Yesterday afternoon my boss called me into a small meeting room to talk to me alone and said they’re restructuring the accounting team to cut costs. Long story short: they want to shrink the team from 6 to 4 and want me to take on extra duties — checking the inventory system, dealing with external contacts, tightening up the reports — and train the new hire only during evening hours after work. The tone was all pleading but it felt more like an order.

I’m confused. I’m 42 and I’ve done accounting for almost twenty years, good with financials and tax stuff, but I don’t have hands-on operational inventory experience. The office is small, and instead of getting a budget to hire or outsourcing, they’re basically telling me to 'agree' to do it myself. Others are flitting about too busy with front-office stuff, and when I said I was worried I couldn’t finish everything in time, my boss said indirectly, “You understand, you have to make sacrifices sometimes.” Hearing that made me feel awful, like I’m the easy one who has to carry everything.

I want to keep my job and the team — I’m in Hua Hin and I like the office vibe — but I’m afraid of being taken advantage of. I don’t want to be the harsh one, but I also don’t want to be asked to do tasks outside my scope without extra pay or proper training. Or am I overthinking this? How should I reply to my boss? Can I ask to limit my responsibilities or request time and training? Or should I start looking for another job before being straightforward?

P.S. If anyone’s been through this in a small office, please share how you handled it T_T