Pared down job responsibilities? To stay, leave or retire

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Dear Joan:

I apologize in advance for the length of this e-mail. I'm trying to condense it but I thought you should have some history. Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

I've been with my company for 20 years, in essentially the same position, although the duties, brands, interdepartmental work, and title have evolved. (For example, when I started, I was marketing five products. Currently, I promote sales of 20 products, and my job includes web work and digital design, which I've taught myself.) Sometimes I've managed assistants, and been a department head reporting to a VP, but now I'm one member of a centralized department, reporting to a director.

The company is running progressively leaner and meaner, and I've been assigned numerous administrative responsibilities because staff has been pared down. I was told at my last review that I had to "justify" my salary (which is higher than other similar titles in the company because of my tenure, and my performance during our glory days) by taking on these duties. I have been juggling everything for several months now.

My problem is my attitude. I don't feel that these administrative tasks are "beneath me" but they do take me away from my "real work", which is creative and supposedly critical to my department's success, and I understand that somebody has to do them. But I feel that others in the organization now perceive me as being "lesser" because I'm now doing a lot of "grunt work." I'm a little bitter, and I know it shows.

I want to retire from this company. It won't be easy to find a comparable job at my age (55). Can you give me some tips on conducting myself in a gracious and confident manner? I don't want to come across as "managerial" since I'm not a manager (although my title is!). But I don't want to be a doormat either.

Secondarily, if I do seek another job, should I mention ALL my duties at the risk of sounding more like an administrative assistant than a manager? Help! 

Answer:

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I think you are very lucky to still be employed by this company. Perhaps you’ve been “spared” because you are older and they fear the legal ramifications if they fire you. Or, perhaps they don’t want to terminate you because you have given twenty years to the company, your performance has been good and you are close to retirement. But you are a marked man because you have a salary that is so much higher than others for the level of work you are doing.

When your manager told you at your review that you had to justify your salary as compared to others in the company, what he was really telling you is that he has to justify your salary to those above him and that he is unable to do so. It seems to me that he is getting pressured to either terminate you, or reduce or cap your salary.

You mention that you used to be a department head but it appears that those duties have gone away, either because of the restructuring or because you were better at the creative work than managing others. You mention that your high salary is a result of “my performance during our glory days” and your long tenure.

The reason you probably still carry the management title is to provide some justification for your salary. That will look like a flimsy reason to upper management, who are trying to trim costs and create internal equity. It becomes difficult to defend your salary when others are being fired or merit increases are being reduced. The glory days are over and they are in survival mode.

The fact that you are being asked to do “administrative work” may be a sign that you are being squeezed out. As I see it you have several choices.

Stop worrying about looking foolish to your peers for doing “lesser” work and lose the bitterness edge immediately. If you feel it, you can bet everyone else sees it. It will paint a big bull’s eye on your back.

Rather than feel demeaned by the extra administrative tasks, look upon them as work that needs to get done and roll up your sleeves with gusto and dig into them. In addition, ask your manager what you need to do to “justify” your salary. If he can’t come up with anything, ask him if it would be “better for him and the company” if they trimmed your salary, or gave you more significant responsibilities. Your main goal may be to hang on as long as you can, and a reduced salary is better than no salary.

If it looks like the end is coming, ask if you can “retire early.” In some cases, companies are willing to let an employee retire early with some extra health care and income coverage, because it’s cheaper in the long run than paying your salary and fixed benefits for years.  If you have enough saved, or are willing to find another job, you might be just fine.

They may be willing to give you a package that allows you to work in a consulting capacity on the creative responsibilities in your current job. But the only reason they would be willing to do this is if your experience and skill add value they don’t want to lose.

If you do look for a job, only mention the duties that support the kind of work you are looking for. There is no rule that says you have to list everything you do. Explain your departure like this, “I had a satisfying career there but the company has experienced some tough times and many cut backs are occurring and I was required to take on many tasks that took time away from the work I find most satisfying. I am lucky that my contributions were valued and I wasn’t one of those who were let go, but I feel it’s time to leave and do work I really enjoy again.”

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