“Ad hoc duties” appears in a large number of South African job descriptions, usually near the bottom of the duties list and usually without explanation. It means tasks assigned as and when they arise, rather than tasks that form part of the regular, defined work of the role.
The phrase is useful and entirely legitimate. It becomes a problem only when it is used to move permanent, materially different work into a role without acknowledging that the role has changed. This guide explains what the term means, how employers use it, and what to do when the boundary starts to blur. It sits within the wider job duties guide.
What Are Ad Hoc Duties?
Ad hoc is Latin for “for this”, meaning something done for a particular purpose as the need arises. In an employment context, ad hoc duties are tasks that are not part of the routine job but that come up occasionally and are reasonably connected to the role.
Three features distinguish a genuine ad hoc duty:
- Occasional: it happens now and then, not every week as a matter of course.
- Related: it sits within the general field of work the employee was engaged for.
- Proportionate: it fits the employee’s skill, training and seniority, and does not put them at risk.
A task that is occasional, related and proportionate is ordinarily reasonable. A task that fails one of those three tests deserves a conversation rather than silent compliance.
Examples of Ad Hoc Duties
- An administrator helping to set up a venue for a company function.
- A bookkeeper compiling a one-off analysis for a bank or funder.
- A receptionist covering the switchboard for a colleague on unexpected leave.
- A warehouse assistant helping with an unscheduled stock count.
- A teacher supervising an extra activity during an examination period.
- A sales consultant assisting with a stocktake before year end.
- A driver collecting an urgent part outside the usual delivery route.
Each is short-lived, connected to the role, and does not change what the job fundamentally is.
Ad Hoc Duties vs Core Job Duties
| Feature | Core duties | Ad hoc duties |
| Frequency | Regular and predictable | Occasional and as required |
| Documentation | Listed in the job description | Covered by a general clause |
| Performance review | Assessed against them | Rarely assessed directly |
| Purpose | Why the position exists | Support when something comes up |
| If removed | The role changes | The role is unaffected |
The last row is the practical test. If the ad hoc task were removed tomorrow, would the job still be the same job? If the honest answer is no, it has stopped being ad hoc.
How Employers Use Ad Hoc Duty Clauses
Most South African job descriptions include wording such as “and any other reasonable duties as assigned from time to time”. The clause exists for a sensible reason: no job description can anticipate everything, and an organisation needs flexibility to cover absence, seasonal peaks and one-off projects.
Employers use the clause well when they treat it as cover for the unforeseen. They use it badly when it becomes a way of permanently expanding a role without discussion, additional pay, or an updated job description. The word doing the work in that clause is “reasonable”, and reasonableness is judged on the facts rather than asserted by either side.
How to Describe Ad Hoc Duties on a CV
Do not write “ad hoc duties” on a CV. It tells a recruiter nothing and wastes a line. Name the actual work instead, especially where it shows range or trust.
- Weak: Performed ad hoc duties as required.
- Strong: Covered reception and switchboard during colleague absence, and coordinated logistics for two company events a year.
- Strong: Compiled one-off financial analyses for funders on request, in addition to the monthly reporting cycle.
The duties for a CV guide covers the wider method for turning tasks into bullet points that get read.
When Extra Duties Need Clarification
Raise it, politely and in writing, when any of the following is true.
- The task has become regular rather than occasional, and is now part of your week.
- It requires a qualification, licence or registration you do not hold.
- It carries a level of accountability well above your role, such as authorising payments.
- It creates a safety risk, or you have not been trained for it.
- It is displacing your core duties, so your actual job is not getting done.
- It amounts to doing a more senior role without acknowledgement.
Raising it is not refusing it. In most cases the right approach is to do the work and ask for the position to be clarified, because a written record of when the change started matters far more later than a verbal objection does.
Questions to Ask About Role Boundaries
- Is this a temporary arrangement, and if so, until when?
- Which of my current duties should be deprioritised while I do this?
- Am I authorised to make the decisions this task requires?
- What training or authorisation do I need before doing it safely and correctly?
- If this becomes permanent, will the job description and grading be reviewed?
- Who should I go to if something goes wrong while doing it?
These are ordinary, professional questions. An employer acting in good faith will answer them, and the answers protect both sides if the arrangement is later disputed.
Related Workplace Duties Guides
- Job duties: the parent guide, including workplace duties and extra responsibilities.
- Duties and responsibilities: how tasks and accountability differ.
- Job description duties and responsibilities: for employers wording the clause properly.
- Duties for a CV: turning what you actually did into CV bullet points.
One practical note for employers: the clause works best when the job description is otherwise specific. A detailed list of core duties plus a short ad hoc clause is far more defensible than a vague list that leans on the clause to cover everything the role actually involves. Where a temporary arrangement becomes permanent, updating the job description costs little and removes the ambiguity entirely.
This page is general workplace information, not legal advice. Whether a particular instruction is lawful and reasonable depends on your contract, your employer’s policies and the applicable labour legislation. Take advice on anything significant, and raise concerns in writing.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026