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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Performing higher duties at work is common, but when is it too much?

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Performing tasks outside one's job description is common but can lead to stress and burnout if excessive.
  • Employers should ensure requests for extra duties are transparent, collaborative, and fair, discussing capacity and compensation.
  • Taking on reasonable extra tasks can benefit employees through positive appraisals or promotion support, fostering organizational citizenship behavior.

Performing tasks beyond your official job description is a frequent occurrence in many workplaces. However, when these requests become constant or significantly deviate from your core role, it may signal a need to address the situation, especially if it contributes to job stress or burnout.

Being asked to do tasks outside your job description is pretty common and normal.

— Paula BroughDirector of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Grifith University

Paula Brough, director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Grifith University, acknowledges that such requests are common. Yet, she emphasizes that employees have the right to decline extra duties, particularly if they become an excessive burden. The key lies in distinguishing reasonable requests from those that are not.

it's totally within your right to say no to extra duties as a worker

— Paula BroughDirector of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Grifith University

Sarah McCann-Bartlett, CEO of the Australian HR Institute, notes that employment contracts often include clauses allowing for 'other duties as required.' This does not grant employers unlimited scope to assign additional tasks long-term. Reasonable requests, she explains, should be transparent, collaborative, and fair. Employers should clearly communicate the 'what' and 'why' behind the request, considering the employee's capacity and potential for work intensity. Issues like overtime, compensation, higher duties allowances, and necessary training must also be addressed.

Especially if those extra duties are commonly asked of you and becoming too much of a burden.

— Paula BroughDirector of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Grifith University

Professor Brough suggests that in supportive organizations, taking on extra work can yield benefits. Employees often volunteer for additional tasks, anticipating future advantages like positive performance reviews or support for promotion. This aligns with the concept of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), where employees voluntarily exceed job requirements to benefit the workplace.

This isn't a free for all, it doesn't mean an employee has to take on a large or growing range of additional tasks on a long-term basis.

— Sarah McCann-BartlettCEO and managing director of the Australian HR Institute
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Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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