Many employees in Pakistan complain about a very common problem at workplaces these days i.e. they are being assigned tasks that are not part of their job description. The problem here is genuine; in fact the reality is that many employers, in the name of multi-tasking, look for candidates who could work at different positions when needed. Employees would be asked to do tasks that are not part of their job, for instance, a candidate who is hired as an SEO would be asked to post jobs, make calls, listen to customers, prepare administrative documents and also perform as a personal secretary of his boss. Due to present economic recession and the unemployment resulting from it job seekers are forced to accept any offer they could start earning with, many employers take advantage of the helplessness of candidates and exploit the situation to their own benefit.
It is certainly not appropriate for the employer to ask his employee to do tasks that are not included in his job description. However, keeping in mind the present tough economic conditions, it is not advisable for the employee to leave his job straight away. This issue is not a new one and it can be handled in various ways depending upon the scope of the problem that needs to be understood first. You could be facing any one of these two scenarios:
1. You were hired as an HR manager but your boss often asks you to take his car and get it washed, get his check cashed or pick up his clothes from the dry cleaner. If that is the case then you are definitely a victim but you still must not consider leaving the job immediately. The best way to handle this problem is to politely tell your boss that you won’t be able to do these tasks for one or another reason. When you do this once or twice, your boss will understand that you are here for official work and not his personal tasks. As soon as he understands, he will not ask you do his personal tasks anymore.
2. The second scenario could be that you are asked to do a task that one of your colleagues was unable to do. In such a case you should not feel bad, rather take it as an opportunity to impress your employer and secure a promotion for yourself. Such additional tasks prove your worth, capabilities and determination to your boss on one hand and are a favor to your colleagues that would be returned to you when needed. Therefore, accept these tasks with a big heart.
When you accept any additional tasks, do not ask for a salary raise immediately, since it leaves a bad impression on your employer’s mind. He may think that you are more interested in making money than contributing to the company. Apart from that, it’s not the right time to ask for a salary raise since you haven’t proven yourself as yet. Once you perform few additional tasks successfully, you may demand a salary raise from your employer or it may be you that would get a promotion even before you ask for a raise.
However, if you are still unable to continue with such a job you should only leave it after you have secured another job for yourself. You know well, how hard it is to find a job in Pakistan these days when unemployment is on its high. Finally, we hope that our suggestion will be helpful for you in making important decisions of your career.