How Should I Respond When an Employee Says to me, "That’s not my job"?
Since you know from past experience that you will get a negative reaction, present the assignment in as positive a manner as you can. Let the employee know that you have confidence in his or her abilities, that he or she is the best-qualified person for the assignment. Get the employee to suggest ideas about how to do the assignment. If his suggestions seem reasonable, give him the opportunity to handle the work as he wishes. This way, he may become more interested in doing the work, and will become part of the solution instead of an additional problem for you.
If the employee refuses to take on the additional work, make clear that this refusal will be noted in the next performance review. In today’s lean organizations, it is imperative that all employees willingly lend a hand when necessary, performing beyond their job description.