Each month, our Advocacy Committee answers your questions about the AD 10 policies (aka, your terms and conditions of employment.)

Wanda Dekleva

Here is the Advocacy Committee Chair, Wanda Dekleva, to answer some of your questions about workplace issues.

Questions? Submit them anonymously here. Your question will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact us.

I have been working a great deal of overtime. There's a similar position in my department that's vacant, and I'm doing the work for both jobs. My manager has recently been asking me questions about my performance when I bring up my overtime hours. I'm worried that my manager sees my overtime as a performance issue and not a workload issue. What do I do?

In most cases working overtime is not the result of a performance management issue, it's due to the job demands or workload. In the situation that you describe, it sounds very much like a workload issue. While your manager has the right to ask questions about your performance, it's best to underscore that your extra hours are due to job demands. Your manager's questions shouldn't deter you from submitting all your duly recorded extra hours for compensation. If you have worked overtime while performing work for SFU, you are entitled to overtime pay or time-in-lieu if you're a manager. 

I suggest that you meet and discuss your duties and the extra tasks you've had to undertake with your supervisor to see if there is any way to resolve this issue.

If you and your supervisor can't come to an agreement, know that you can speak to APSA. If you find your workload is unreasonable, we can suggest options for you, including, if necessary, filing a grievance for you (See AD 10.17 Problem Resolution).

You can always contact APSA to discuss your situation. Talking to APSA is 100% confidential.

Need an APSA advocate? Contact us at 778-782-4319.