Q & A Table of Contents
My Old Boss Got Moved For Bad Behavior; Should My Pay Equal His While I Fill His Job?
From: Linda, Natural Dam, Arkansas
Question: My Supervisor has been moved to another location because of workplace violence, and harassment on his part. I have been asked to do his job on a temporary basis until they hire someone a full-time replacement. My problem is I know how to do the job, and now I will have to train the new person they hire. Should I at least ask for the same pay that my boss was making while in the temporary status? I am afraid that I have already burned bridges with management because I was the first person to complain about my supervisor, and I feel like the supervisors think that it all spider-webbed out from my complaint.
Response: You need to get analytical about your situation before you begin negotiating. Ask some substantive questions of yourself — and the answers should help you understand the best steps to take:
The first set of questions relate to your feelings about the situation: Who got ‘punished’ for your boss’s bad behavior — you or him? Why would the supervisors move him if they consider you a troublemaker?
The next questions relate more directly to the pay issue: If you fill the boss’s job on a temporary basis, will you have any less responsibility than he did? Equal pay for equal work seems to be an appropriate principle governing this issue. Should you be called upon to train your boss’s replacement, that adds to your burdens and should yield additional pay.
Your email address gives me an impression that you work for a government agency — which may limit your supervisors’ capacity to increase your pay. Thus it may be that you need to exercise some creativity regarding your compensation for filling your ex-boss’s job. This might take the form of flexible hours, vacation or compensatory time, the opportunity to get a better parking space, better furniture, or the assistance of additional staff to help you fulfill all of your job obligations.
One other issue you should address is: why shouldn’t you be a serious candidate to replace your boss? Perhaps you should perform his functions in such a way that demonstrates you can do a superior job compared to how he performed — and, since you know the job functions, there is likely to be a smoother transition if you take over than if someone new arrives on the scene.
When you negotiate you need to open your mind to creative possibilities. There are many ways to resolve issues that might not be standard operating procedure.
Go for it!
Steve
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