Q & A Table of Contents
They Want Twice The Work, But Won't Raise My Pay
From: Thomas, Augusta, Georgia
Question: I have been working for this company 19 years. Another guy who works with the company who does the same job as me has had health problems. When he is out of work the company expects to do his work as well as my own but without additional pay. He has been out for operations several times. He has been out this time for over two months. I still do the same job -- as well as covering for him. I've asked several times for raise but been turned down. What should I do?
Response: If you happen to belong to a labor union, the union should be the first line of protection for you. If you are not a union member, you should find a way to investigate your state's labor laws to determine whether you can be required to do more work without additional pay.
Doing the research may be difficult; perhaps there is a librarian who can help you or a college professor who is familiar with the law -- or you might need to hire a lawyer or utilize the services of Legal Aid if it is available near where you live or work.
You need to figure out what risks you face if you simply do your own job without doing the work of your colleague as well. The worst-case situation would be if you have no other employment opportunities and the company is totally unwilling to help with the situation. If you can find other employees of the company who are sympathetic they may be able to offer useful advice. Perhaps you can share your sick colleague's work with a few other people so that it doesn't all fall on you.
It sounds as if it is time to look at your BATNA, your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. What could happen if you just say no? What if you say to the company, "I was hired to do my job at $X per hour. What incentive can you offer me to do my job, plus additional work?" They may offer you more vacation, flexible working hours, or some other benefits that don't involve extra pay. You need to determine whether these are attractive trade-offs in your current situation.
Measure what's good for you, decide where you have to draw the line. Consider what you risk -- too much work could shorten your life, louse up your family relationships, or do you other harm. You need to understand the whole picture and then remember that if you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will.
This is a difficult situation; I wish you good luck.
Steve
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