Additional duties within current job

[Chasingcars]

After a number of redundencies at our work over 18 months, our team has got smaller and smaller. We are now a team of 4 from a team originally of 9. As we have lost people, more and more duties have been added to our teams duties. For example we lost a receptionist so one of our team was moved full time to reception to do that and her own work. She has now left so out team are doing lunch cover for reception, and have now been told next week we all need to do a whole day in reception to cover holidays.
Whilst I appreciate the need for holiday cover, can companies just add more and more duties to your job or should this be done through change in contract? As i see it the company is saving on 4 salaries, and we are doing extra work for no more money! With the greatest respect I didnt come into my job to be a receptionist I came as a Project manager not tea girl/ post girl/ milk monitor etc . How can I politlely refuse to do the extra duties without appearing to be a trouble maker?

[squarebear]

You can't. Your contract will no doubt say, "and any other duties". Although they should be related to the job you applied for. Check your contract.

[milly143]

As the company have made 5 out of 9 people redundant, it seems they need to save that money.

I would imagine there is probably a bit in your contract about other duties being undertaken but if you are so busy then it might be worth having a word with your boss and saying you can't afford the time. But if it's just because you don't like being the tea girl then I think you'll just have to suck it up.

[squarebear]

or you could be pig headed, not do the job and watch the company go under. You'll have no job at all then.

[factor-fiction]

You are allowed to look around for other jobs if you think things will be better elsewhere.
Of course, if the duties are significantly different (e.g. you were brought in to manage teams and major projects but are now being asked to spend all your time washing cups, sorting paperclips etc) you may have a case for constructive dismissal.
On the other hand if you are being paid as a project manager isn't this siyi=uation better than being made redundant?

if redundancy is attractive to you then have a quiet word with your manager to see if it's an option.

[woofgang]

difficult....On the basis that all your working hours allowed, breaks apart, should be spent working, if you aren't working more hours then its difficult to say that you are doing more work...If the jobs you are doing aren't harder either physically or mentally, and don't carry any greater degree of accountability, then BY AND LARGE they probably fall within your contract. If the job you were employed to do is suffering because of the additional tasks and you can prove it, then you might have an argument for discussing how the additional work should be managed...IMO refusing point blank, no matter how politely worded, won't do your continued emplyment chances any favours.....sorry

[woofgang]

Is n't it interesting that we have all made the same comments?

[kinell]

sounds like payback time,

must have been a cushy job when you 4 were 9,

its a free market and you werent pressganged into it..you can always leave

[Old_Geezer]

In my experience they do as they want and the workers are not considered important. Oh they make all the right noises about caring for the staff, but job creep will occur and new things added. The claim would be that it's necessary for the company to survive and probably that you are now in a new job with new conditions. Know what you mean, all rather one sided isn't it, stand up for yourself and find you are blotting your copybook. Soemtimes it's best to polish the old CV and put up with things until you can find a better offer.

[DC_FC]

If you dont want to do them jobs then yes look for another job, as others say it depends on your contract, what old geezer says is true about where i work, its like theres a divide between us and them