How to Manage Performing Duties Outside of Your Job Description (Or ‘Any Other Reasonable Duties’)
Occasionally performing duties outside of your job description can be a normal part of doing a job, but when it becomes frequent, you may need to address this in some way. If you are routinely performing work outside of your stated description, there are a number of options to consider.
- You may choose to do the extra work to advance your skills and knowledge
- You may prefer to speak with your employer about professional boundaries
- You could speak with your employer to see if this means a more permanent change in your duties, which might include a discussion on any addition to your wages as a result of this
What does it mean to be performing duties outside of your job?
When taking on a new position with an employer, it is common for you to have clearly defined duties from the job advert, your contract and initial orientation and training. When an employer asks you to take on duties that are not covered under your stated responsibilities, you are working outside of your job description.
Your contract may include the phrase ‘any other reasonable duties’ which normally relates to tasks of an incidental nature, or that are infrequent, or constitute an emergency for which it is impractical to include in the official description of the role of a PA.
Most employers will have a statement in the contract of employment to cover any other duties they would like their PA to undertake. This is a way of making sure that they can receive the support they need.
The core duties that a person has as a PA might vary from one employer to another, but there could be certain areas that cover support with:
- Personal care
- Meal preparation
- Cleaning and maintaining the person’s house
- Medication
- Accessing the local community
There may be the odd occasion where the employer needs support with something, like managing finances, dealing with correspondence or tradespeople. However, they may be on an occasional basis and something that is in line with the expectations of the role of a PA.
Ability to undertake any other duties
It would be important to remember that any additional duties that you might undertake, are something that you can do well and safely and that they are within the boundaries of your role as a PA.
If you felt that you were unable to carry out a task well or safely, it would be important to let your employer know, so they can reconsider their request.
Flexibility as part of the PA role
The role of the PA is also to be as flexible as possible when supporting their employer. This flexibility is at the heart of the support provided and the relationship between the PA and employer, so it might be helpful to see any requests for support with something new or additional, in this light.
Next steps
Take a look at the articles below ‘Checking Your Employment Rights’ and ‘When You Might Need to Say ‘No’ to Your Employer’ that may provide some useful additional information.