Best HR Advice: What ‘Any Other Duties as Assigned’ Description Really Means

By Jane Gakaria,
I am a new employee an IT Firm. So far I like my job but my only complaint is that sometimes I am delegated secretarial duties. This was clearly not in my job description though in my contract there was an ‘other duties as assigned’ phrase. Could the secretarial work be this part of the ‘other duties’. Please help. Charles via email.

Charles isn’t alone in this as there have been a lot of people in his shoes. To answer his query we must first define what ‘other duties as assigned’ mean.

According to Beth Wanjira, a Recruitment Manager with Corporate Staffing Services, the term is quite hard to define as it could include anything other than the job you were hired for. “These ‘other duties’ don’t fit into a particular box as some will be related to your current job and others won’t.”

So what about their relevance? Just how important are these ‘other duties as assigned?’ Well, there are 3 key reasons for having the ‘other duties as assigned’ on job contracts. One, a company can’t detail each and every single thing the employee will do as it will be too cumbersome and the job description would be too long.

Two, job duties are constantly changing (depending on the trends in a particular industry) and the company may not necessarily have the time to keep on writing and re-writing duties to meet current trends.

Three, specific job descriptions would limit managers and employees who would want to increase their responsibilities and expand their careers. They would be an unable to do new things because ‘it isn’t in their job description.’

So how should an employee handle these ‘other duties’, should they be interfering with their performance, more so if their being assigned arbitrary labourious tasks?

One, set proper boundaries. “When someone asks you to do something ridiculous, don’t be rude and throw a nasty comment back at them. Be direct and simply tell them what your role is, what your typical responsibilities are and how they don’t fit in with what they are currently asking of you.” Once you draw that line, expect the strange requests to stop.

Two, be helpful, within reason. “If you willingly choose to assist someone with an additional task, that’s alright, but don’t be too generous that you’re always taking on other people’s work that it interferes with your own job duties.” Further, she adds, doing this will let people think they can take advantage of you and use you as a ‘door mat.’

Three, consult your supervisor. “Senior colleagues have the tendancy of assigning their juniors with duties they don’t have the authority to,” she quips. Before you undertake such a task, ensure you first consult with your supervisor/manager on whether you should do the job and whether there would be any conflicts if you did.

Four, if possible use it to your advantage. Certain tasks have led to employees getting a diversity of skills and even enabled them to climb up the corporate ladder. So if the task may be beneficial, don’t disregard it and use it to your advantage.

Lastly, don’t take it so personally. Most of us have had to do one or two tasks out of our job description, so don’t feel like you’re being personally targeted. “I was once an administrator at an office and I would always be sent to post letters at the post office, yet there was an office clerk. I always thought that my boss used to hate me and she was trying to punish me by always sending me, only to later realize that I was the only one she trusted in the office.”

As for her parting shot in regards to ‘other duties’? “Own them, embrace them, and don’t let them define you. Heck even your boss or your boss’s boss also has ‘other duties’.”

In conclusion, before you sign any work contracts which stipulate ‘other duties’, be keen enough to ask your employer what those duties might possibly include. If you’re okay with the terms and conditions then you can readily sign the contract.

Dont Miss any Job Or Article Subscribe to Career Point Kenya by Email FOR FREE CLICK HERE