Workload about to be increased beyond a reasonable level. Help!

matthewmurdock

Work in public sector.

My role is relatively important for the low-ish grade that I am. I am constantly kept busy, I have a personal responsibility to stay on top of things.

There is a person in my department who everybody knows does the work of about 3 people because she is just too obliging and never put the foot down. We will call her Q. Constantly taken advantage of. For comparison, there are others in the department who do nothing, which is none of my business. I get on with what I have to do.

However Q is leaving and management want to give me all of Q's workload, in addition to my own, because of one area of overlap. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this would be impossible for any person to complete. Q already doesn't take (entitled) breaks in order to make sure she doesn't fall too far behind. Neither she nor I are even a high grade.

Anyway there is a meeting planned next week where they plan to more formally land this on me. What can I do? And if they insist can I involve HR? I'm already stressed out of my mind at the prospect of this. We had a staff meeting recently and one of the topics was how unfair this is going to be on me, by one of the people who is assigning this to me!

Stan27

matthewmurdock wrote: »

Work in public sector.

My role is relatively important for the low-ish grade that I am. I am constantly kept busy, I have a personal responsibility to stay on top of things.

There is a person in my department who everybody knows does the work of about 3 people because she is just too obliging and never put the foot down. We will call her Q. Constantly taken advantage of. For comparison, there are others in the department who do nothing, which is none of my business. I get on with what I have to do.

However Q is leaving and management want to give me all of Q's workload, in addition to my own, because of one area of overlap. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this would be impossible for any person to complete. Q already doesn't take (entitled) breaks in order to make sure she doesn't fall too far behind. Neither she nor I are even a high grade.

Anyway there is a meeting planned next week where they plan to more formally land this on me. What can I do? And if they insist can I involve HR? I'm already stressed out of my mind at the prospect of this. We had a staff meeting recently and one of the topics was how unfair this is going to be on me, by one of the people who is assigning this to me!

Tell the boss at next weeks meeting.
Dont be afraid to ask for more money

matthewmurdock

Stan27 wrote: »

Tell the boss at next weeks meeting.
Dont be afraid to ask for more money

It's Public Sector that's not how it works in terms of money.

I'm just asking for advice on what to do if he says, you'll just have to get on with it. I will be saying its unreasonable/unrealistic etc

KaneToad

matthewmurdock wrote: »

It's Public Sector that's not how it works in terms of money.

I'm just asking for advice on what to do if he says, you'll just have to get on with it. I will be saying its unreasonable/unrealistic etc

I think it's reasonable to say you will assist, with others, in the short term until a replacement is hired. It is not reasonable to suggest that a member of staff can leave and all their work be subsumed by one individual.

Salary Negotiator

KaneToad wrote: »

I think it's reasonable to say you will assist, with others, in the short term until a replacement is hired. It is not reasonable to suggest that a member of staff can leave and all their work be subsumed by one individual.

Agreed.

And if there is too much work make it your bosses problem, each day set out what needs to be done and ask him what to do.

When people query why X isn’t done you can say you were told to prioritise Y.

Rinse and repeat.

matthewmurdock

Yes but that is the current proposal. That there is no replacement coming. I know you are replying with logic but these people aren't using any.

If they were competent they wouldn't have kept piling work on the only person that wouldn't say no, that's enough. But they have no other option here as I am the only person who even remotely knows what she does, they aren't training anyone else, they have said there is nobody else coming.

I'm also doing a degree on the side!

I just want to know what I can do if they say, you'll just have to get on with it, or , it's happening and that's it.

Stheno

matthewmurdock wrote: »

Yes but that is the current proposal. That there is no replacement coming. I know you are replying with logic but these people aren't using any.

If they were competent they wouldn't have kept piling work on the only person that wouldn't say no, that's enough. But they have no other option here as I am the only person who even remotely knows what she does, they aren't training anyone else, they have said there is nobody else coming.

I'm also doing a degree on the side!

I just want to know what I can do if they say, you'll just have to get on with it, or , it's happening and that's it.

Why don't you spend some time breaking down her tasks then coming up with a plan to assign them amongst the team after you or Q train them?

Wuff Wuff

sure if youve time to post on boards youve time to do more work haha

just explain to them that you will have difficulty with the workload,

and dont get HR involved, they are there to protect the company

blackbox

matthewmurdock wrote: »

Yes but that is the current proposal. That there is no replacement coming. I know you are replying with logic but these people aren't using any.

If they were competent they wouldn't have kept piling work on the only person that wouldn't say no, that's enough. But they have no other option here as I am the only person who even remotely knows what she does, they aren't training anyone else, they have said there is nobody else coming.

