An employee starts as an administrator. Two years later, they are supervising people, handling payroll, managing suppliers and solving problems that once came directly to you.
Their title is still “Administration Assistant”. Their position description has not changed. Their employment contract is the one they signed on day one, and nobody has checked whether their pay or Award classification still fits the work they actually do.
This is job creep, and it happens in growing businesses all the time.
It often starts reasonably, someone capable steps up, a manager leaves or the business expands. The problem is not that roles evolve. It is allowing them to evolve without reviewing the employment arrangements around them. Left unchecked, job creep can lead to underpayments, frustrated employees and disputes. It can also leave a business overly reliant on one person.
What is job creep?
Job creep occurs when an employee gradually takes on duties, accountability or working arrangements beyond the role they were originally employed to perform.
It may include
- Supervising employees without a formal leadership title
- Regularly working additional or out-of-hours shifts
- Taking responsibility for budgets, payroll, compliance or client relationships
- Performing higher-level technical or administrative duties
- Covering a vacant position for an extended period
- Becoming responsible for decisions previously made by a manager or
- Moving between substantially different duties as the business changes.
Helping occasionally is normal. The risk arises when additional work becomes an ongoing expectation, but the employee’s documentation, classification, remuneration and authority remain unchanged.
Why does job creep matter to a business owner?
1. The employee may be incorrectly classified
Modern Award classifications are generally determined by the work an employee actually performs, not simply the title written on their contract.
If an employee has moved into higher-level duties, they may be entitled to a higher minimum rate or other conditions. Paying “well above the Award” does not automatically remove the risk where overtime, penalties, allowances or annualised salary requirements have not been assessed.
2. Expectations become unclear
An inaccurate position description makes it difficult to manage performance fairly. The employee may believe they are already performing at a management level, while the business considers the extra duties informal. If concerns arise, neither party has a reliable reference point for what success looks like or where accountability sits.
3. Good employees can feel taken for granted
Capable employees are often given more work because they can be trusted. Goodwill can quickly erode when increased responsibility is not acknowledged through pay, title, authority or development. By the time the employee raises the issue, they may already be looking elsewhere.
4. Important work can become dependent on one person
Job creep creates “accidental key-person risk”. Knowledge and responsibility accumulate with one employee without documented processes, backup arrangements or clear authority.
If that employee takes leave or resigns, the business may suddenly discover how much of its operation was sitting with them.
Seven signs an employee’s role needs reviewing
You should consider reviewing a role when
- The employee’s position description has not been updated for more than two years.
- They regularly approve, supervise or make decisions affecting other employees.
- They have permanently absorbed duties from someone who left.
- Their title no longer describes what they actually do.
- Their normal hours, roster or work location have materially changed.
- They are accountable for higher-risk work such as payroll, compliance, safety, budgets or employee management.
- They have raised concerns about workload, recognition, pay or career progression.
One sign may not indicate a problem. Several together usually mean it is time for a structured review.
What should you do when an employee’s duties have changed?
Step 1 – Document the role as it operates today
Ask the employee and manager to separately list the regular duties, decisions, responsibilities and working arrangements. Compare these with the position description. Focus on what happens in practice, not what was originally intended.
Step 2 – Decide what the business genuinely needs
Not every additional task should remain with the employee. Some duties may need to be delegated, automated, returned to another position or stopped altogether. Clarify the role the business needs before changing a title or pay. Otherwise, you risk formalising a collection of tasks rather than designing a sensible position.
Step 3 – Check the Award coverage and classification
Review the applicable modern Award, classification definitions and the employee’s actual duties. Also check whether any higher-duties allowance, overtime, penalty, minimum-engagement or annualised wage requirements apply. This is an area where assumptions become expensive. Similar job titles can sit under different Awards or classification levels depending on the employer’s industry and the work performed.
Step 4 – Review remuneration against the actual working pattern
Do not look only at base salary. Consider ordinary hours, additional hours, weekend work, public holidays, allowances, leave loading and any other Award entitlement the salary is intended to absorb. If the employee works irregular or extended hours, a proper remuneration comparison may be needed.
Step 5 – Have a direct conversation
Explain what you have observed and invite the employee’s perspective. They may welcome formal recognition, or tell you that the role has become unmanageable. The objective is to create a shared understanding of the role – not promise a promotion on the spot.
Step 6 – Update the documentation
Depending on the outcome, this may include
- a revised position description
- written confirmation of a new title or reporting line
- a remuneration review
- a contract variation letter or replacement agreement
- clarified working hours and approval limits and
- a development plan where the employee is moving into leadership.
Do not simply edit an old contract and assume it will suit the new role. Employment legislation and modern Awards change, and a template prepared for one position may not be appropriate for another.
Step 7 – Set a regular review point
Add role and classification reviews to your annual HR cycle and trigger a review whenever there is a restructure, promotion, prolonged higher duties or significant business growth. A short annual review is far easier than reconstructing several years of duties and hours after a complaint is made.
A practical question for business owners
If you asked each employee today, “What are you actually responsible for?”, would their answer match their contract, position description, classification and pay? If you are not confident it would, that is a useful place to start.
The solution does not need to be a business-wide overhaul. Begin with employees whose roles have changed most, those carrying additional responsibility and positions with complex Award conditions. Fix the highest-risk gaps first and build a regular review process from there.
Need help reviewing roles and classifications?
HR Cornerstone helps Perth and WA business owners review position descriptions, Award coverage, classifications, remuneration arrangements and employment documentation. We provide practical advice on what needs attention, what can remain and how to address the priority risks without creating unnecessary disruption.
If roles in your business have evolved faster than your employment documents, contact us for a practical review
Frequently asked questions we often help with
Do I need a new contract when an employee’s duties change?
Not for every minor change. Where the position, pay, hours, classification or responsibilities have changed materially, the arrangement should be documented through an appropriate variation or replacement agreement.
Does a higher salary automatically cover Award entitlements?
No. The employee must still receive at least their Award entitlements for the work and hours performed, and any salary-offset arrangement needs to be properly structured and assessed.
How often should position descriptions be reviewed?
Review them at least annually and whenever there is a promotion, restructure, sustained higher duties or material change to responsibilities.
Can an employer change an employee’s duties without agreement?
Employers may make reasonable changes within the scope of a role, but significant changes can raise contractual, Award, consultation and employee-relations issues. Obtain advice before implementing a substantial change.