Will I maintain my salary grade if I take on a lower role?

At the end of last year, I was promoted to a mid-level job and my salary was enhanced. However, I failed to enjoy my new position because of several meetings that drag on to no end. At the moment, I feel like returning to my previous job. My question is what will happen to my salary if I ask to return to a lower position? Baker

Yours is a very unusual scenario, simple in appearance but tricky to deal with. You are honest about what you feel but want to continue receiving the same remuneration that comes with your current position.
It is bound to create precedent issues on remuneration but also you are bound to become demotivated once this is denied.
Getting a precise answer to your question is dependent on a vital piece of missing information. Was this promotion bestowed upon you without consultation or was it a vacant position that you applied for?
As you go up the career ladder, the challenges and experiences you encounter are different by far. Meetings are not a waste of time but you soon realise that they are a key forum to synchronise operations.
The level you were promoted to is no longer a routine task job but its evolving into a strategic one. It is part of a funnel that synthesises ideas across the organisation and consolidates them into one singular thought process. The career direction here is for you to decide.
On the key question of whether your salary will be scaled down upon being demoted; you cannot enjoy two mutually exclusive alternatives.
Your company may most likely accept your request to be demoted (assuming your former position still exists) but I am yet to find one that will allow you move with your pay grade. Why should you be paid for a role you are not performing?

Solomon Muhiirwa
Human Resource Consultant
[email protected]