Why Your Employees Say “That’s Not My Job” And What To Do About It

If you’ve led a team long enough, you’ve probably heard this sentence before.

“That’s not my job.”

Sometimes it’s said calmly.
Sometimes defensively.
Sometimes with folded arms and silence after.

And every time you hear it, something inside you sinks. Not because the task is impossible, but because that sentence is a sign of something deeper happening in your organisation.

Last year, while working with a mid-sized company in Nairobi, the HRM shared a frustration that had been building for months. Small issues were becoming big problems, and everyone seemed to be working hard yet nothing was moving.

When something fell between roles, no one picked it up. When a client issue crossed departments, it was passed around like a hot potato. Ownership was missing.

The HRM told me, “Perminus, my people are good. Skilled. But the moment something is not clearly in their job description, they switch off.”

And that’s when I told him something that often shocks leaders:
When employees say “that’s not my job,” they are not being lazy. They are responding to the culture you’ve created.

In many Kenyan organisations, people don’t refuse work because they don’t care. They refuse because they have learned that going beyond their role comes with risk, not reward. They’ve seen colleagues take initiative and get blamed when things go wrong. They’ve watched others do extra work and still get overlooked during appraisals.

So over time, employees protect themselves. They stay inside their lane. They do exactly what is written  nothing more, nothing less.

In this company, that is exactly what had happened.

One employee had once helped another department fix a client issue. When things went wrong, he was blamed for interfering. Another had stayed late to solve a problem and was later asked why her own targets were slipping. Slowly, silently, a message was sent: initiative is dangerous.

So people adapted.

They became very professional. Very careful. Very disengaged.

The HRM listened quietly as we unpacked this. Then he asked the most important question: “So how do I fix this without burning out my team or creating confusion?”

Here is how to eliminate “That’s Not My Job” in 2026

1. Clarify Ownership

He explained to managers and staff that while job descriptions define roles, responsibility for outcomes belongs to everyone. If a client is unhappy, it is not “sales’ problem” or “operations’ problem.” It is the company’s problem.

2. Aligned Accountability With Authority.

Employees were encouraged to take initiative, but only after managers agreed on who had decision rights. People were no longer expected to solve problems without support, then suffer alone when things went wrong.

3. Change How Effort Is Recognized.

During performance reviews, managers were required to discuss not just targets, but behaviours. Who stepped in to help? Who solved problems beyond their role? Who took responsibility when things were unclear? Those conversations mattered.

4. Trained Managers On How To Respond

When employees said, “that’s not my job”, instead of arguing, managers were taught to ask a better question: “Who should own this, and how can we solve it together?” That simple shift reduced defensiveness and built shared responsibility.

Over time, something changed. Employees stopped hiding behind job descriptions. Not because they were forced, but because it became safe to care again.

To Wrap up..

If you’re leading a team where “that’s not my job” has become normal language, it is a signal worth paying attention to. It tells you that ownership has been trained out of your people, often unintentionally.

Through our HR consultancy services, we help you redesign roles, strengthen management accountability, and build a culture where people take ownership without burning out.

If you’re tired of pushing your team and want systems that work even when you’re not in the room, this is a conversation worth having.