What to Do When All You'd Like to Say Is "That Is Not My Job"

Are you finding yourself more and more often in situations in which you are asked to perform tasks outside of your job description? Before resorting to an abrupt “that is not my job” response, there are factors to consider and more subtle and diplomatic approaches you can take. These will help you achieve what you want without necessarily sacrificing your team player status in the office.

It’s in fact a common misconception that saying no in the workplace will ruin your reputation and make you appear disengaged or dodging responsibilities. Setting reasonable boundaries can, in fact, be a healthy habit. It helps to prevent situations in which you feel taken advantage of and later develop burnout and, if done properly, it’s a powerful tool to be taken more seriously.

What Is a Job Description and Why Is it Useful?

A job description is the document listing the responsibilities associated with a certain role. The first time you usually see it is in the job posting you’re applying to as it explains what the candidate will have to do to be successful in the role. Depending on the company, it might be a rough or exact outline. Ideally, you should revise your job description with your boss annually.

This is because a job description helps both you and your manager to understand your impact on the company, set goals and expectations, and even drive your role and career. A job description is rarely static and when mutually agreed upon, it can change as you grow professionally. However, when there is a clear mismatch between what you initially signed up for and your actual assignments, you can be left thinking to yourself, “that is not my job!”

Reasonable and Unreasonable Asks Beyond Your Job Description

There are many occasions in which you might be asked to perform tasks outside of your job role. Some can be legitimate and shouldn’t bother you, others however, are justifiable reasons to complain. For instance, a boss requesting you to carry out personal tasks such as picking up their kids from school or buying their spouse a present definitely falls in the “that is not my job” category – unless, of course, you are their personal assistant. On the contrary, picking up the work of a teammate who is sick or on holiday is absolutely a given.

Things would be different, though, if suddenly you were asked to keep performing the duties of another role that was not going to be filled anymore. The same goes for any added responsibilities that increase your workload without proper compensation or without balancing priorities and setting realistic expectations. Even in these last situations, before turning to an “act your wage” or “quiet quitting” attitude you might want to weigh all the possible outcomes of that decision first.

What Is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting is a term used to describe when an employee is doing the bare minimum at work and stops going above and beyond in their role. It doesn’t mean they do a bad job; they’re just no longer willing to do whatever it takes for their company and their role, instead doing just enough to sustain their position.

Some people refer to this phenomenon as a decision to “act your wage”. Simply put, employees with this attitude put in only the amount of labor they believe their salary reflects. Quiet quitting usually starts after being overwhelmed with work for a long time, after being systematically denied recognition or promotions, or simply because you are not paid enough. For many, it’s also an extreme way to set boundaries and gain back control of life.

When to Ignore the Thought "That is Not My Job" and Do it Anyway

While you might not want to perform tasks outside your job description, there are some circumstances in which it could be more beneficial to hold your horses and consider delaying or not having that conversation at all, including:

• There’s a promotion in the air, so you want to appear as proactive as possible.
• The tasks allow you to develop new skills that will bring your career in the direction you want and can even help you find a new job later on.
• You can leverage the new tasks to increase your negotiation power to get a promotion or a raise.

On the other hand, despite these situations, you might still rightfully decide to say “that is not my job” as you prefer not to set a precedent of doing something without recognition. Whether that’s a good call or not can be difficult to predict and also heavily depends on how well and persuasively you can deliver your message. Consider your work environment and management to decide whether this will be well received or not.

How to Gracefully Say No to Tasks Outside of Your Role

If after making your considerations, you still need to transmit that “that is not my job” message, first always highlight your current contributions and capabilities instead of flat denying the request. It helps soften and justify your refusal. Here are a few strategies to handle the situation graciously without compromising yourself in specific situations.

• It’s a personal and not a professional request. Whenever the duty clearly has nothing to do with your position a simple “I’m not comfortable with doing X or Y” is the easiest solution. If that doesn’t help you, you can ask to have a formal chat with your manager about it or in the worst-case scenario even speak to the HR department.
• A colleague always relies on you. Denying help to a colleague can be tricky. You could say something like: “I’m sorry, right now I’m too busy with X to help you”, and then refer them to someone else. If that doesn't work, it could be useful to raise the issue with your manager. Perhaps the team needs additional members or more training to help fill skills and labor gaps.
• You simply don’t have time for everything. If the tasks are starting to accumulate and you feel your productivity is impacted, ask your boss to update your priorities to let something go. Saying “X is beyond my tasks, but I’m happy to help. However, I have a lot on my plate at the moment. Can you help me set priorities, please?” could be a way to go.
• It’s a new task that you have no idea how to do. Here, our suggestion is to plainly ask for help. For instance, “I’d love to do X, but I’m afraid I’ll need some of your help to perform it successfully.”

Find Better Alternatives to Quiet Quitting When You Sign Up to Monster

If everything fails and you still feel you need to clarify “that is not my job”, it’s probably time to find a new role. With Monster, you’ll find one fast and stress-free. All you have to do is create a free account, upload your most recent resume and select what kind of jobs you want. We’ll send them your way as soon as they are published, so you’ll never miss a possible match. Plus, recruiters and companies will be able to contact you directly with exciting new opportunities.