When they change your job without asking you

Dear Bob …

I have a bit of a dilemma that I’m hoping you can help me out with because I’m stuck.

I was recently “promoted” to a new position. I say promoted in quotes because the promotion seems to be hardly that. I was suddenly given a new title, new and extra responsibilities, and a new boss (someone I don’t get along with). There was no pay increase with this position change, actually more like a pay cut. In my old position I worked quite a bit of overtime. In this one, I don’t. Same hourly rate, but less take home each week.

The change in position wasn’t offered to me, I was put in to it. The position may be new but it was handed to me as an expansion of my previous position, leaving behind previously held duties that of course would need to be filled by another candidate. While I enjoy striving to improve my quality of work, I find it a bit hard to continue with the constant reminder that I seem to work in an environment that shows favoritism and unfair working conditions.

So with that being said, I have a few questions that I’m hoping you can help me with …

First, is it legal to change someone’s position, title, responsibilities, and supervisor without their prior agreement? I have not signed anything stating that my responsibilities have changed. As far as I know, to Human Resources, I still hold my previous position.

Second, as you stated in a previous article, Capitalism assumes I’m an individual working to maximize my own “utility” … and I am. So now that I have a new boss, how do I approach the pay issue? I need an increase, but here, now, that’s unlikely.

On top of that, I have no data to support my contention that my position is worthy of a salary increase. All I have is my new and extra responsibilities; and the fact that the expanded position is a necessity in the organization. However, I am certain (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that if the organization were to publish an open position like mine, they would have to increase the salary to get the quality of work I deliver.

I see my quality of work deteriorating if my salary does not increase. It would be hard to consistently deliver with excellence when I’m not rewarded for it. I enjoy working in this organization and my bottom-line makes it hard for me to search for another job right now.

What should I do?

– Not ready to pack yet

Dear Unready …

Let me answer the legal question first: Unless you are governed by a union contract, for most employers it’s perfectly legal to assign you new duties. There are exceptions (for example, assigning you duties that conflict with a union contract) but with few exceptions these days, organizations are “at will” employers which means they’re free to reassign you or let you go; you’re free to leave whenever you like.

It really isn’t that bad a system, either: It gives employers the flexibility they need to make sure they have the right people in the right positions, promotes a meritocracy better than systems based on security and seniority, and makes it clear to employees that their continued employment depends on their ability to deliver value. Jobs aren’t entitlements, they’re contracts; “employees” are really no different from contractors in that they should consider themselves independent companies that have to sell on value.

The downside to at-will employment, if you’ll forgive a bit of pontificating, is that when a company becomes dysfunctional, at-will employment can turn into no-particular-cause termination pretty easily.

In any event, it’s clear the promotion was handled badly. You make less; you have a new boss with whom you don’t get along; and new (and presumably more important) responsibilities; and nobody took the time to talk it over with you first.

Here’s how it looks to me:

First of all, you need to either change your attitude or change your employer. Your current situation is untenable and will, eventually turn you into an undesirable employee.

Right now you appear to be thinking like an hourly employee (and I get at least a hint that you were relying on your overtime pay instead of considering it to be gravy … always a bad idea). If you are career-minded I’d advise re-thinking this.

As a generality, those who think like hourly employees exchange an hour’s work for an hour’s pay. That’s the end of the transaction. Professional employees include the exchange of extra effort for extra opportunity in their calculation of the employer/employee relationship.

You might decide to consider the change to be an opportunity. It’s a new, and apparently a more important position. That puts you in a different salary range, even if your current compensation hasn’t changed and even if you don’t get more money with your current employer: The new position will qualify you for better positions externally when and if you decide to pursue them.

You have to be successful at what you’re doing before going that route.

By all means, schedule an appointment with someone in Compensation and Benefits Administration (or whatever it’s called where you are) and ask what the salary range is for your current title compared to your old one. It’s likely you’ll find that you were being paid near the high end of your old position and have more headroom now, which means you have the opportunity to earn more in the future if you perform well.

Two other thoughts, since you asked: If your quality of work deteriorates based on not getting more money, that strongly suggests you don’t take pride in your work. Employees who are in it only for the money eventually find themselves in the same position as corporations that are in it only for the money: They become also-rans, because the ones who are in it for the value they create out-compete them.

Of course, money matters. Don’t put it first. If you do you’re short-changing yourself.

And second, regardless of how it ought to be, the way the world works is that you have to take responsibility for the quality of working relationship you have with your new boss. It’s like this: You are in business for yourself, and your boss is your customer – the person who makes the buying decision about the services you provide. Making sure you have a positive working relationship with your boss isn’t sucking up. It’s making sure your customer is happy with you as a provider – something we business consultants generally endorse as being a good business strategy.

– Bob