My manager just asked me to take on more responsibility but he is not able to compensate me. He says

"I like my job but it doesn’t look like there is much room for promotion as the structure is relatively flat. I also recently realised that I am underpaid. I’m only paid at the job level below me. i Work very hard but I need to know what I am working hard for. The role is technical but a huge component of it is people management of a group of analysts".

Bosco

Answers from colleagues

Collins

My advice would be to take on some additional duties - with caution. Be careful to not be doing the work of two people or work that is several "pay grades" above you. This isn't to say you aren't capable, but if you're going to do the work you should be compensated. If the structure at your company is flat, as you say, and opportunities are limited, I think taking on some duties in the short term will tremendously help your resume as you (hopefully) prepare to move onto greener pastures one day. Even if something is still a good fit for you now, eventually you will likely become bored and, especially if not properly compensated, ready for a change. Showing that you have a robust skill set will hopefully open even more doors for you in the future. That said, don't let yourself be used for free. Keep your resume up to date and keep track of all that you do also. Hope this is helpful. Good luck to you!

Nelly

In my experience, additional duties are not rewarded. Negotiate and tell them you are pleased with the opportunity, but will there be additional compensation. Extra vacation time? - If not, it really is up to you as to whether or not you feel as though the company is taking advantage of you. Are the duties included in your job description? Is this something that will help you succeed in the company? My final thought is to always look out for yourself first.

Linus

Bosco - Great question! Here is my take. I think it all comes down to if you think the additional responsibilities will in fact develop you to meet your longer term career goals. "Career Development" sounds nice but won't feel great in the short term, unless you are focusing on your future career. What are those goals? If you don't know yet, here are the steps I take clients through but you can totally do this yourself!

1. You decide where you want to be at the end of your career and work backwards.

2. Decide what position title at what type of company do you want to achieve by your retirement age.

3. Search and read those job descriptions. What skills and experience do you need to achieve that level by x years from now?

4. Sketch out the roadmap in increments... so, if you achieve that big title by 20 years from now, where do you need to be at 15 years from now, 10 years, 5 years. You know what I mean?

5. That gives you the stepping stones, per say. Study and break down the job descriptions online of positions that will be along your path. What do you need to learn, what experience do you need to have. Be very clear and granular on this one. It becomes a simplified task list.

6. Go get those skills and experience!

Then, empowered with your own vision for your career path, you will be able to answer if this offer of more responsibility really give me the career development that you want, or not.

You can make it happen!

Redempter

Let me get this straight: you are already performing work at a level above your current pay grade, and your boss is asking you to take on even more, higher-level duties with no additional compensation. From where I sit, this organization is sending a very clear message about how much it values you and your work. I have seen the expression “development opportunity” used many times as a justification for keeping wages low. For that reason, I am highly skeptical of the claim that there is no money to compensate you. My personal response would be to say, “Supervisors get paid $X, and I will only do the work if I receive the same.” But I realize that there could be many factors at play here, and accepting these additional duties may in fact turn into a condition of continued employment there.

I agree with the others who suggested seeking other non-monetary forms of compensation, as well as taking inventory of your career and your personal goals. Above all, take advantage of all the development this opportunity has to offer. Effectively managing others is a wonderful skill you can take with you just about anywhere. At any rate, my advice is to dust off your resume because situations like these generally don’t get better on their own. Good luck with it!

Bellah

You're not even being paid properly for the work you're doing now?

Unless there were some perks they could include - parking validation, gym memberships, snacks, whatever these companies do these days - as well as an actual change in title you can put on your resume, I would say no.

When they want to pay you properly, you can do their work.

Ruth

I would suggest that if you like your job and the people you work with AND it won't upset your work/life balance...take on the challenge without pay. However if you have hesitation because you are worried about any one of those points - then suggest a non-monetary compromise. Maybe more time off or flexible hours or work from home. As well as perhaps an advancement in titles. Every situation should be a give and take...to what degree is up to you.

Nelson

This happened to me while interning after about 8 months. My supervisor requested a skype meeting, (I was interning remotely) and said it was to discuss my responsibilities. I was so excited because I thought it meant she was going to offer me an actual job.

Turns out she wanted to increase my job responsibilities from intern to assistant, which meant I would have been working at least double the hours per week and have to learn a whole lot of new things to do it. And just when I was getting ready to ask her how much she was going to pay me, she dropped the bomb saying, " and I so wish I could afford to pay you but I'm just not able to at the moment."

I was stunned. I took about a week to think it over and realized she basically wanted me to keep working for her for free indefinitely, with no promise of hiring me on, ever!. And the job she wanted me to do was worth at the very least, a part time salary!

I decided to just stop doing any more work for her. She'd told me I was the best intern she ever had, but I don't think she really meant it because if she had, I think she wouldn't have let me go. What floors me though, is that she would have been content to keep me working for free forever!

My advice? Don't do it!

Ian

Hi Bosco!

I can see why this is a difficult decision to make. When you consistently take on extra responsibilities and go above and beyond it can definitely be discouraging when not properly compensated or recognized. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to not limit yourself to opportunities presented. When you go outside of your comfort zone that’s where personal growth occurs then it sometimes takes you on a path you would have never expected. You may discover your true passion and then you can decide what and why your working so hard.

Finding an inspirational mentor who helps with development opportunities outside of your assigned job function may help avoid negative feelings towards your current situation. Staying positive is also key since everything happens for a reason teaching and shaping us for our destined futures.

Keep up up the great work and make the best choice for you!

Titus

Do your best to research whether the opportunities actually are out there based on similar situations in which people in your line of work have actually gained added "resume-worthy" professional experience or credentials. If you find this is so then research and consider the likelihood that the credentials and experience actually could lead to a promotion, an eventual increase in pay or benefits (e.g. if your workplace is a growing start-up versus being in a dying industry). Make sure that you are working in a company with good morale and two-way communication between bosses (both immediate and higher up) and their staff. If you feel good about your findings then present them to your boss and ask for his or her perspective on what specific opportunities he/she sees in the added responsibility. Also make sure you have a good sense of why you are the one who is being asked to take on these responsibilities: if it is because of your marketable job skills that us a much better sign than "because you always step up to the plate when something needs to get done". In any case, the one thing I've learned is to never feel like you have to stay in a win-win situation. Good luck.

Sharon

Are you attached to your current company? Perhaps you can take a few extra responsibilities that fit into your career path, do that for a while, and then leverage your experience to apply for another, better paying job at a different company with more growth! 2018 is a great time to be searching employers are looking for skilled candidates now more than ever, and the unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in decades. As of 2018, employers cannot ask you what your last salary was, so you would be able to state your asking pay rate without being attached to your current salary.

It seems like a dead end to stay at a job that‘s underpaying you at a company with little room for growth. Maybe it’s time to take what you can and jump ship.

Best of luck to you, regardless of what you decide!