Job Description issues/Employment Dispute

[Human Writes]

My current employer a large multi national telco for a period of nearly 9 years, in October 2006 I applied for three different positions within the company. I was offered all of these roles and accepted the one I believed to offer the best chance of career advancement, this was a paralegal type administrative role which is my current job, duties as described in my job description included acting a single point of contact for the team, answering the phone, preparing reports/completing spreadsheets, filing and responding to correspondence.

 

At the time of my interview pay was discussed, a pay review for customer service staff had been conducted in summer 2005, all staff had been advised a memo by the chief executive that a pay review for people in non customer service roles would be "coming soon". This had still not occurred at the time I interviewed. I was advised by the person interviewing me; the team leader of this team who was also a lead employment representative that he was heavily involved in the consultation stage of these proposals and that this pay review should be forthcoming in a couple of months.

 

Due to sickness/absence on the small team I was joining and before I signed any T&C's/job description for this role I was asked to start undertaking these duties in December 2006 which I did. At this time they began training me for this role, this included training me in the work types done by other team members (presumably so that I could undertake their duties temporarily if the situation arose).

 

When I started there were three roles in this team, assistant (my job), specialist/associate (a pay grade above my job and the person who was responsible for mentoring/supervising me in the first instance and picking up complex queries and cases), Team Leader (similar/equivalent pay to specialist).

 

I signed my job description at the end of January 2007 on the same rate of pay I had been paid as a Customer Service Rep (CSR), in the space of days after this the person who recruited me was promoted and left the team.

 

For the next couple of months I worked under a heavy workload as the person in the specialist role picked up much of the work which was undertaken by the team leader, therefore much of his work fell to me to complete.

 

In April 2007 the recruitment process for the position of team leader was completed with the member of staff in the specialist role being appointed to this position.

 

I was informed shortly after this by my new team leader that after a meeting with his manager the specialist role, would not be backfilled and that my employer had decided to recruit for another assistant grade member of staff.

 

The work being completed by the specialist/associate member of staff continued to be received by our team, as the role no longer existed it fell to me to pick this work up and complete it, although it was not included in my job description and historically had been undertaken by someone paid more money than I was.

 

A couple of months later the recruitment process for another assistant was completed; I was asked to and did train this member of staff. As work volumes increased my employer recruited for and appointed another assistant.

 

October/November 2007 we were informed that people at another division of this company who performed roles that were similar/the same to mine, were being made redundant and we were expected to perform their duties. There were 3 members of full time staff performing this work, the most junior of which who had been employed less than four months was paid £9000.00 a year more than I am for similar duties.

 

Our team received one permanent member of staff (again assistant grade) to pick up this workload (done by 3 people!) and no additional increase in salary was forthcoming for this work, people in the same office picking up other work from this division due to redundancies did receive a salary increase. We highlighted that that this was grossly unfair and nothing was done.

 

For years we have received too much work, a lot of it time sensitive complex work like representing my employer professionally in civil law arbitration proceedings before barristers, county court judges e.t.c. Failure to complete this work would have severe financial, regulatory and pr implications for my employer as such I have worked large amounts of unpaid and paid overtime to complete this work.

 

I've also deputised for my team leader frequently, routinely handled much of the day to day management of the team (my team leader sat at the other side of the office away from the people he was supposed to be managing so I ended up supporting my colleagues, answering their queries e.t.c.

 

I've pushed forward processes and policies, represented my area of the business in meetings, had input into company wide projects and made recommendations or adjustments to working practices and systems which affect thousands of employees - yet I'm still paid the same basic wages as the people employed to answer the phones and the majority of CSR's on the site I work at are actually paid considerably more than I am when you factor in additional benefits like commission and possible grade advancements.

 

Beginning of 2008, appointment of a new CEO takes place, he advises the pay review mentioned at the top of the post as "coming soon" in 2005, which was often delayed and which the company advised on numerous occasions they were working hard on is not going to happen, he's scrapped the scheme in favour of another scheme due at the beginning of 2009.

 

I've continually raised the issue of salary, promotion prospects e.t.c with my Team Leader and the fact that I've been doing work which is not covered by my job description and which my employer historically has paid other members of staff more money for. He agreed with me that I was due a pay rise and stated he was taking these issues forward with his manager.

 

After approx 18 months of asking for action on my salary and my Team Leader informing me that he had gone as far as he could with the matter, he also stated he was powerless to arrange a pay review I asked for a meeting his manager to discuss the situation.

 

I made repeated requests to my Team Leader to arrange this meeting a 3 month period, eventually after 12 weeks had passed with no meeting date I got sick of asking him and approached his manager directly, we had a meeting at the end of November. I put the case forward for a pay review with documentary evidence and explained much of my day to day duties are not covered by my job description and were undertaken by members of staff previously on higher pay grades, I also explained I was unhappy with the removal of these roles as they afforded me no scope for advancement. We discussed the matter, he agreed to get back to me within 60 days with an update on the meeting.

