How Small Requests Become Big Problems
It rarely begins with a dramatic demand. More often, it starts with something entirely reasonable: the PA is asked to feed the cat while the housekeeper is off sick, or to accept a delivery that would otherwise be missed, or to water a few houseplants before leaving for the day. Each request is minor in isolation. None of them seems worth a formal conversation.
But over weeks and months, these small additions accumulate. The PA who was hired to manage your diary and coordinate household logistics finds themselves responsible for a growing list of tasks that were never discussed, never agreed, and never compensated. At the same time, you — the employer — may have come to rely on these additional contributions without recognising that they fall outside the original role. When the PA eventually raises the issue, both parties feel aggrieved: one feels exploited, the other feels unfairly criticised for a situation that evolved gradually and without intent.
This is scope creep, and it is both preventable and, once established, surprisingly difficult to unpick.
Why Clarity Matters From the Outset
A personal assistant's job description is not merely a formality. It is a foundational document that defines the employment relationship, informs the salary agreed, and sets the standard against which performance can be assessed. When that document is vague, incomplete, or never revisited, it creates fertile ground for misunderstanding.
From a legal standpoint, the terms of employment — including the duties expected — form part of the contract of employment. If you routinely ask a PA to perform tasks that fall significantly outside their agreed role without consent or additional remuneration, you risk claims related to unlawful deduction of wages, constructive dismissal, or breach of contract. These are not outcomes that require malicious intent on your part; they can arise simply from an absence of structure.
Conversely, a PA who refuses to carry out any task not explicitly listed in their job description is also operating in difficult territory. Employment law recognises that roles evolve and that a degree of flexibility is reasonable. The challenge is finding a workable middle ground — one that acknowledges flexibility without allowing it to become exploitation.
What a Scope-of-Duties Document Should Include
A scope-of-duties document is distinct from a job description, though the two are closely related. Where a job description sets out the broad purpose and responsibilities of the role, a scope-of-duties document is more granular and operational. It answers the question: in practice, what does this PA do, and what are they not expected to do?
A well-constructed document should address the following:
Core duties: The primary tasks the PA was hired to perform, described with sufficient specificity to be unambiguous. "Diary management" is less useful than "managing the employer's personal and professional calendar, including scheduling appointments, sending reminders, and liaising with third parties to confirm arrangements."
Secondary or occasional duties: Tasks that fall within the role but are performed less regularly. These might include coordinating household maintenance appointments, managing correspondence, or supervising deliveries.
Explicitly excluded responsibilities: This is the section most employers overlook. Stating clearly what the PA is not responsible for — pet care, garden maintenance, childcare beyond agreed parameters, personal errands unrelated to the employer's specified needs — removes ambiguity and gives both parties a reference point when requests arise that fall outside the agreed remit.
A flexibility clause: Rather than attempting to list every conceivable task, include a clause acknowledging that occasional reasonable requests may arise and setting out how these will be handled — for example, by mutual agreement, with any sustained expansion of duties to be reflected in a revised document and, where appropriate, revised remuneration.
Pets, Plants, and Property: Common Areas of Contention
Certain categories of task appear with particular frequency in disputes about scope. Pet care is among the most common. Employers who own animals often assume that a PA working in the home will naturally assist with feeding, walking, or veterinary appointments. Unless this has been explicitly agreed, that assumption is not a sound basis for expectation.
Similarly, garden maintenance and houseplant care tend to drift into a PA's informal remit without formal agreement. Property-related tasks — accepting deliveries, supervising contractors, holding spare keys for tradespeople — are another area where boundaries blur easily. None of these is inherently unreasonable to request. The issue is whether the request is made transparently, agreed mutually, and reflected appropriately in the role.
If your household has animals, extensive grounds, or a property that requires regular oversight, consider whether these responsibilities should be built into the role from the outset and compensated accordingly, rather than added informally over time.
Reviewing and Updating the Document
A scope-of-duties document is most effective when it is treated as a living record rather than a static formality. Household needs change. A PA who was originally hired to support a single professional may find the role evolving significantly if children arrive, an elderly relative moves in, or the employer's work commitments shift.
Building a regular review into your employment relationship — perhaps annually, or at the conclusion of the probationary period — allows both parties to reflect honestly on how the role has developed and to update the document accordingly. These conversations, conducted in a constructive spirit, also reinforce the professional nature of the arrangement and signal to your PA that their time and skills are valued.
A Tool for Both Parties
It is worth emphasising that a clear scope of duties benefits the PA as much as it does the employer. An employee who knows precisely what is expected of them is better placed to manage their time, prioritise effectively, and push back professionally when requests exceed the agreed remit. That clarity is not a constraint on the working relationship — it is the foundation on which a productive and respectful one is built.