I'm also doing a degree on the side!

I just want to know what I can do if they say, you'll just have to get on with it, or , it's happening and that's it.

I was in a situation like this many years ago.

I listed out all of the tasks and assigned how long each took. It added up to a 90 hour week.
I sat down with my boss and went through the list, asking him which ones he REALLY needed in 40 hours (normal week at the time).
A lot of tasks were dropped, and the earth kept rotating.

thejaguar

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Agreed.

And if there is too much work make it your bosses problem, each day set out what needs to be done and ask him what to do.

When people query why X isn’t done you can say you were told to prioritise Y.

Rinse and repeat.

This...

blackbox wrote: »

I was in a situation like this many years ago.

I listed out all of the tasks and assigned how long each took. It added up to a 90 hour week.
I sat down with my boss and went through the list, asking him which ones he REALLY needed in 40 hours (normal week at the time).
A lot of tasks were dropped, and the earth kept rotating.

...or this.

bucketybuck

Stheno wrote: »

Why don't you spend some time breaking down her tasks then coming up with a plan to assign them amongst the team after you or Q train them?

So not only are they going to take Q's work but their managers as well?

Augme

Get the union involved.

Until it is sorted out just take on the workload and woke through it at the same rate you would. If work gets delayed/not done then simply say you don't have time and that's it.

Organisations do this because they think they will get away with it. They assume people will just forgo breaks etc like Q has done. Once they realise that isn't going to happen they will soon resolve the problem themselves.

antix80

It's the public sector.

Refuse to take on anything outside your existing responsibilities. They can't fire you.

bottlebrush

matthewmurdock wrote: »

It's Public Sector that's not how it works in terms of money.

I'm just asking for advice on what to do if he says, you'll just have to get on with it. I will be saying its unreasonable/unrealistic etc

Is there anything in this for you apart from hassle and stress and the potential to be exploited like 'Q' was. You are being landed with this because you are conscientious and capable and have demonstrated your ability in your current job.

The people in your department who do nothing are doing nothing because at some stage they said 'no' and suffered no consequences. Think about that.

Glass fused light

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Agreed.

And if there is too much work make it your bosses problem, each day set out what needs to be done and ask him what to do.

When people query why X isn’t done you can say you were told to prioritise Y.

Rinse and repeat.

Start now before the meeting

With a delivery date before the meeting

Request the following:

Is there currently a procedures manual for all the tasks that Q undertakes?
Drilling down to where you can hand it to a temp to follow simple tasks to do the work (like find the ink/paper for printing and electronic files)

Is it broken out by day week month year?

Is there a list of all tasks in priority

Then a reasonable breakout of the individual tasks by time and complexity (what can go wrong)
Eg normal time 20m all going well
problem solving would add 30m
Etc

So Qs day would be played out in 15min intervals


Dont forget to add time in you would need for the learning curve


*****NB*****
Do the same time breakdown for your job

Have a reasonable/ provable schedule of what you do and how long it takes

Again get your Manager setting priorities asap

So you can figure out where any pinch points occur

Once you have your job mapped and agreed priorities with your manager

its your manager who will have to find time in your daily schedule to take over new tasks


Approach the meeting with questions putting the responsibility of managing back on your manager
Eg
from 9 to 11
You do task A
Q did task B
What job gets done?

Then shut up and let the managers manage

You work X hours let the managers allocate tasks to the time worked

Your objective is to leave the meeting with specific tasks and a time slot for each one
And a standard of performance (KPI) and a support system for the new tasks

If they are any way decent they will figure out you cant do 2 jobs

But more important they have set the individual tasks you do on a daily basis

You dont end up in a position of having to crisis manage your workload
You dont end in a position where you are held responsible for a task not being done
When the reason was it was allocate to you but you would never be able to do it

delboythedub

KaneToad wrote: »

I think it's reasonable to say you will assist, with others, in the short term until a replacement is hired. It is not reasonable to suggest that a member of staff can leave and all their work be subsumed by one individual.

Brilliant Answer, Brilliant

Afollower

One word - UNION
Contact the Union for advice asap

Strumms

I’ve been in a similar situation. The person gave the required 4 weeks notice. After the 4 weeks the approval hadn’t come back to hire the replacement. We ‘think’ this was down to the fact they were ‘seeing’ how things could and would run with a team of 6 instead of 7. Saving about 50 grand when wages and training costs were added up.

