Is it ever okay to turn down a work request "because it is not my job"? - Comparably | Comparably

Is it ever okay to turn down a work request "because it is not my job"?

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40 Answers

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    Top Employee Response

    While it should be okay, depending on the work environment you do it anyway.

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    It is OK, but...you have to stand up for yourself or you will be doing "not my job" constantly

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    Unless it is beyond your scope of competency.

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    If the work request is within reason, won't interfere with your regular duties & is within your physical capabilities you should help you wherever you can.

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    Normally I would say no.

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    Only if you're not qualified to do it.

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    If you don't know how or don't have time to do it.

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    I would personally say no, because you are getting paid so any request coming your way you should be up for. HOWEVER, the way things are going within the workplace and the next generation coming through, I feel their answer would be yes.

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    Yes

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    Yes everyone is supposed to have a clear cut understanding of what their job is. That’s the company’s responsibility to make sure of this. The company expects the employee to show up on time during their scheduled days. So it’s the least the company can do to not ask someone to do a job that’s outside of their normal realm.

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    Yes.

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    Yes - but it depends who's asking, and on context.

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    Not really, you can always add value by sharing your expertize

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    Yes, especially if you are overloaded and at/past full capacity with things that are in your charter and job description

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    This can be tricky as you don’t want to be labeled as not being a team player. Pitching in and helping as needed can also help you down the line in reviews, promotions and raises. Keep detailed record of when you helped, which projects so you can use this to remind your manager during review time. But taking on too much, not knowing when to say now can burn you later.

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    It depends, if it happens always, yes. If not, then it's okay to try and gain more experience from it

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    Do the task, but don´t forget. Sooner or later, shoudn´t be for free

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    Depends. Are they asking to drop the slack on you instead of holding who is actually in charge accountable? If not then be part of a team and help

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    Yes, if you don’t have the proper training or if one physically cannot do it.

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    Absolutely. I don't mind helping out where I can but at the same time, there are some things that I should not be doing. BUT, I would not say because it's not my job. That's just rude and disrespectful. There are better ways to phrase this depending on the situation.

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    I think it is fair to ask about the context of new assignments. Why are we doing this? Do I have the right skills to do this well? Doesn't this other team typically handle this type of thing? Etc

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    Yes, if taking the request would result in inefficient allocation of bandwidth.

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    While I wouldn't phrase my responses that way, it is sometimes not only ok but important to decline a request. It may not be your specialty or you may be too full plate to do it justice.

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    No everyone has to work as one in a team

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    Sort of. If you know how to handle the request but dont have time to, then find someone who can take care of the request. If you dont know how to handle the request either find someone who can or inform the requestor that you are unable to help them.

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    As long as you’re not being asked to defuse a bomb, no it is never ok.

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    Your job is to help.

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    You should never turn down a work request. Always find the appropriate home for it. It doesn't have to be you.

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    Yes but be mindful : you could lose your job

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    Work as a team. Sometimes we all have to do things that are not our jobs.

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    It depends. If someone asks you to perform open heart surgery and you’re not a surgeon, it’s reasonable to decline. If you are asked to pitch in with everyone to keep the office break room clean, then it’s unreasonable for you to decline since it’s a shared responsibility. If someone asks you to process something that you are familiar with but don’t normally handle, and they are entirely clueless about what to do, then offer to show them the right way. If this person comes to depend on you and it starts to take away from your duties, then you can say it’s not your responsibility to constantly help them. The point is that everyone in a workplace should respect everyone’s responsibilities, but be willing to help each other when hemp is truly needed.

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    No. There are better ways to accomplish this.

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    No. But if I know of someone who is the expert, I will direct there or work with the SME to get it done.

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    Yes, but it isn't OK to simply turn it down without offering a solution like, "this isn't my area of expertise, but it is so-and-so's responsibility. I can introduce you."

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    Not really . If its a Repeated offense then you should politely decline

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    It depends on the ask. If it's something that is ethical and not immoral you should evaluate if you can take on

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    Set some expectations so you don't leave the requester wondering on where to go next. Provide info on who they can ask for assistance.

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    Being more tactful than that in your response, but at the core ideal yes. In my experience accepting work more and more you end up doing much more than is justified by your compensation.

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    Yes but it depends on how far from your job it is. If it may not be directly in your job title but you deal with it often or know how to do it and it doesn't affect your job, then just do it. However, if it is way out of left field then it is fine to turn it down but you should try to offer a solution such as who to go to instead.

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    Absolutely. But the language of the response should be professional. Saying no is just as important as saying yes. Clearly identifying roles and assigned tasks helps for proper and metered growth while also establishing business needs.