Unfair work loads, do I go to a senior manager?

[Daaanz]

I am facing a dilemma and work and it is really beginning to stress me out.

 

We are a team of four in a large corporate company. My usual manager is off on Maternity leave. The other two in my team have been distributed her work to carry out whilst she is off. These two are in a relationship, and then there is me.

 

We stil have our usual work to be getting on with, they have just been given extra responsibility which is fine. But since my manager has been off, they will allocate me all of the horrible pieces of work which they do not want to do. I have lots of evidence to prove, and to begin with I could deal with it, but now I am starting to struggle, I am making more mistakes which means I am looking bad to senior management and I am starting to really dread going in to work.

 

Now my problem is, do I go and talk to the managers above about my issue? I don't want to look petty, and I hate causing drama. I just like to go in to work, get my head down and go home. I am an extremely hard worker and I don't mind taking on more work than the other two, as I know they still have extra responsibility but I think it should still be allocated fairly.

 

Please help.

[d0nnivain]

No. You will come across as a whiner. Instead, do the work & keep proof of your extra load. Then come review / raise time you trot that out as justification for giving you a raise. If you can't finish everything in a work day because it's too much you do cite the extra work as a reason for upper management to authorize some overtime. Again it's about you getting more money for doing more work.

[Daaanz]

No. You will come across as a whiner. Instead, do the work & keep proof of your extra load. Then come review / raise time you trot that out as justification for giving you a raise. If you can't finish everything in a work day because it's too much you do cite the extra work as a reason for upper management to authorize some overtime. Again it's about you getting more money for doing more work.

 

 

Thanks for your response. This is what I am afraid of, I don't want it to come across than I am just complaining. But on the other hand, as the work I am being dealt is more complex, it is taking longer, there's more room for error and I'm obviously not getting as much work out as them, as theirs is much easier and quicker. So it looks as if I'm not doing as much work and I am making more mistakes. I don't want my career put in jeopardy just because of those two that don't want to take their fair share.

[Simple Logic]

Without knowing your profession or your corporate culture it is difficult to give advice.

 

First, I would address the problem with the other 2 team members. If that does not work, I would contact your supervisor on leave and get advice.

[littleblackheart]

Have you addressed it with them first? If you have a legitimate problem, addressing it is nor 'causing drama', it's standing your ground.

 

If what you are asked to do really does not fit your job spec (the amount and type of workload), this needs to be recorded in some way.

 

I would personally instigate a discussion (or whatever best practice informal communication you have at your place) listing all the things you have done above your pay grade, and ask for it to either be reviewed or compensated in your next pay check.

 

Don't do too much extra work for free - fear of 'causing drama' is the best tool a bad manager has to make people extra for no compensation.

[Daaanz]

Without knowing your profession or your corporate culture it is difficult to give advice.

 

First, I would address the problem with the other 2 team members. If that does not work, I would contact your supervisor on leave and get advice.

 

I am not sure how I would go about this without looking like I am making accusations. When I have mentioned certain things in passing in the past, they have not done them any longer, but come up with other ways they can be sneaky. It is so difficult as they are in a relationship, I cannot talk to either one of them in confidence.

[Daaanz]

Have you addressed it with them first? If you have a legitimate problem, addressing it is nor 'causing drama', it's standing your ground.

 

If what you are asked to do really does not fit your job spec (the amount and type of workload), this needs to be recorded in some way.

 

I would personally instigate a discussion (or whatever best practice informal communication you have at your place) listing all the things you have done above your pay grade, and ask for it to either be reviewed or compensated in your next pay check.

 

Don't do too much extra work for free - fear of 'causing drama' is the best tool a bad manager has to make people extra for no compensation.

 

 

I haven't initiated a discussion with them, as they are in a relationship I feel I cannot talk in confidence to either one of them. Whatever I say, will be fed back to the other. The thing is, I am not doing things above my pay grade, just being dealt the rubbish end of the stick all the time, and they are purposefully doing it, thinking I will just get on with it/not say anything. A couple of times I have confronted them, in a round about way, and they've just go on to be even sneakier.

 

I am not sure how I can go in to a meeting with them and bring all of this up, it's just an awkward situation.

[d0nnivain]

Then talk to them together. Just ask them if they can take 1-2 things back.

