'I’m doing more work but not getting paid for it. How do I approach my boss?'

Today I’m analysing the situation of young women - let’s call her Louise. 

Louise wrote to me on TikTok with a challenge she needed help with.  She has a job she loves, but the role is about to change dramatically. And she is starting to feel like she is being taken advantage of.

What’s the challenge?

Louise has been at her current workplace for 2 years. She enjoys her role and has a close relationship with her boss. 

However, her boss is going on Maternity Leave. And the expectation is that Louise picks up her work. Essentially doing two jobs.

Problem is, there has been no conversation about how Louise will be compensated for this. Or how she will be supported with the extra workload.  It has simply been assumed that Lousie will pick up the extra work and that everything will just continue as it is.

How did she get here?

Louise admits she has been waiting for someone to have the conversation with her.  She has known for 3 months that her boss was going on Maternity Leave and that she would be covering her. 

However, she has not been proactive in asking for clarity on what the new situation will be. She hates confrontation and feels awkward talking about money.

My thoughts

If no-one is going to have this conversation with Louise, then she needs to push for it herself. If you are not vocal in advocating for yourself, then most companies will be happy for you to do extra work without paying you. 

Louise needs to be proactive in pushing for clarity on this issue. 

Use email

Firstly, Louise needs to send a formal email outlining the situation and asking for clarity on it BEFORE her boss goes on Mat Leave.

I would do this over email so that it is documented. It is very important to have everything documented. 

If someone tries to have the conversation verbally, follow it up with an email confirming what was discussed and asking them to confirm they understand the same. You do not want there to be any confusion.

State your Expectations

I would also recommend clearly stating your own expectations. You don't have to ask them what they are willing to give. You can tell them what you would like. 

For example, you might say, ‘I need a junior person to support me in taking some of the less important responsibilities, so I can focus on the more important things’.

Be clear on extra salary

I would also be clear that you expect extra compensation for the extra work. 

At Nike, if you covered someone else's role, they would pay you a ‘milestone’ bonus to reflect the extra work. So your current salary would not change but you got a bonus for the period of extra work. I'd push for something like this. 

Give clear timeframes

It's also very important to give clear time frames. For example, ‘I require a response in the next 48 hours.’ If you aren't clear on timeframes, people will drag things out and you may never get an answer. Be assertive. Let them know it needs to be sorted in a timely manner.

Keep chasing

If you aren’t getting a response, keep chasing. And if they don’t clarify this, I would be reluctant to pick the extra work. 

It is not unreasonable to ask for clarity on this and extra compensation. If they aren't willing to do it, it's a red flag for me. 

It’s not easy to advocate for yourself in the workplace. But it is so important. Never let people take advantage of you. Be assertive. And ask for what you want. 

Even if you don't get exactly what you want, people are less likely to muck you around because they will know you are someone who will advocate for yourself.

Advocating for yourself and asking for what you are worth are big areas I support my clients with when joining the Creative Career Level Up programme.