Work trying to make me do the work without promoting me- AIBU to say no?

[ThatsNotMyJob]

I’ve worked at my job for 5 years. I love it, I feel like I’m actively doing something good, my boss is great and it’s really flexible around family/kids. The only issue is it’s not the best paid, I could get more if I was willing to change, but I like the company and I’m happy to be paid less and have a happier life.
a few months ago my manager told me she’s leaving. Not the most shocking news, pay isn’t great so lots of people leave to increase their wages. I spoke to my manager and her manager and we agreed that I would like to have her role, and that we could look at doing it as a quick internal vacancy. Did the interview and was told they’d like me to take on the role! Great! Then this week, the senior manager has told me that there’s a recruitment freeze and they’re not able to replace my manager. She’s asked me to take on the responsibilities of the role, without the title/promotion or pay increase. The company has form for doing this and then not replacing the person because the work is being done.

I’m so upset. Would I be unreasonable to refuse to take on any of her work at all? Or am I just cutting my nose off to spite my face and I should suck it up and take on the extra work with the theory that it’ll put me in good stead for when they can do pay rises? I like my job and don’t want to leave, but I don’t want them to take advantage of me

I would absolutely refuse.

They’re taking the piss.

YANBU. They are exploiting you.

You are already on a poor wage now- I wouldn't take on more responsibility and work! Not given that the company has form for this.

No.

I know organisations that offer people the chance to "act up" at a higher level without pay but that is very clearly a development opportunity and it is optional snd time limited.

They'll never give you the pay or the title.

Absolutely not.

YANBU. I actually did take on a whole additional department (and a title change) for no extra money, but only because I was promised a whopping bonus and pay rise at the next budget round. I got it so did it again last month. No way would I do that if I knew the company wouldn't actually pay me for it.

You need to send an email, and clearly decline taking any additional activity without the appropriate pay. You need to be firm each time they ask you to do the managers role and say no

Have any of the people they've previously done this to gone on to actually get the pay rise and promotion?
If not then why would you think they would ever follow through on a promise made to you?

You'll never get the pay or title, but check your contract or handbook, as a lot of companies will add a clause saying something to the effect of having to do "reasonable duties to suit the business needs".

If they can persuade you into taking on this role with no pay recognition then they have no incentive to unfreeze the post. Is there a timescale for the freeze? I was in a similar position when a higher grade post I had been interviewed for was frozen until the new financial year. Initially was asked to take on the additional responsibilities with no extra pay as it would be good for my development! After some haggling I was able to negotiate a one off performance payment which equated to the difference in salary for 3 months. In accepting this I was clear that I would be stepping back at the end of this period of the post I had been offered was not unfrozen.

No way! The previous manager had the title and the higher pay so it’s part of the existing budget, ie does really break any pay freeze. CF company!

I think I could have written your post OP, or very similar. My boss told me I was ready for promotion, but is now saying he has to "define the role" and effectively I have to do it for a year and then apply to be promoted!

Nope, not doing that. More £££ would be nice, but I'll stick with what I am doing.

And I am supposed to work for a progressive employer, but not clearly they are not that progressive.

I would say that you would like the promotion but you expect the title and extra remuneration. If not, you will stick with your current salary and responsibilities. They can't have it both ways.

They do, but I think they would be hard pushed to say it was reasonable for you to do a more senior role at a more junior level and salary.

Would you be willing to do it for a salary uplift? It might be worth pointing out to them that if you’re willing to just do
more work for a bit more money that is much cheaper to them than replacing her and then replacing you.

No way. I'm guessing this role has more responsibility, so more workload and less flexibility, usually. No increased pay and no formal recognition (change in job title) so there is nothing in it for you.

If you accept their terms, you are giving them permission to treat you poorly forever. They won’t respect you, and you will end up stressed and feeling undervalued. They are running a business and that involves behaving in a professional manner, planning and resourcing etc for the ongoing viability of the company. So, that’s their responsibility, not yours.
Tell them you’re happy to reconsider the position once the company comes out of the recruitment freeze, but in the meantime you’ll stay in your current role.

Tell them you're not prepared to do that and would prefer to stick with your current role. Ask which manager will be taking on your former manager's responsibilities, so that you can report to them accordingly

I wouldn't be agreeing to that, so they still get the same amount of work done that they need but are actually saving money over what they are spending now?
Nope.

Would they agree to you dropping a level with less work and responsibilities but pay you the same? I doubt it very much!

Agreed, especially when they have actually advertised and interviewed for the role before offering it to the OP.

No. Cheeky gits! They’re relying on your loyalty to essentially give them two bodies for the price of one.

You are paid to do the job you’re contracted to do. Any increase in responsibilities/workload needs a fair pay increase or benefits incentive. They wouldn’t hesitate to let you go if they did a restructure, so they can’t expect you to bend over backwards to accommodate them. Either they freeze recruitment or they cough up and pay for someone, they don’t get it both ways.

If you take this on or free then you will NEVER get paid for this. Once someone is doing the work there is no impetus to change. You need leverage!

How is an existing role/wage effected by a pay freeze, its not like the company have to start paying out extra money? Not your responsibility to save them an entire wage

Seeing as they’ve got form for this, I absolutely would not to take any of it on.

@IncompleteSenten no, last year someone left and we amalgamated her role into my team’s’ responsibilities. They haven’t even mentioned replacing her since, that’s why I’m so hesitant about this

for those asking- I’d be happy to do the role for the pay increase, I just don’t want to do it for free? Sounds like I’m being reasonable in that decision though. I wasn’t sure if this was how things were done and I was being naive but it looks like they’re taking the piss and seeing if I’ll let them

Is this how your company typically works? Have others in the past taken stepped up and been promoted in the next promotion/pay review cycle to recognise that?

Where I work, that is the norm - you apply for a promotion, based on demonstrating that you are already performing above your corporate title/role. But we do actually see it happen. We have a written quarterly review process and written objectives.
So we can have trust/confidence that increased responsibility/workload will be rewarded.

In the absence of a similar culture/process, it sounds like a bad idea to step up.