter is spot on.

MrsGeorgeMichael · 30/10/2013 00:12

mistlethrush is spot on :)
YANBU, your boss however is BU

Jinsei · 30/10/2013 07:45

Yadnbu! You need to be assertive, he is taking the piss!

Princessgenie · 30/10/2013 08:08

I would perhaps add in a line that says my usual fees are xxx but I would happily do this as a rate of xxxx. You can inflate your original rate slightly if you wished to, it just looks like you're making a little compromise when in fact you're not really giving much.

MammaTJ · 30/10/2013 08:26

A friend of mine has qualifications and able to set policies in care settings. She was working for a time as a care assistant in a home for the elderly. The owner tried to use her professional skills. She did not hesitate to tell her that if she wanted to use them she would have to pay the money!

Trills · 30/10/2013 08:28

I agree with Princessgenie - list your usual rates and then offer a discount.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 30/10/2013 08:55

if he starts with the PA stance show him your JD and ask exactly where it shows this task as your workload? show him a JD from a post that would require this work and highlight the associated pay grade for it. not only taking the piss but bottling it and selling it as fine wine IMO

WhereToGoForReferal · 30/10/2013 09:01

If you work for a LA then copy the email to HR!

ScrabbledEggs · 30/10/2013 09:14

Ha, I sympathise, I've got the T shirt for this kind of thing. Everyone is right - of course he is taking the piss. But it's very PC in councils to pretend that money doesn't matter and life is one long marvellous and euphemistic 'development opportunity'.

Only thing I'd say is you must be prepared to stand by and see someone else do the work less well than you would. And you may still have to help, advise and pick up the pieces. I found this made me more angry than doing it myself for peanuts would have been!

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 30/10/2013 09:15

Be a bit careful about coming across as jobsworth. As I understood it there are people out there who would love a chance to demonstrate skills to get a better job.

Can you frame it as wanting to see this as a route to being better paid in a role that reflects your skill set? So say you are happy to stretch up into this as you are skilled to do it but would expect it to be set in the context of a proper job revaluation at year end? Just sounds more positive I think.

Or else you really aren't wanting the 'bigger' job and are happier sticking to the simpler less stressful role you're currently employed to do. In which case explain this. Say that you deliberately took the role you have rather than go back to your old role. So you'd rather not do the other helping.

MrsDeVere · 30/10/2013 09:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lottiegarbanzo · 30/10/2013 09:38

He'd be in big trouble if the union found out.

IF you have any interest in the contract, quote for it at consultancy rates, offer a small discount and look at the relevant pay band within the council for this work. That will be less than your rates but he'd have to set up a proper job role and the task may not be big enough to bother. Which is why they use consultants.

The council is not a charity and you couldn't be obliged to donate your skilled time even if it was!

quoteunquote · 30/10/2013 10:07

Your boss is self defeating,

Instead of feeling valued by the process, you are being made to feel used,

One of the people who works for me as a labourer is a qualified surveyor, he left his stressful job, as he had depression and other issues, they couldn't accommodate his needs,

He took a low key flexi working job with us because it suited him, we pay him senior labourer wages, but if when we need surveyor work done, I always give him first refusal , but we always pay full rates, because that is what it costs, he does a better job than anyone else would, because he is fully involved with project,

It always saves me money, in my time, communicating the information, working with someone who is already in the team, his personal investment in the company as whole, is always demonstrated in the way he carries out the task,

It's really poor shortsighted management skills, to alienate your workers.

Ask for a chat to discuss payment and ask if he wants a quote or an estimate.

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