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  |  Office Culture  |  Your rights  |  Secondment: do I have to take it?
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Promotions

Secondment: do I have to take it?

by Work Rights Expert, Rachel Lewis

question
I work in a team of four. Two pregnant women are due to go on maternity leave in December. My boss wants to promote me into the job of one of the pregnant women during her maternity leave.

She earns significantly more money than I do and has more responsibility in her job. However, my boss says he won't give me a pay rise, he will only give me a lump sum payment at the end of the agreed term if I've fulfilled the obligations of the job.

I believe that this is an attempt to ensure I stay with the company while the other lady is on maternity leave. He knows I've been thinking of leaving in order to travel and doesn't want me to.

I'm not happy with this. Do I have to take what he offers? If this is all he's going to offer for an increase in workload, I would prefer to keep my current job. If I ask to do this, can he make me redundant? It really feels like he is attempting to use my naivety about my rights to get a cheap and useful deal for himself.
Please help!
i3arbiegurl

answer
You don't sound the slightest bit naive to me. No, he can't make you do the other job. But bear in mind that you only really have protection against a backlash from him if you have over one year's service. I'd explain that you're happy doing what you're doing. Plus, if you do choose to do the other job, you should get paid the rate for the job straight away, not at the end - I'd be very clear with him on that.
Good luck
Rachel

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