 

After 60 days no update is forthcoming, my reporting line is restructured, the manager I entered into discussions with changes job roles without giving me an update on my meeting.

 

January 2009, pay review scheme again delayed, now over 3 and a half years since one was initially promised. Advised due mid 2009 so 4 years after the company promised this, if they do not delay this again.

 

Shortly after this at the beginning of February 09 my Team Leader does announces he has another job also, as far as I was concerned this was great news as I'd been doing a lot of his work for years and saw myself as the next logical candidate for his position, however, I'm informed that his role is being removed and my employer would not be replacing him...

 

To say I did not take this well would be a gross understatement, after going above and beyond the role outlined in my job description for the last two years, all non customer service staff being due a pay review for over 3 and a half years, having tried to arrange pay review on numerous occasions for over two years I'd had enough.

 

I reviewed my options and informed the incoming manager I was due to report to following a meeting with her, my then boss and remainder of my team that I was sick of the company acting in what I considered to be bad faith on my pay and working conditions, was bitterly disappointed in the removal of all prospect of career advancement from the team and was no longer prepared to continue to work above and beyond my job description as I had been doing.

 

I advised everyone present that effective immediately that I would not support my colleagues in lieu of a manager as I had done historically and would not undertake any work outside of my job description. I then advised my incoming manager of what work I considered I was currently expected to undertake outside of my job description which I was refusing to do and basically commenced working to rule in accordance with my job description.

 

I've also later advised my manager that she either needs to negotiate with me to include any additional duties she expects me to perform in my job description, with a view to increasing my salary or come up with a compelling reason as to why she believes I'm obliged to continue to perform these duties although they are not included in either my job description or contract of employment.

 

Once I commenced working to rule it has caused a degree of tension, upset and frustration with my colleagues for example, even if an issue arises where I do know the answer to an enquiry and they do not, I'm referring their queries to my manager as in my view it's her responsibility to support and mentor them not mine.

 

I've been summoned to a meeting tomorrow on the topic of my role within the company and somehow I doubt that they plan to enter into negotiations with me or resolve the matter sensibly, it's just not my employer's style.

 

My questions are if I have done work historically can my employer advise me I've consented to do this work and can no longer refuse to do it whether it’s in my job description or not.

 

My understanding is that my employer cannot change my job description without my consent? Anyone have any idea if this correct?

 

Sorry for the novel.

 

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

[poppynurse]

Are you in a union? I would get them involved.

 

I would also be careful not to rock the boat too much in the current job climate.

[Human Writes]

Sadly not, my employer refuses to recognise unions, they won't enter into discussions with union reps or allow them to act on a persons behalf during employment disputes.

[godpikachu]

A call centre not recognising unions eh?, sounds familiar, ive been there and done that.

 

My first bit of advice is to give ACAS a call, being as you have several years service with them, then you have full employment rights.

 

You are perfectly in the right in this situation, as you are paid to do one job, but yet are being expected to do several jobs, which incidentally are not defined in your job description. You have been expected to do this for some time now, without any kind of "official" recognition in the form of increased pay or benefits etc.

Although your employer can expect a reasonable amount of flexibility, for example asking you to cover a team leader position etc for a couple of days, they are taking the **** by having you do it unpaid for several years now.

 

Id state this in the meeting, and ask why you are basically expected to do 3 peoples jobs for 1 persons wages, no doubt youll hear words like "flexibility" and "needs of the business" mentioned, but these words are meaningless in this context as the situation has been ongoing for quite some time.

[pippadeee]

First thing that sprang to my mind reading your post was it gives more than enough history to your circumstances for anyone reading you may work with to easilyb twig as to who you are - you might want to edit it.. if you can with that in mind.

 

Second thing was it sounds very much like you're unfortunate enough to work for the same bunch of t***ers I was unfortunate enough to work for a while back. If thats the case my advice from my own previous experiences is to give it up as a bad job, put your talents and energy into looking to get out - to somewhere where you're appreciated.x

[nenupharvn]

These are many positions of Sales assistant department. It can include:

 

1. Sales assistant director

2. Sales assistant assistant manager

3. Sales assistant assistant

4. Sales assistant associate

5. Sales assistant executive

6. Sales assistant manager

7. Sales assistant clerk

8. Sales assistant officer

9. Sales assistant supervisor

10. Sales assistant specialist

11. Sales assistant coordinator

 

Based on the above positions can help you to set up Sales assistant dept, design job descriptions, Sales assistant interview questions.

 

Apart from that, this link below may be useful:Sales assistant job description

I hope that this comment can help some info for our communities.

 

Rgs

Edited June 17, 2010 by nenupharvn