Extra duties without pay

[ILoveMyCello]

At the bank I work at, my co-worker (a banker) and myself (teller) are being asked to train the new assistant manager by the bank manager. My co-worker applied for the job and was not hired for the position, despite being qualified and licensed to sell investments. To become a teller trainer, I need to go to a class so I can get trained and be eligible for a daily pay increase. The schedule doesn't permit me to go, because the bank is cheaping out on hiring help among other things. I dont mind helping, but i want to get paid for it, and the pay increase is a set standard. My boss told me today "you can just do this to help us out". How do I politely decline? The new assistant manager also doesnt have any banking experience, they came from being a shift manager at the food court in the mall!! i dont mind doing it, but its a procedural thing for me to get paid.

[Sophia]

Your case is clearer.  I would explain to your boss that if you are going to be training a teller, then you will need the pay of a teller trainer.  Either that class is truly required to be a teller trainer, in which case you will need the training.  Or, it isn't required because you already know enough, in which case you get the pay increase. 

[WillyNilly]

I think you should misunderstand, and contact HR and say something like "so what info did you need from me to process my upgrade to being a trainer?"  And take it from there "class?  Oh no I haven't had the opportunity to take it but Fred said Sally and I are to train the new assistant manager - she has no banking experience so its pretty in depth training - so I thought maybe my [insert years] of experience perhaps waived the need for the class and I was qualified to train..."  Keep it breezy and light, and just operate under the assumption that of course official procedure for compensation was going to happen why on earth wouldn't it...?

[SamiHami]

I think you should misunderstand, and contact HR and say something like "so what info did you need from me to process my upgrade to being a trainer?"  And take it from there "class?  Oh no I haven't had the opportunity to take it but Fred said Sally and I are to train the new assistant manager - she has no banking experience so its pretty in depth training - so I thought maybe my [insert years] of experience perhaps waived the need for the class and I was qualified to train..."  Keep it breezy and light, and just operate under the assumption that of course official procedure for compensation was going to happen why on earth wouldn't it...?

I think this is a good approach. It assumes that your boss would never consider breaking the standard procedure and that of course you know he wants you to follow established procedures.  No matter what happens, you are, and appear, faultless.

[CaffeineKatie]

Ohhh, I like WillyNilly's idea, too.  If you give in and do it for free, I would bet it will happen everytime.  Please don't give in to that "just this once/be a team player/I'll make it up to you later", as tempting as it is!  Good luck.

[hobish]

Ohhh, I like WillyNilly's idea, too.  If you give in and do it for free, I would bet it will happen everytime.  Please don't give in to that "just this once/be a team player/I'll make it up to you later", as tempting as it is!  Good luck.

Yes, exactly. I am watching one of my coworkers deal with that now.

[rain]

I'm going to be watching this thread closely.

[Raintree]

Ohhh, I like WillyNilly's idea, too.  If you give in and do it for free, I would bet it will happen everytime.  Please don't give in to that "just this once/be a team player/I'll make it up to you later", as tempting as it is!  Good luck.

Yes, exactly. I am watching one of my coworkers deal with that now.

Exactly; I went through something similar myself where I learned how to do some extra job that wasn't the job I was hired to do (ie it was normally done by another department). From then on, they remembered that "Raintree knows how to do that" and would frequently ask me to cover that area as a "favour." (Pay wasn't an issue in my case as it was the same pay, but the fact remained that it was a job I had never signed up for). Even after I told them I no longer wanted to do it, every time they were "stuck" (which was often), I would get, "I know you don't want to do this one anymore, but we really are stuck this one time so could you please....?" I really wanted them to forget I had the knowledge to do that.

So don't set a precedent. I like the suggestion above about pretending that of course procedures will be followed, but if that ship has already sailed then maybe you could simply say, "It's my understanding that the bank's policy is to pay X dollars to train new staff. I'm happy to take on this new job duty but I'd like to have those forms filled out and signed, outlining my new job description." Or something to that effect.

[twiggy]

I agree with everyone warning against doing it "just this one time". At my last job, my peers and I (a group of 5) were asked if we would be interested in learning a new, slightly related task and taking turns coming in for OT once a month to do it (a supervisor had been doing it, but was no longer willing). All 5 of us expressed interest. A year later, only one person had been trained, 3 of the original group had moved on to other positions, and 2 new people who had not been part of the original conversation were hired, we also got a new manager. Eventually we were all trained, but by that time I was no longer interested in the OT, and as the Senior person in that position, I should have been able to decline the voluntary OT without repercussion. When it was time for my performance review, I was blasted for attendance, and for failing to complete my job requirements. They had told the new manager that new, slightly related task was now part of my job, and I got a lot of flak for not pulling my weight. I was very upset and told Manager that I was unaware of the changes to my job description and I didn't feel that it was fair that I was being held to a standard I didn't know about. Manager didn't care, I got a poor evaluation, and a note in my file that I was not a team player.

I think you should misunderstand, and contact HR and say something like "so what info did you need from me to process my upgrade to being a trainer?"  And take it from there "class?  Oh no I haven't had the opportunity to take it but Fred said Sally and I are to train the new assistant manager - she has no banking experience so its pretty in depth training - so I thought maybe my [insert years] of experience perhaps waived the need for the class and I was qualified to train..."  Keep it breezy and light, and just operate under the assumption that of course official procedure for compensation was going to happen why on earth wouldn't it...?

I agree with WillyNilly

[ShanghaiJill]

There are few posts here that make me say "CRUD MONKEYS!!" but a qualified candidate being passed over for a food court manager defies description!

How much training is she going to need?

[bopper]

"Have they changed the procedure? I know you wouldn't ask me to go against procedure, boss. Should I get clarification from HR?"

[Winterlight]

I think you should misunderstand, and contact HR and say something like "so what info did you need from me to process my upgrade to being a trainer?"  And take it from there "class?  Oh no I haven't had the opportunity to take it but Fred said Sally and I are to train the new assistant manager - she has no banking experience so its pretty in depth training - so I thought maybe my [insert years] of experience perhaps waived the need for the class and I was qualified to train..."  Keep it breezy and light, and just operate under the assumption that of course official procedure for compensation was going to happen why on earth wouldn't it...?

This. Play it sweet and innocent, as if it would never occur to you that things would go any other way.

[DCGirl]

There are few posts here that make me say "CRUD MONKEYS!!" but a qualified candidate being passed over for a food court manager defies description!

After a serious car accident, which kept me out of work for over two years, I ended up having to take the only job I could find -- cashier in a department store -- while looking for a job in my profession.  When I finally did find a job in my profession, I was eminently qualifed for it in terms of prior experience and education, but, yes, the most recent job on my resume was cashier.

Bottom line, you don't know why someone was a food court manager, but they do have skills that translate into other situations.

[Sophia]

Although if that were the case, not much training would be required. 

[---]

"I am not qualifed to train <new manager> as I have not completed my teller trainer course. I would be more then happy to help as soon as I am able to complete this course and able to get my teller training certificate."

Of course, I would have to supress my snarky side as much as possible.