Forced into a role I hate

[GatsbyGG]

We had a voluntary parting scheme end of last year. One of the people who took the redundancy was our HR/Payroll administrator. I was in another part of the finance department happily working away when I was asked to take these this persons role on and someone else was hired to do my job. I only work 22.5 hours but since I've been doing this I've been working on average two or three hours more trying to get my head around it. Training is sub par at best. Nothing is documented. I'm trying to learn all the tax terms which I was clueless about before this on my off time. Its all consuming. I'm stressed going on two months now. How long should I give it before I pull the plug and just give my notice? I've already spoken to my manager and relayed all this to her but she has made the excuse that a family member of my trainer is ill but on the mend now so her training was probably not great these past few weeks. But should improve now the family member is on the mend. I've said I can probably manage the payroll side but the HR side just pushes me over the edge. I am getting countless emails and I don't know how to respond as I haven't gotten any formal training on it whatsoever. There are huge spreadsheets to maintain and it all just looks so daunting. My manager doesn't seem to want to hand over the hr duties to anyone else as everyone else is so busy. I feel I'd be letting everybody down if I handed my notice in now. I'm so unsure about everything and in panic mode and wondering if I should just slog it out or just quit now for my mental health sake. I have savings so could survive for a little while on no wages. Am I just being impatient and I should just suck it up? Any input into this would be greatly appreciated as I am so tired of all the to'ing and fro'ing in my head.

In all honesty I would leave. However I'd want the financial security of a formal job offer first.

@GoldSlipper

In all honesty I would leave. However I'd want the financial security of a formal job offer first.

Thank you so much for your response. I don't know if I can stick it that long. It's s the first job I've been in since being a sahm for thirteen years. I liked the role I was given but they always encouraged me to move away from that role and into another as they thought I was more able for something more challenging. I didn't want a pressurising job so was happy to do this until retirement. My dh is behind me 100% in quitting even though he isn't working right now either. He sees my stress and doesn't want that for me. We do have savings and no mortgage so that is a little less pressure taken off me as regards urgency to get another job. Bottom line is I don't want to deal with people's grievances. I can just about handle payroll but adding HR to the mix just overwhelms me.

It was extremely poor form of them to effectively take away the job you liked and were good at and give you a job you didn't want, is more complex, no training and materially more hours than you're contracted to work.

Feel no guilt about quitting. They behaved terribly and you owe them nothing. They've probably in fact breached employment law.

I think it’s rather reckless of them to add HR to your remit without proper training. You could potentially land them right in it if something crops up and you’ve not followed due process.

So long as you are financially secure (even given the current difficult work climate) then quit. Work your notice though as I presume you’ll need a reference from them in the future.

I feel your pain and can 100% relate. I also had a job I enjoyed and was comfortable in. Unfortunately my boss found a new promotion in November, was gone within 2 weeks of telling me and I was asked to cover his role temporarily. We are now 2 months on and I am so overwhelmed that I am working almost every hour under the sun and not even achieving much in that time as like you I don't have the experience or knowledge to do the job well. I am truly miserable.

I am still doing my role, but looking for another and have applied for 1 job already. I haven't left because I am scared that it won't look good in this job market. Can you hang on and apply for other roles?

It's your decision at the end of the day. Only you know how much longer you can take it and how much risk you are willing to take if you can't find another job easily once you quit.

I truly appreciate all your feedback on this. The feeling in the pit of my stomach just isn't going away. I feel I just have to give my notice at this stage. The responsibility of this role is just too much. They have asked if I want to increase my hours to try and cover the workload but I think I'm mentally out the door here. One of the things I truly dread also is giving my employer notice. I feel I am letting them down so badly.

I feel I am letting them down so badly.

I think its the other way around op. They have provided you with no training and expecting you to somehow do it. I don't think the stress is worth this. Your dh is supportive, and you don't have pressing financial obligations so I would leave.

You're in a strong bargaining position, and they've already let you down by not supporting you properly in taking on this new role so don't worry about them.

Have a proper conversation with your line manager running through your new job description and setting out all of the areas where you haven't been trained (you need this documented anyway in case there are any issues or complaints). Ask them for a time frame within which you can expect that training to happen and hold them to it. You can also theoretically agree to discuss increasing your hours if they've given you too much to do in the hours you're currently contracted for, but don't agree to anything until they've done the basics.

Speak to ACAS
www.acas.org.uk/

I would tell them how you're feeling and that you will have to quit if things don't change. Give them the chance to fix it. If they can't then at least you know. It's not going to be easy to find another job right now.

You need to put in writing to your manager and their boss, that you haven’t been properly trained in your new role and ask either for proper training but state that your preference to return to your old role.

Think of it as an arse covering exercise. If you make a mistake they will blame you and you need to show that you raised this as a risk.

Don’t think if it as letting them down. They have let you down by pushing you into a role that they haven’t prepared you fit.

(And they’ve let the business down by opening them up to risk. Payroll and HR errors can cost the company thousands. Having someone untrained and unsupported in that role is irresponsible. That’s not your problem. It’s theirs, but you need to make it clear to them).

In the meantime, brush up your CV and start looking

Thank you all for the wonderful support. Just trying to build up the courage to resign now.

That sounds a huge workload its 2 jobs really. I stuck 4 months in last temping just didnt enjoy the role at all. How long are you doing it.

I'd ask to be redeployed before I resigned. They might want to keep you.

I've resigned before without actually articulating my issues and I regret it. I thought it was obvious how much I was struggling but it was a real surprise when I quit. You have nothing to lose by telling them what you're considering, you don't remove the option to resign by letting them know but you gain the opportunity to fix the situation. Don't ever feel guilty about quitting though, try to remove the emotions, this is a business transaction and you are free to leave it at any time.

I'd definitely take it higher than your line manager before resigning. It seems like there's work to be done there and they think you're able. Feels madness to me to resign when it's your only job after a 13yr break - you were already in an unenviable position employability-wise and jacking this job in will only make that worse. Added to which your DH is out of work. I get that it's stressful, but it's part-time and the only income your household has coming in. Quitting is not the only option here and won't help you handle stressful situations in the future. Escalate to a higher level, make it their problem. Or give a solution - you'll do payroll and they need someone else to take on HR. If your bottom line is that you'll leave if it's not sorted, what have you got to lose by bargaining better?