Not sure how to handle this.

[timeistight]

I've been in a pretty low-grade Admin role for seven years in the public sector, so worse off in real terms now than I was in 2010. There have been some ups and downs along the way. At one point I was given extra duties without notice and without training. My manager wouldn't talk to me about re-grading and refused me a referral to OH after I had a breakdown. Thankfully then it turned out that I should never have had those duties, which helped, and then my manager left and new manager is much better.

Now though, I am being asked to do new things again. I have had a meeting with a colleague in another part of the organisation who is in a similar role and was appalled at this. I am being asked to carry out the same duties as a professional with qualifications and experience in a specific area AND an admin manager, both at least two grades above me.

My manager is now on leave for Christmas, but I have a meeting with her manager tomorrow. How should I handle this? It seems I am being asked to do two FT jobs on top of my own role, and all for less than £25K a year.

Thanks.

I would wait until the New Year and over the Christmas break, take some time to think about, and list out, some key facts about your current work load and what you feel is beyond your pay grade. Then discuss with your direct line manager in the first instance.

It never ends well going over a manager's head to their manager, as it makes them feel you've tried to make trouble by not highlighting the problem to them first so they have the opportunity to respond. It could come across as being sneaky.

Does your organisation publish 'typical' or representative job descriptors that you can use to assess your role against?

Any regrading case in our organisation will depend on things like the percentage of your time that you spend on the higher-graded duties, whether it's for the forseeable future or just short-term, and what level of decision-making and responsibility is involved.

For example, if you prepare work that a professional has to approve in some way, this may not be enough for a regrading. However, if you have to prepare reports AND sign them off yourself, that would indicate greater responsibility.

Is there anyone you can consult to get an unemotional opinion to help you? A colleague, or someone in HR maybe?