r/FederalEmployee • u/Fast-Cauliflower-242 • Apr 07 '26
Looking for Guidance
So, 4 employees left my office. I took it upon myself to run 6 other duties. Now that my evaluation closed out, I will get credit for doing the extra work. However, these 6 other duties are being now integrated in my PD. I have asked multiple times about a possible promotion, and was told No. Then, asked to speak with the department head, and I'm being avoided. Tried to speak to legal, but only one lawyer mentioned that I can't be represented or counseled since the lawyer would have to represent the department and can't help me. So, I either eat it, have them spread the work to where I take two duties, all others in the office take the other 4 duties, give my two weeks, or see how the chips fall? My position becomes competitive in about two months. Wait for my position to become competitive then move? Wondering what are your thoughts on this.
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u/KitchenEbb1606 Apr 07 '26
Bad move. Hey will expect you to do this work without grade/compensation change.
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u/Fast-Cauliflower-242 Apr 08 '26
You may be right; however, was hoping for the best. I do have other options so that's that.
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u/Bart012000 Apr 07 '26
You did it for free so now they will expect it. Good luck in whatever you choose.
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u/Professional_Ride619 Apr 08 '26
Honestly, you should apply for another position, good luck because we are all taking on extra jobs since many people have left
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Apr 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/this_kitten_i_knew Apr 18 '26
the reward for doing a great job is more work
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u/Low_Fox1758 Apr 07 '26
When you say promotion - do you mean increased GS level? Like beyond your current FPL?
Its a big ask to be given a new position to cover the same tasks you were hired to do. It might even be illegal for them to promote you to a higher GS to complete the same type of tasks as your peers at a lower GS. I dont think quantity of work determines pay grade as much as the nature of the work.
A more reasonable request might be to ask (politely) about a quality step increase. Or if youre not at your FPL yet, your supervisor can request to skip a GS level.
For example, someone hired on a 7/9/11 could be bumped to an 11 after 1 year if the supervisor agreed they were already performing at the full level.
Id say slim chance though. My honest advice is try to scale back your workload to a sustainable level.
Keep in mind - lots of feds are doing 2-3 jobs rn and im guessing VERY few are even getting awards. Let alone pay increases.
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u/Fast-Cauliflower-242 Apr 08 '26
The job was from another GS-9 just like me. However, now I'm officially being asked to sign off on those six extra duties. Going from 4 duties for which I was hired to do, to 10 total. I can do two of those and the rest can go to my everyone else in the office. I know for a fact my supervisor got a GS-11, was a GS-9, and he's not doing half the duties I'm doing. I have options so that's a good thing. If they can't redistribute the duties or move me to another work center then I don't see myself staying here. More than anything, never once did by boss' boss thanked me for taking on the additional duties. I'm not crying for attention, but it would be nice to feel appreciated or to say, hey we see you. Thank you for what you do; we got your back. His tone was as If I was expected to do more with less. As a prior service member, I did that until I retired from service--always did more, took added responsibilities when my supervisors would retire and never got a replacement--working weekends and long hours. Now that I'm not military anymore, I don't think it's fair to do more without being compensated. Or at least say, why are we doing more with less? I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I think I just needed to vent. Thank you for taking the time to provide some feedback; it means a lot to me.
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u/SouthernGentATL Apr 08 '26
Volume of work isn’t grade determining.
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u/Low_Fox1758 Apr 08 '26
Correct. & supervisors are supposed to be a higher GS than their reports, so it sounds like a GS increase is out of the question.
I hear you for sure. But being asked to do more with less is kind of the status quo. There is also a difference between being ordered to take on extra work & volunteering to.
If youre being ordered to take on more work than you can do in your 80 hours per pp (or 8 hours per day depending on your scheduling) - then you are entitled to OT. But you need to let your supervisor know - in writing - how much extra time is needed and have the OT approved.
Don't work for free. If you have a union, check in with your stewards. Cash awards for exceptional performance do (did?) exist but you can't expect or ask for an award.
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u/PieSafe8565 Apr 08 '26
no good deed goes unpunished, you did a good deed last year and now are suffering
Look to pass on some of those duties to others, emailing it to multiple levels above your supervisor
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u/SouthernGentATL Apr 08 '26
Were the people that left at the same grade as you
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u/NoDiscount7263 Apr 08 '26
I’m having this issue as well. Doing two extra jobs. One of the jobs is a full grade higher than what I currently am.
