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THE QUESTION
I was hired to work in a co-manager position where two people share equal responsibilities for our tasks. My co-manager quit two months ago and now I’m taking on both of our duties.
It’s extremely stressful and my entire team is hanging on by a thread. I keep asking when the director will hire a replacement but they keep dragging their feet. I suspect they’re trying to cut corners and avoid hiring a replacement. I don’t know how much longer I can continue working like this. What are my options? Should I just accept that this is how it’s going to be and start looking for a new job?
THE FIRST ANSWER
Nora Jenkins Townson, founder and principal, Bright + Early HR Consultants, Toronto
Taking on a colleague’s tasks after they leave is a tough balance. You want to be seen as competent and a team player but not so competent that they think a replacement isn’t necessary. It’s especially hard when you don’t feel appreciated for your extra efforts or see an end in sight.
First, I’d lead with curiosity and try to understand exactly what’s going on with the hiring process and why it’s feeling slow. Perhaps there are moving parts in the background – promotions they’re exploring, key people on vacation, a long list of other hires to make – that are delaying things. If it’s a matter of time and capacity, you could offer to step in and help, or at least ask for a clearer explanation of the timeline.
I’d also be direct with management about the impact. You mentioned asking your director when a hire would be made; make sure you’re also spelling out what the vacancy is actually doing to your team’s output and morale, and any risks to the business you see as a result. Stats help if you have them. This might light more of a fire under them to get you some help. In the meantime, track your own time and output. You don’t want them quietly getting the idea that one person can sustain the role indefinitely.
If they do plan to delay the hire for a few months, try to negotiate. I’ve seen people successfully advocate for a temporary pay bump for a set period while taking on extra responsibilities. And, if they truly don’t plan to replace the role at all, I’d make your case one more time, with facts, and then start looking.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Jenny Chen, chief executive officer and founder, Catalais Consulting Ltd., Ottawa
What you’re experiencing is becoming increasingly common across both the public and private sectors. After years of workforce growth, many organizations are reassessing their structures, budgets and staffing needs. In some cases, leaders use natural attrition, waiting until someone leaves before deciding whether a role truly needs to be replaced.
Sometimes that works. Processes improve, priorities shift and teams discover they can operate effectively with fewer positions. But sometimes the opposite happens. The work doesn’t disappear and gets redistributed to the people who remain.
That’s where organizations can run into trouble. When high performers successfully absorb additional responsibilities, leaders may unintentionally treat a temporary solution as a permanent one. The fact that you’ve managed two roles for two months may actually be reducing the urgency they feel to hire.
Before making any decisions, have a factual conversation with your director about the hiring timeline, what support will be available in the interim and which priorities may need to be adjusted. Try to focus on the workload, deadlines and business impact rather than your understandable frustration. If one person is expected to do the work of two, it is reasonable to ask what work will be deferred, reassigned or deprioritized.
The bigger question isn’t whether you can continue working this way. It’s whether leadership is demonstrating a willingness to address the problem. If there is no plan, no communication and no effort to reduce the workload, that tells you something important about the culture.
Regardless, I would begin exploring external opportunities. Not because you should leave immediately, but because having options gives you perspective and leverage.
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