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

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I've had this situation and I did refuse. Funnily enough they then found the funding to put me a grade higher. You've got to be assertive because employers will try and get the work done for as cheap as they can but you should be paid for the work you do. Know your value!

Their recruitment freeze is their problem. They’ve made that decision and they can choose to change it if they wish.

I would write an email back so you have it documented saying that 1) you love the organisation and see your future career there 2) that you like the sound of the role and are keen to take it on when the time is right 3) that you are unable not take on a new role or associated responsibilities without any pay or promotion.

I'd say no.

I learnt this lesson the hard way. I now say no to anything that is 'outside my pay grade' so to speak. Always dressed up as a great opportunity but actually means more work, responsibility for no extra recognition!

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

Surely it should be on the potential to perform above, not doing it already? Maybe in some aspects, but a promotions should allow room to grow as well.

They see you as a pushover and honestly believe you are silly enough to do this. Politely decline their offer.

Nope, nope, nope. If there's a recruitment freeze, that's on them. They can pay for the work that needs doing, or it won't get done. That's business. Stick to your guns and say NO.

Your company sounds like a bunch of shysters. To ask you to perform a senior role without a hike in pay is beyond cheeky. Let them work without a manager and see how that pans out.

BUT

If you take the job then it's a feather in your cap and can be used for a better job elsewhere. You owe them no loyalty.

The recruitment freeze… is that just until April, start of the new tax year or something?

If it’s not then that’s a potential red flag on the company’s health?

I’d be replying in a ‘oh that’s a shame, but please let me know when the freeze is over so we can discuss me taking on the role’

YANBU and I’ve been put in a very similar situation. I was offered the pay rise and promotion but then a couple of weeks later they said they couldn’t offer the pay rise after all but still wanted me to take on the extra responsibilities. I refused it. Those companies are trying to take advantage and we are worth more than that.

How will you feel if someone else in your department takes the opportunity and you end up reporting to them and they get promoted later once the freeze is over?

I would discuss it as a temporary acting up role for X months with the expectation it is made permanent/salary discussed at that point. Make sure what ever you agreement is documented with HR.

Something similar to this happened to me in my last role. A hell of a lot of internal changes and churn meant I was consistently asked to step in to complete tasks and projects that were technically a grade higher - but for no extra pay or the actual role (messy internal politics and roles not dissimilar to your recruitment freeze meant they never actually put me into the role). All with so many compliments on how capable I am and what a great development opportunity all this extra work was. left for a job that actually wanted to pay me properly and with a job title that reflected my skills. When I left my manager was STILL going on about all the great development opportunities I could have and what a fab employee I was blah blah.

Taught me that talk is very cheap in these situations, my finances and progression prospects cannot improve with compliments. In some situations you’re valued because they can get the same work out of you cheaper and so why would they change it? Don’t get backed into this.

You have two options here depending on whether you want to stay or not.

If you want to stay long term then refuse the role without any pay rise because you simply will never get it. Say you are interested but that as the previous role holder was at grade/pay band X then it is only fair that you are offered similar remuneration for doing the same role.

If you want to leave accept the opportunity with 2 conditions: you can use the title "Acting" while doing it and that the situation will be reviewed in 6 months (this last one won't happen, but it suggests you aren't a pushover). You then start looking for new roles outside the using your new title and hopefully leverage a better salary elsewhere as a result. Hopefully you'll be on your way before the 6 months elapses.

I'd suggest the second option - I wouldn't want to work for an organisation that acts like this.

I think @Eleganz is utterly right. They want you to do extra work and take on extra responsibility without the title or any more money. Only a mug would agree to this.

yanbu.

It is really common, sneaky behaviour by employers .

Happened to me a few years ago - My boss quit due to overwork/stress imposed by his new manager (my manager told them the job wasn’t worth the aggro and pitiful bonus). I had joined the team as a more first-level supervisor because it was less stress than the management jobs I’d had prior to having kids. But as it was clear I was capable of stepping up, I was offered a promotion - not my old manager’s role, but a new mid-management made-up job which was all the crap bits of my manager’s job but without the power to be able to make things happen PLUS all the things in my current job too. They didn’t disclose what the new salary would be.

When I pointed out this was a very shitty job offer and said no thank you, I’m happy in my current role, the company went ahead with their plan of not replacing my manager and hired someone a level above (a very senior “won’t get hands dirty” manager on about £150k whose approach was depressingly all about “mobilising people” and “lean change management”.

It was immediately clear that the employer decided just to dump all the work on me regardless I had said no, several times. I pointed this out to HR, and to this new manager and to their manager. I could probably have argued harder that they had been totally unreasonable but actually I just wanted to get the hell out of there by that stage.

Management were “disappointed” when I quit.

I don’t really understand why employers think we are such dumb suckers really!

Nope, I wouldn’t do it.

If she hadn’t handed her notice in the money would be there to keep paying her and you, so now they get to keep her salary and still get the same amount of work done.

If you would still be interested in the higher role, properly compensated, I think@Mikkismum has suggested a good way forward.

But I might want to leave

Did they formally offer & have you accepted? If yes & you're in a Union I'd contact them

Depends what sector you're in. If it was private sector I'd be more inclined to 'help out', but set out strict parameters in timings. But I think private sector, you have no chance of getting that promotion or wage uplift. There are key role being left gapped due to the public sector pay freeze. Its the stupidest, arbitrary way of saving money, and just puts pressure on the remaining staff. Meaning they leave as well. I don't see this recruitment freeze being lifted any time soon.

The only way I'd even remotely consider this is if they'll give the job to someone else who you know will be awful and make your life a misery. If there's no one like that on the team, then I'd say you're not willing to take on extra responsibility at your current salary level, but that you'd be very happy to if they matched your manager's pay.

How do you know you wouldn't be as happy if not happier somewhere else where you'll be paid a better wage? Most places are flexible with family now. I would seriously look elsewhere.
Know your worth! Then add tax ;)

I was in this situation a few years ago in a public sector organisation, did the additional duties for a couple of years with no additional pay and formal recognition. Told informally that it would put me in a good position when they could create a higher scale post. When they finally did get authorisation for the higher post they told me they had to advertise and someone else told me they had been promised the job as they threatened to leave. I was fuming at this as they trusted my loyalty and thought I wouldn't leave.

I left before the interviews for the promotion as I was offered a few other roles in the private sector. Better paid and far more flexible than I imagined. No regrets, wish I'd left sooner!

So basically more work and responsibilities without extra pay, no, I wouldn’t do it, I would possibly do it for six months if I at least got the title / promotion without the extra pay but with no change at all, no I wouldnt

how much extra pay would the promotion have meant?

You're being reasonable.

You need to document the situation so they won't let you go/ edge you out in the short term or long term on 'business interests' grounds.

Compose a memo outlining the chronology and what you understand of the 'offer' you've had. Ask for confirmation/ acknowledgement of your understanding of the situation.

They may be flexible, and you may feel they're 'nice', but they're actually trading on that to an extent that can be described as taking the piss.

I'd be looking for another job if I were you. You know you're capable of the managerial responsibilities, and your current employer is surely not the only one offering a degree of flexibility?

I think I would tell them you're not doing it as an open question. Sort of 'what's in it for me?' Partly because you don't then have to just say out and out no. You can say whatever answer they give (experience? Goodwill?) is not enough of an incentive for you and you never know they might come back with an actual pay offer.