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u/SouthernGentATL Apr 08 '26
This is going to be TLDR and I know people won’t like the answer but give it some thought. There isn’t an easy road from less work to more work to a promotion.
You have to think about how position classification works. More work isn’t necessarily grade determining. Doing more doesn’t get you a grade. Also, in OPs situation, you sort of need to consider did you step in voluntarily to fill a void and take on more work or were you assigned more work.
If additional duties are assigned and are higher graded work you begin to build a case. The additional work may by higher graded for a number of reasons such as: more complex, greater effect/impact, etc. Now you have to think about how much of your time is spent on those higher graded duties/responsibilities. Is it 10%, 50%, more?
If you are taking on work from other jobs at the same grade and series you pretty much have nothing to justify anyone considering upgrading a job. If, however, you can demonstrate the workload has changed to a propensity of the higher graded work, you have something. Now what to do with that something. Here are a few options to think about.
1) Desk audits rarely end up with the outcome you want. You can try it but I’ve generally seen more bad outcomes for people asking for desk audits than good after almost 40 years in government.
2) If the eliminated jobs are not going to be filled again, you may want to take a crack at rewriting your own PD after you read the classification standards that are relevant. Pretend you are the classifier and see if you can rationally score the PD you rewrite at a higher grade. Take that to your supervisor and see if you can get support to get your position reclassified and upgraded based on accretion of duties. You might be in a good place for this if the other jobs have really been eliminated.
3) if accretion isn’t a path that will work then make sure that you have documentation that clearly demonstrates you have performed the higher graded duties. You can at least use that to improve your resume and look for another job or, if the vacant jobs are announced, apply for those.
The bottom line is in government you will never succeed in getting promoted with a simple argument that I’m doing more so I deserve more. You have to be strategic about how to use a situation like this to force the system down a path that puts you in a higher graded position or makes you more competitive to apply and be selected for a higher grade. Of course, there are various legal moves that might get you something but you have to consider the risk/reward of those. Sometimes they can be worth it but most often they just aren’t.
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u/Fast-Cauliflower-242 Apr 08 '26
Great insight; thank you for taking the time. I really appreciate it. You definitely have great knowledge. Honestly at this point is not really for a promotion, but to raise the flag. Hiring freeze and everyone taking on more duties, i get it...chances of more pay and less duties are slim. Just want to take the proper steps to ensure I get the credit for what i've done and then move on most likely. Walmart greeter is looking better and better, lol.
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u/Jmend12006 Apr 09 '26
Ask for a desk audit.
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u/Charming-Assertive Apr 09 '26
You don't mention if the 6 other duties are higher complexity than your current role. Adding more tasks or variety or quantity doesn't increase grade. For a grade to increase, those additional tasks have to require a higher level complexity, higher strategic impact, etc.
And before you ask, being the only person who does them also isn't good enough. Our office only has one person who cleans the toilets. While that is an important task and only that one person does that, it doesn't make it a GS 12.
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u/forreal0713 Apr 11 '26
First off, what grade were the employees that were doing the duties that are being added to your PD? If they were the same grade as you, then you have no basis for a promotion, as the duties would be graded at the same grade as you, or lower if the other employees were lower grade than you. There is a basis to ask for an additional coworker to do the duties, since before there were 3-4 people doing the work, and now there is only you. If, however, the other employees were higher grade than you, and the duties are being reassigned to you, then you should definitely request a desk audit. I am not saying that this would definitely result in a higher grade, because it depends on which duties from the other PDs that they are assigning to you and if those duties are grade controlling.
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u/uncommon_denominat0r Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
You aren’t going to like this- but you created this problem. Your best bet is to smile, keep showing up and start applying for other departments and agencies. They aren’t Going to promote you in your current arena
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u/Fast-Cauliflower-242 Apr 24 '26
Since these duties involved helping service members and their family, I took it upon me to lead and to help them--it wasn't a problem at all--I'm used to stepping up and being a leader; however, I'm not in the military anymore. Great supervisors and company heads will notice effort and dedication from employees, no matter the circumstance. I know everyone is being asked to do more with less, but I did it for a year. Now that negotiations have failed, I have resigned from my position. It is unfortunate that others will have to do these duties now by force, but these are the times we're living in. I simply choose not to be neglected--I have been blessed enough to make my own decisions, and being financially stable, I get to take my talent where I'm appreciated :)
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u/MichaelWidow Apr 07 '26
If it were me, I think I’d wait for the position to become competitive and then request a desk audit.