[littleblackheart]

The thing is, I am not doing things above my pay grade, just being dealt the rubbish end of the stick all the time, and they are purposefully doing it.

 

It doesn't need to be awkward - just tell them straight, not in a roundabout way, if you really find this unfair.

 

When is your manager coming back from mat leave? Not sure a senior manager would be clued up on what you're meant to be doing, and you shouldn't really be contacting your manager while on mat leave - this doesn't really sound like an emergency (no offence).

 

If you can't do it face to face for whatever reason, you could ask for a 'workload review' meeting by email?

[Eternal Sunshine]

I understand the problem. Doing this type of ****ty projects is not going to get you any points for working "above your pay grade". The case for overtime is tricky, in my position for example there is no such thing as overtime and contract states that we can't claim any.

 

I would slow down - do the projects you think are a part of your normal work and do the others if you have time within your working hours. When you are questioned about it, simply say that you didn't have the time to finish within your working hours.

 

I would also have a chat with the senior manager just to cover your back and that this formally recorded. Unless you complain constantly, don't worry about being seen as causing drama. It is what they are there for. Being a manger is a lot of time about resolving issues like this one. Also, when you go for a talk, try to be as factual and logical as possible. Give concrete examples and don't make it sound personal in any way.

[ChatroomHero]

The deciding factor for me would be when you say it looks like your productivity is down and you are worried how it looks to upper management. One way to handle it "innocently" would be to discuss with senior management and just let them know what is going on and how it is affecting your production. Tell them you do not mind the extra work and are not complaining but just wanted them to know why your production is down and say you were worried you might be looking bad when in reality you cannot control it.

 

 

In that way you are not accusing the other 2 of doing anything bad, just that you are concerned about how it looks to senior management and wanted to make sure they had a clear picture regarding you and the job you are doing and it wasn't held against you. That way you are not looking like a whiner and you are not complaining, just letting them know why your production may look down.If you think it is something where they might fire you based on reduced production, you should have no issue stating your case before that happens rather than when you are sitting in an office being told you are being fired based on production.

 

 

If was in sales and had sales goals but I was assigned duties that kept me off the sales floor for 1/2 a day, I for sure would discuss with management and let them know my goals should be adjusted. This sounds like nothing more than that...tell senior management you have more assigned to you and your productivity assessment should take that into account.

 

 

That way it is about you and not the other two, you are not complaining about the workload and you are simply making sure they are aware so the reduced productivity does not look bad for you. The end result may be that they determine you are being assigned tasks unfairly, but you have the "out" with the other two that the only reason you went to senior management was you needed to make them aware of why your productivity might be down and it has nothing to do with them and you never requested not to get the tasks or complained about them, senior management actually found it was unfair.

 

 

I wouldn't worry about the other 2, if they are really assigning you tasks that unfairly, it's not like you are going to rock the boat they already started rocking.

[Wallysbears]

If these are trivial tasks, you could go to senior management and make the case to hire a temp worker to cover them for the remainder of the maternity leave if it is truly impacting your productivity.

[thefooloftheyear]

No. You will come across as a whiner. Instead, do the work & keep proof of your extra load. Then come review / raise time you trot that out as justification for giving you a raise. If you can't finish everything in a work day because it's too much you do cite the extra work as a reason for upper management to authorize some overtime. Again it's about you getting more money for doing more work.

 

 

I'm with this...

 

As someone from the other side of the desk(employer/boss), this is probably the best way to handle it...It will almost certainly give you incredible leverage when the time comes to talk about promotions, etc..

 

Unless its something unreasonable, petty, or a vendetta by another employee, but in that case just leave the job...Complaining won't usually do anything...

 

TFY

[Mr. Lucky]

We still have our usual work to be getting on with, they have just been given extra responsibility which is fine. But since my manager has been off, they will allocate me all of the horrible pieces of work which they do not want to do. I have lots of evidence to prove, and to begin with I could deal with it, but now I am starting to struggle, I am making more mistakes which means I am looking bad to senior management and I am starting to really dread going in to work.

 

If they're your peers, how are they allocating the grunt work to you?

 

You might propose a quick weekly meeting for the three of you to discuss distribution of your manager's workload, perhaps under the guise of "greater efficiency". It would be harder for them to engage in any dirty tricks face-to-face...

 

Mr. Lucky