Of course we had the usual two ‘company men’ fûckwits advocating that we ‘muck in’ and give a ‘dig out’ and each take 45 minute breaks instead of an hour which would enable us to get the work done and leave on time *spit*.

This was overruled much to their chagrin and by that stage leaving on time regardless of what wasn’t done became the mantra...bosses... “ehhh fellas we expect a degree of flexibility”....us... “well we expect a responsible and appropriate level of staffing to enable us to leave ‘on time’ with the work done as per our agreed contract. We ARE going to leave on time so decide if you want to obtain sufficient manpower, hire to the previous staffing levels that enabled this to happen with the tasks completed.

After a few days ‘thinking’ time, they ended up getting a couple of temps in a later one was made a permanent full time new hire.

Stand your ground and don’t let your employer bully you into bad health and having you going home only fit to operate the TV remote.

Bicyclette

I also work in the public sector. I know how things work.

You need to start thinking about how the managers think. What is their worst case scenario, what are they most worried about. And then play to it.

For example, if you are the only person doing everything, what happens if for example - you get sick or you slip and break a wrist or decide to take shorter working year? What will happen if only one person is trained in on these tasks? The proverbial will hit the fan and it will be the HEOs and the APs (mainly the HEOs) who will have to pick up the slack.

"Contingency Planning" is a buzz phrase everywhere at the moment, not just in the public sector. You need to talk to them about contingency planning in the event of your illness or shorter working year. You need to scare these people into action. What will happen if the work isn't done? Who will cover the overtime costs?

Explain that you are happy to train other members of your team in on these tasks. But they need to start doing these tasks to become proficient in them.

ironclaw

Not sure it's been mentioned but whatever you do, get it in writing. Follow up after the meeting with an email outlining what was discussed and the plan put in place. I recommend your BCC emails like this to your personal account, assuming they contain no confidential info. Applies for anything where your job could be put on the line.

People have a short memory when things don't get done and the higher-ups are asking why.

Calahonda52

bottlebrush wrote: »

...

The people in your department who do nothing are doing nothing because at some stage they said 'no' and suffered no consequences. Think about that.

This is the crux of the matter in the PS.
.
There is no productivity/performance accountability and all the Bertie- era increased productivity based wages hikes were just wages hikes.
There are many many conscientious, hard working committed folk in the PS but they are outnumbered
.
To get back to the OP's question
you need to do the list/time taken exercise as suggested above and as also suggested get the union onside asap.
Keep away from HR for the reasons stated above.

P2C

Is the person you are taking the tasks from if the same grade ? I have being on the union side of the table many times and often heard Industrial Relations officers in the public sector stating you can only work a 37hr week no more and no less. You have dedicated break times etc. The best thing to do is sit down with your manager and ask what existing tasks are being delegated to someone else as you can not be expected to do the job of a second person. Ask them to highlight your priorities going forward. Don’t refuse to do anything. Do your 37 hrs a week and take your breaks. You will be rarely asked to more than that and if you are put under pressure then and only then escalate. Keep a record of everything.

Hotblack Desiato

Calahonda52 wrote: »

There is no productivity/performance accountability and all the Bertie- era increased productivity based wages hikes were just wages hikes.

Yeah and all the Cowen and Kenny era cuts were across the board, too...

There are many many conscientious, hard working committed folk in the PS but they are outnumbered.

That's a ridiculous generalisation.

NewClareman

blackbox wrote: »

I was in a situation like this many years ago.

I listed out all of the tasks and assigned how long each took. It added up to a 90 hour week.
I sat down with my boss and went through the list, asking him which ones he REALLY needed in 40 hours (normal week at the time).
A lot of tasks were dropped, and the earth kept rotating.

That’s the exact approach to take, but I would take it softly. I would wait until I was either in the job, or in a handover phase. Give a rough breakdown of the effort and, ideally, suggest what you consider the priorities are. This approach shows that you have a good understanding of the role and what it entails. IT also shows that you are able to prioritise your own work.

If it were me I would also be prepared to put in substantial extra effort for the initial period, say four weeks. This shows that you are up for the change and would really stand to you in the long term. It is a very long time since I worked in the public sector, but my understanding is that promotion purely on seniority is long gone. This is your chance to stand out.

Strumms

The problem is with a LOT of management now it’s a case of the line employee ‘having’ to manage their manager than the manager having to manage the business and employees, as they are being paid to... Too many managers now have their arses glued into the office chair without any proper insight and experiences into the job that their employees are doing. So an employee with 50 hours work ‘expected’ in a 40 hour week isn’t abnormal, though the expectations that managers and employers have that its fair and realistic certainly is abnormal.

