A reader who agreed to cover a departed colleague's work while a replacement was recruited is now told there is no budget to fill the role, leaving them with permanently increased responsibilities, longer hours and constant worry about missed tasks.
Ralf, from Manchester, wrote to the Jobs Guru column explaining that his boss was initially appreciative and assured him the arrangement was temporary. Months later, he is repeatedly told there is no budget to replace the colleague, and all their old responsibilities appear to have become permanently his.
He asked how to make it clear that this cannot carry on without sounding unhelpful or as though he is refusing to do his job.
Advice: start with the work, not the refusal
Careers author James Innes advised Ralf not to begin with “I refuse to do it” but with the work itself. He suggested listing what was handled before, what was inherited, and what is now slipping, being rushed or pushing him into unreasonable hours.
He then advised asking the boss to choose priorities, with a suggested phrasing: “I can keep x and y moving, but I cannot also deliver xyz properly by Friday. Which would you like me to postpone?”
Concealing the shortage makes it less urgent
Innes warned against rescuing the situation every week by working later, noting that the more successfully the shortage is concealed, the less urgent replacing the colleague will appear.
He advised asking what the actual plan is: whether the role will be replaced, whether some duties will be removed, or whether the extra responsibility will be recognised in pay or job title, and to get dates rather than another promise to “review things soon”.
If the boss still expects everything indefinitely with no more resources or recognition, Innes said the reader has his answer, as the company is not solving its staffing problem but handing it to him.
Top tip and temp-to-perm warning
His top tip was not to argue vaguely about being overworked, but to show the full list, explain what cannot all be done properly, and ask the boss to choose the priorities.
The column also featured a “Spotlight On” segment about temp-to-perm situations, noting that covering for a colleague “just for the moment” can become permanent responsibility, and that being endlessly helpful can work against you. It advised stating clearly what available time will and will not cover, without sulking or deliberately doing a bad job.
James Innes is a best-selling careers author and founder of a group of professional CV and resume writers. His new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted, is out from Pearson at £16.99.