Glass fused light

NewClareman wrote: »

I would wait until I was either in the job, or in a handover phase. Give a rough breakdown of the effort and, ideally, suggest what you consider the priorities are.

That needs to be agreed in the meeting and the OP can only suggest the prioritise for his job

Q has to set this for her job with sign off from management

NewClareman wrote: »

This approach shows that you have a good understanding of the role and what it entails. IT also shows that you are able to prioritise your own work.

If it were me I would also be prepared to put in substantial extra effort for the initial period, say four weeks.

OP has a role 37 hrs of work
Q has one too 37+ hrs
74 hours do not fit into 37

So attempting it is self sabotage
Missed deadlines or totally missed tasks will fall on the OP and that is remembered much more than a finished essential task done on schedule which no one notices

angel eyes 2012

matthewmurdock wrote: »

It's Public Sector that's not how it works in terms of money.

I'm just asking for advice on what to do if he says, you'll just have to get on with it. I will be saying its unreasonable/unrealistic etc

I'm public sector too and depending on the Department, this approach cannot be dismissed entirely. Some Departments are struggling to spend their pay budgets due to the challenging current employment market. There is evidence of significant turnover at CO and EO grade, which results in most entrants joining at the lowest scale adding to the surplus in recruitment budgets.

This has a knock-on effect in that it is challenging to keep filling the gaps at EO and even HEO level. To ensure the crucial work gets completed, some Departments have no option but to give acting-up allowances as a temporary measure to these grades in particular. I know of an EO who was asked to take on the responsibilities of another EO after he retired, as they didn't have anyone else with sufficient business knowledge to take on the bulk of the work. This EO said he would do it only if they gave him the acting-up allowance and they duly obliged him in the circumstances.

Obviously, it depends on the Department, budgets etc. but it may be an approach you can consider, obviously speak to someone in the know before you do anything.

BluePlanet

This sort of thing is not unique to the Public Sector.
I have never worked in the PS and have seen this very same thing again and again at various companies.

There are usually a couple workhorses that do the lion share of the workload.
The others are tolerated for some reason.
The only escape is the exit door.


The problem starts by being the workhorse from the start.
It sets an expectation that you can handle a larger workload than others.
That workload then invariably expands in an ever expanding circle.

The expectation on the competence and workload of others is less and subsequently, they basically get away with it.
As long as the workhorse is ploughing, there is no problem.

BluePlanet

It's also Path of Least Resistance.
It's easier to pressure 1 or 2 workhorses to take-on a bigger load than it is to nudge the team of say 15-30 people do it.

Strumms

BluePlanet wrote: »

This sort of thing is not unique to the Public Sector.
I have never worked in the PS and have seen this very same thing again and again at various companies.

There are usually a couple workhorses that do the lion share of the workload.
The others are tolerated for some reason.
The only escape is the exit door.


The problem starts by being the workhorse from the start.
It sets an expectation that you can handle a larger workload than others.
That workload then invariably expands in an ever expanding circle.

The expectation on the competence and workload of others is less and subsequently, they basically get away with it.
As long as the workhorse is ploughing, there is no problem.

100%...

If 18 tasks fall between a team of 3 people... tasks that in general cannot be shared ie. ie online reports etc... they get delegated equally between the 3... 6 reports per day each, if someone fails or is systematically unable to complete the reports as the other two are within a reasonable timeframe, investigating why is imperative... it’s not good to say..”well lads, Timmy here wasn’t brought up with all these scanners and computers so we have to give him some leeway, he can do 2 reports and you guys can do 8 each,”. Bollocks, if an employee isn’t of the ability to do their fare share of the work...

-firstly the fault lies at the door of the hiring manager.

-secondly the correct way to proceed is to provide some ‘remedial’ training to enable them with an ‘opportunity’ to get up to speed.

-finally, if the productivity, efficiency and ability isn’t up to speed you have to go down the formal route.

Because some person can’t do their job their circumstances shouldn’t come into it... you’ve hired them (using your best judgement :rolleyes: ), given the necessary training, support and help and if it isn’t happening, might be a nice enough fella, but you owe it to your staff and customers and business as a whole to have the best, The right and productive staff. Those that can and DO their fair share, zero passengers.

The 'entitled' breaks in the public sector is not a legal entitlement at all.

There is no legal entitlement to a break in the morning and an hour long lunch.

The hypocrisy of those saying to run to the union ... it is because of unions the dossers can't be made take on some of the work !

Why not run to the union about the stress the dossers have put on Q and the OP?